| Sam has a degree in Veterinary Science, a Masters degree in veterinary epidemiology and a PhD, which focussed on the development and validation of HandiRISK, an expert system for carrying out qualitative and quantitative import and food safety risk analysis. This software continues to be marketed by Massey University.
Sam joined Biosecurity Australia (formerly AQIS) in 1999, where he was responsible for drafting Australia's Guidelines for Import Risk Analysis and for methodology issues associated with Australia’s obligations under the WTO SPS Agreement. During that time, he also took carriage of a number of high-profile import risk analyses and provided advice about risk analysis methodology during the Department’s successful landmark Federal Court case on the importation of pig meat. In 2002 he was nominated for a Commonwealth Government Australia Day Award for his work on BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy).
Sam returned to the Australian government in 2005, to undertake work on the design and programming of spatial simulation models for FMD (foot-and-mouth disease); and to design and implement the Australian Veterinary Practitioner Surveillance Network (AVPSN), a national animal health surveillance initiative coordinated by the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF).
This work completed, Sam has rejoined Broadleaf to continue consulting to government and industry in risk management and epidemiology. His work includes a lead role in the development and validation of a spatial simulation model for pandemic influenza — a 2-year joint project between Broadleaf, DAFF, the University of Melbourne and James Curtin University of Technology — called AUSFLU.
For more details, please click here to go to Broadleaf's AUSFLU web page.
Sam was for 5 years the Head Examiner in epidemiology membership for the Australian College of Veterinary Scientists. He has contributed more than 30 papers on animal health and production, epidemiology and risk analysis to international journals and conferences; and has spoken on these topics in France, Switzerland, Italy, the United States, New Zealand and Australia.
Sam's impressive list of publications and presentations can be viewed here.
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Later in 2002 Sam joined Broadleaf as an Associate Director, providing risk management and epidemiology consulting to Australian governments and industry. During this time he contributed to the quarantine strategy for the $AU13Billion Gorgon LNG project on Barrow Island, Western Australia. He also undertook a 10-month secondment to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), in Fort Collins, Colorado, where he was asked to review US methods for import risk analysis and spatial simulation models for animal disease spread and food safety.
Sam is also applying his knowledge of biological and natural sciences to the emerging field of climate change risk management, and is actively developing this aspect of the Broadleaf portfolio. Broadleaf are co-authors of the Australian Government publication Climate Change Risk Management: a Guide for Business and Government, which is based on the Australian standard for Risk Management, AS/NZS4360 (2004). Using the Guide and the underlying standard, Sam has undertaken climate change risk management across a range of public and private sector organisations. This has included substantial projects with local and state governments as well as with a multinational vaccine and biologicals manufacturer.
Sam is currently a part-time pro bono lecturer with the University of Sydney Faculty of Veterinary Science. He has provided editorial critique for Preventive Veterinary Medicine, as well as to the OIE (Office International des Épizooties — or World Organisation for Animal Health) Scientific and Technical Reviews, the Australian Veterinary Journal and the New Zealand Veterinary Journal.
He was invited in 2002 to join a four-person international ‘OIE Ad Hoc Group’ on aquatic animal disease risk analysis and surveillance. He is currently the designated Veterinary Epidemiologist for the national Reference Group tasked by the Primary Industries Ministerial Committee (PIMC) with the ongoing review of Australia’s National Animal Health Surveillance Strategy.
Click on the image on the left for details of Sam's recent course,
Spatial Simulation Modelling for Animal and Public Health.
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