Associate Professor Margaret Cook

Associate Professor

School of the Environment

+61 7 336 56086

m.cook4@uq.edu.au

Chamberlain Building (35), Room 421

Researcher biography

Margaret has been actively involved in occupational health and safety research and practice for over 25 years. She has been employed in a range of academic positions at both UQ and Queensland University of Technology, and has developed and delivered both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. During this time Margaret has also consulted extensively to a range of organisations from government departments to manufacturing and retail companies. In 2002 she was awarded the Eric Wigglesworth Medal for outstanding contribution to OHS research, an award presented by the Governor-General of Australia.

Researcher biography

Associate Professor Margaret Cook is currently employed as the Program Leader for Occupational Health and Safety Education, within the University of Queensland, Australia. Margaret initially qualified as an Occupational Therapist and completed higher degrees in Occupational Health and Safety and Ergonomics. She is a Certified Professional Ergonomist and a Chartered Generalist OHS Professional. She holds a range of Ministerial Appointments, acting as an expert on Government Panels and Committees, and is currently Immediate Past President of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society of Australia, and a Director of the Occupational Therapy Council of Australia.

Publications

Book Chapter (1)

Journal Articles (18)

Conference Papers (2)

Book Chapter

Horberry, Tim, Burgess-Limerick, Robin, Storey, Neil, Thomas, Matthew, Ruschena, Leo, Cook, Margaret and Pettitt, Chad (2014). A user-centred safe design approach to control. The core body of knowledge for generalist OHS professionals. (pp. 1-25) Tullamarine: Victoria: Safety Institute of Australia.

Journal Articles

Reitmayer, Amelie, Koth, Sebastian Clark, Kobas, Bilge, Johnstone, Kelly R., Cook, Margaret M., Madigan, Cassandra and Auer, Thomas (2025). Effects of dynamic thermal conditioning on cognitive load and performance in an office environment. Applied Ergonomics, 122 104395, 104395. doi: 10.1016/j.apergo.2024.104395

Leung, Richard, Cook, Margaret M., Capra, Mike F. and Johnstone, Kelly R. (2024). Do non-healthcare workers report physical, physiological, psychological or communication impacts associated with wearing hearing and respiratory protection?. International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, 101 103595, 103595. doi: 10.1016/j.ergon.2024.103595

Reitmayer, Amelie, Johnstone, Kelly R., Madigan, Cassandra, Cook, Margaret M. and Arsenijevic, Sava (2023). How do dynamic and time-dependent indoor temperature patterns impact on the health of office based workers? – a scoping review. Building and Environment, 244 110745, 110745. doi: 10.1016/j.buildenv.2023.110745

Leung, Richard, Cook, Margaret M., Capra, Mike F. and Johnstone, Kelly R. (2022). The contribution of respiratory and hearing protection use to psychological distress in the workplace: a scoping review. International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health, 95 (8), 1647-1659. doi: 10.1007/s00420-022-01863-7

Lestari, Fatma, Cook, Margaret, Johnstone, Kelly, Wardhany, Miranda Surya, Modjo, Robiana, Widanarko, Baiduri and Octaviani, Devie Fitri (2022). COVID-19 in the workplace in Indonesia. Sustainability, 14 (5) 2745, 2745. doi: 10.3390/su14052745

Alhusuny, Ameer, Cook, Margaret, Khalil, Akram, Hill, Andrew and Johnston, Venerina (2022). The relationship between visual impairments and activity of the neck/shoulder muscles among surgeons during simulated surgical tasks. Surgical Endoscopy, 36 (7), 5326-5338. doi: 10.1007/s00464-021-08913-0

Alzhrani, Abdullah M., Johnstone, Kelly R., Winkler, Elisabeth A.H, Healy, Genevieve N. and Cook, Margaret M. (2021). Using touchscreen mobile devices—when, where and how: a one-week field study. Ergonomics, 65 (4), 1-19. doi: 10.1080/00140139.2021.1973577

