Projects per year
Personal profile
Biography
I bridge the critical gap between environmental and maternal and child health to empower communities and healthcare systems in a changing climate. My research, deeply inspired by the 2019-2020 Australian Black Summer Bushfires, focuses on developing human-centered solutions that strengthen climate adaptation and resilience. My expertise lies in:
- Assessment needs realted to climate change impacts on maternal and child health mothers and children.
- Developing clinical coding systems for capturing climate-related human health effects.
- Evaluating digital and non-digital health interventions to support communities and health services during extreme weather events.
I am the founder of Maternal and Child Health Climate Adaptation and Resilience (MCH-CARE) Network. Our vision is to build a collaborative network of stakeholders in Indo-Pacific region committed to strengthening maternal and child health through climate resilience and adaptation. We aim to raise climate awareness, drive impactful action, and identify research priorities and effective interventions to protect and improve maternal and child health—ensuring inclusive input, particularly from women and adolescent girls.
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
Education/Academic qualification
Tissue Engineering, PhD, Angiogenic growth and remodelling in a large non-collapsible in vivo space with tissue engineering applications, University of Melbourne
15 Feb 2002 → 14 Feb 2005
Medical Laboratory Science, Bachelor of Applied Science (Honours), Identification of endothelial precursor cells in cutaneous wound tissue by immunohistochemistry, RMIT University
Medical Laboratory Science, Bachelor of Applied Science, RMIT University
Higher Education, Graduate Certificate in University Teaching, University of Melbourne
Health Informatics, Digital Health, Graduate Certificate in Health Informatics and Digital Health, University of Melbourne
Nursing, Master of Nursing Science, University of Melbourne
Research area keywords
- Maternal and Child Health
- Pregnancy
- Health Informatics
- Planetary Health
- Climate Change and Health
- Cardiovascular Health
- Workforce development and training
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
-
Maternal and Child Health Climate Resilience in Indo-Pacific Region
Tomkins, Z., Mortreux, C., Bhandari, D., Hossain, M. K., Su, T. T., Susanti, S. S. & Prasad, P.
3/02/25 → 31/12/25
Project: Research
-
Framing Postgraduate Curriculum and Assessment for Digital Health
Tomkins, Z., McInerney, J., Farlie, M., Walker, S. & Robinson, L.
3/01/23 → 30/06/24
Project: Research
-
Addressing healthcare professionals’ fatigue for effective climate action engagement
Robinson, E., Bhandari, D., Donohue, R. & Lokmic-Tomkins, Z., 1 Jan 2025, In: The Journal of Climate Change and Health. 21, 6 p., 100366.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Open Access -
Mapping multilevel adaptation response to protect maternal and child health from climate change impacts: A scoping review
Bhandari, D., Robinson, E., Pollock, W. E., Watterson, J. L., Su, T. & Lokmic-Tomkins, Z., 21 Mar 2025, In: iScience. 28, 3, 17 p., 111914.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review Article › Research › peer-review
Open Access -
Nursing in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: Using a sociomaterial lens to advance nursing into the future
Booth, R., O'Connor, S., Lokmic-Tomkins, Z., Risling, T. & Al-Azem, L., 2025, Leadership for Evidence-Based Innovation in Nursing and Health Professions. Weberg, D. & Davidson, S. (eds.). 3rd ed. Burlington MA USA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, p. 233-260 27 p.Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter (Book) › Other › peer-review
-
Australian and New Zealand nursing and midwifery educator’s planetary health knowledge, perspectives, confidence and teaching practices
Lokmic-Tomkins, Z., Brand, G., Levett-Jones, T., Carr, B., Maguire, J., Catling, C., Pich, J., Fields, L. & Bonnamy, J., 2024, p. 162. 1 p.Research output: Contribution to conference › Abstract › peer-review
Open Access -
Authentic assessment in digital health education
Lokmic-Tomkins, Z., Robinson, L., McInerney, J., Farlie, M. K. & Walker, S. T., 2024, p. 422. 1 p.Research output: Contribution to conference › Abstract › peer-review
Open Access
Prizes
-
Australian School of Applied Management-Women in Leadership Australia Award
Tomkins, Zerina (Recipient), 2018
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
-
Australian Society for Vascular Biology First Prize for Outstanding Presentation
Tomkins, Zerina (Recipient), 2012
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
-
Australian Society for Vascular Biology Travel Grant
Tomkins, Zerina (Recipient), 2012
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
-
Council of Deans of Nursing and Midwifery Aspiring Deans Fellow
Tomkins, Zerina (Recipient), 2022
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
-
Framing postgraduate curriculum and assessment for digital health
Tomkins, Zerina (Recipient), 14 Nov 2022
Prize: Competitive Fellowships
Activities
-
Climate Change & Health: Why is it so hard to engage stakeholders in research?
Zerina Tomkins (Contributor)
8 May 2024Activity: Community Talks, Presentations, Exhibitions and Events › Public lecture/debate/seminar
-
Standardising Data: A Crucial Step for Protecting Maternal and Child Health from Climate Change Impacts
Zerina Tomkins (Contributor)
3 Jun 2024Activity: Community Talks, Presentations, Exhibitions and Events › Public lecture/debate/seminar
-
International Congress on Nursing Informatics 2024
Zerina Tomkins (Organiser)
31 Jul 2024Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Contribution to conference
-
BMJ Open (Journal)
Zerina Tomkins (Peer reviewer)
2023 → …Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work types › Peer review responsibility
-
World Congress on Medical and Health Informatics 2023
Zerina Tomkins (Organiser)
8 Jul 2023Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Contribution to conference
Press/Media
-
Women are central to climate change adaptation in Southeast Asia
Raksha Pandya-Wood, Gabriela Fernando, Azliyana Azhari & Zerina Tomkins
11/11/24
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Expert Comment
-
Beat the heat: Vital tips for cardiovascular well-being amid scorching summer heatwaves
1/02/24
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Public Engagement Activities
-
We Need ICD Codes for Climate-Linked Health Outcomes — Improved medical coding can help quantify health consequences of climate change
25/11/23
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Expert Comment
-
COP28: Why going beyond net zero is necessary to protect public health
1/11/23
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Expert Comment
-
Nurses and midwives’ vital role in the fight against climate change (Monash Lens)
8/12/22
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Article/Feature