Alhusuny, Ameer, Cook, Margaret, Khalil, Akram and Johnston, Venerina (2021). Visual symptoms, Neck/shoulder problems and associated factors among surgeons performing Minimally Invasive Surgeries (MIS): A comprehensive survey. International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health, 94 (5), 959-979. doi: 10.1007/s00420-020-01642-2

Nguyen, Ngoc Bich, Capra, Mike, Johnstone, Kelly, Vu, Hoang Lan, Tran, Vu, Nguyen, Minh Tham, Nguyen, Kim Ngan and Cook, Margaret (2020). Change in Compliance of Staff at 4 Vietnam Universities after the Enactment of Smoke-free Environment Decree. Environmental Health Insights, 14, 1178630220972957. doi: 10.1177/1178630220972957

Alhusuny, Ameer, Cook, Margaret, Khalil, Akram, Treleaven, Julia, Hill, Andrew and Johnston, Venerina (2020). Impact of accommodation, convergence and stereoacuity on perceived symptoms and surgical performance among surgeons. Surgical Endoscopy, 35 (12), 6660-6670. doi: 10.1007/s00464-020-08167-2

Alhusuny, Ameer, Cook, Margaret, Khalil, Akram, Thomas, Lucy and Johnston, Venerina (2020). Characteristics of headaches among surgeons and associated factors: A cross-sectional study. The Surgeon, 19 (5), e79-e87. doi: 10.1016/j.surge.2020.07.012

Alhusuny, Ameer, Cook, Margaret, Khalil, Akram, Xie, Yanfei and Johnston, Venerina (2020). Neck/shoulder problems and visual disturbances among surgeons: a scoping review. Journal of Surgical Research, 247, 413-428. doi: 10.1016/j.jss.2019.09.064

Madigan, Cassandra, Johnstone, Kelly, Cook, Margaret and Brandon, Jason (2019). Do student internships build capability? – What OHS graduates really think. Safety Science, 111, 102-110. doi: 10.1016/j.ssci.2018.10.003

Brown, Eamon, Driscoll, Tim, Cook, Margaret, King, Bruce and Pryor, Pam (2016). Review of the implementation of the Australian Occupational Health and Safety Education Accreditation process. Journal of Health, Safety and Environment, 32 (3).

Huong, Le Thi Thanh, Long, Tran Khanh, Anh, Le Vu, Cook, Margaret and Capra, Mike (2016). Decreasing in-home smoking of adults - Results from school-based intervention program in Viet Nam. AIMS Public Health, 3 (4), 863-879. doi: 10.3934/publichealth.2016.4.863

Adam, Kerry, Gibson, Libby and Cook, Margaret (2016). Injury prevention in the meat industry: limited evidence of effectiveness for ergonomic programs in reducing the severity of musculoskeletal injuries. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 63 (1), 59-60. doi: 10.1111/1440-1630.12276

Nguyen, Ngoc Bich, Cook, Margaret, Johnstone, Kelly, Capra, Mike and Lan, Vu Thi Hoang (2016). Students’ knowledge and attitudes towards smoke-free universities: Changes since enactment of Vietnamese tobacco control legislation. Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention, 17, 65-70. doi: 10.7314/APJCP.2016.17.S1.65

Huong, Le Thi Thanh, Vu Anh, Le, Capra, Mike and Cook, Margaret (2011). Nghieân cöùu thaêm doø tính khaû thi cuûa chöông trình can thieäp "treû em noùi khoâng vôùi huùt thuoác thuï ñoäng". Taïp chí Y teá Coâng coäng, 21 (25), 1-8.

Conference Papers

Alzhrani, Abdullah, Cook, Margaret, Johnstone, Kelly and Cooper, Jolene (2019). Handheld mobile devices—How do we use them at work? A university case study. 20th Congress of the International Ergonomics Association, IEA 2018, Florence, Italy, 26-30 August 2018. Heidelberg, Germany: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-96083-8_16

Yu, Olivia, Johnstone, Kelly and Cook, Margaret (2018). Usability evaluation of an online workplace health and safety return on investment calculator. Congress of the International Ergonomics Association, Florence, Italy, 26-30 August 2018. Cham, Switzerland: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-96089-0_46

Areas of research

Environmental management