School of Population Health

Dr Kim Dirks

Position:	Senior Lecturer Epidemiology & Biostatistics School of Population Health
Phone:	+64 9 373 7599 ext 89755 +64 9 923 9755
Mobile:	021-0269-6214
Email:	k.dirks@auckland.ac.nz
Office:	730 361

Research interests

Qualifications

PhD Physics and Environmental Science, The University of Auckland
MSc (1st Hons) Physics and Environmental Science, The University of Auckland
BSc Physics and Meteorology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada

Mailing Address

Epidemiology and Biostatistics

School of Population Health

Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences
Tamaki Campus
The University of Auckland
Private Bag 92019
Auckland 1142
New Zealand

Professional Societies / Service / Other Activities

RSNZ Physical Sciences Panel - Advisory Group Member
Meteorological Society of New Zealand - General Committee
The Open Atmospheric Science Journal - Editorial Board Member
The U of A 'Women in Leadership Programme' - Member of the working group

Teaching

Academic Director, School of Population Health
Audiol 715 – Physics and Acoustics for Audiologists
Physics 160 – Physics for the Life Sciences

Current Research Team

James Scarfe - Research Assistant
Anushka Elanasinghe - PhD - Civil and Environmental Engineering (N. Singhal)
Jia Liu - PhD - Environmental Science (J. Salmond, J. Lindsay)
Kara Rosemeier - PhD - Architecture (P. Leardini)
Vikram Nichani - PhD - Public Health (C. Grant, B. Burns)
Shanon Lim - MSc - Environmental Science (J. Salmond)
Giorgia Miskell - MSc - Environmental Science (J. Salmond)
Lara Bussen - 4th Year Project - Civil and Environmental (S. Costello)
Charlotte Peroux - 4th Year Eng Project - Civil and Environmental (S. Costello)

Publications (2010-present)

Books

Urone, P., Hinrichs, R., Dirks, K.N., Sharma, M. 'College Physics' (2012) OpenStax College, ISBN-10 1938168003 and ISBN-13 978-1-938168-00-0 http://openstaxcollege.org/textbooks/college-physics

Journal Articles

Shepherd, D., Welch, D., Dirks, K.N., McBride, D. (2013) Do quest areas afford greater health-related quality of life than nosie areas? Int. J. Environ. Public Health, 10, 1284-1303.

Salmond, J.A., Williams, D.E., Laing, G., Kingham, S., Dirks, K., Longley, I., Henshaw, G.S. (2013) The influence of vegetation on the horizontal and vertical distribution of pollutants in a street canyon. Science of the Total Environment, 443, 287-298.

Thornley, S., Dirks, K.N., Edwards, R., Woodward, A., Marshall, R. (2012) Indoor air pollution levels halved as a result of a national tobacco ban in a New Zealand prison. Nicotine and Tobacco Reaearch, 15(2): 343-347.

Dirks, K.N., Sharma, P., Salmond, J., Costello, S. (2012) Personal exposure to air pollution for various modes of transport in Auckland, New Zealand, Open Atmospheric Science Journal, 6, (Suppl 1: M5) 84-92.

Hill, E., Shepherd, D., Welch, D., McBride, D., Dirks, K.N. (2012) Perceptions of the neighbourhood environment and health-related quality of life, Journal of Community Health (in press)

Shepherd, D., McBride, D., Welch, D., Dirks, K.N., Hill, E. (2011) Evaluating the impact of wind turbine noise on health-related quality of life, Noise and Health, 13(54), 335-339.

Jiang, N. Griffiths, G., Dirks, K.N. (2011). Linking synoptic weather types to daily rainfall in Auckland, Weather and Climate, 31, 50-67.

Dirks, K.N., Dekker, I., Scheib, L., Svoboda, K., Sharma, A. (2011). Recreational Noise Exposure in New Zealand, New Zealand Acoustics, 23(3), 4-10

Dirks, K.N., Singhal, N., Austin, G.L., Elanasinghe, A., Nanni, A. (2011). Developing a methodology for quantifying the contribution of volcanic plumes to urban air pollution. In International Technical Meeting on Air Pollution Modelling and Its Application XXI, NATO Science for Peace and Security Series C: Environmental Security 4, Springer Science, Ch 48, 27-50

Shepherd, D., Welch, D., Dirks, K.N., Mathews, R. (2010) Exploring the relationship between noise sensitivity, annoyance and health-related quality of life in a sample of adults exposed to environmental noise. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 7, 3579-94

Newnham, R., Dirks, K.N., Samaranayake, D. (2010). An investigation into the long-distance health impacts of the 1996 eruption of Mt Ruapehu, New Zealand. Atmospheric Environment, 44. 1568-1578

Austin, G.L., Dirks, K.N. (2010). Why clouds don't fall down: Brown, Einstein and Perrin. NZST, 123. 4-5

Dirks, K. N. (2010). Weather and our health. NZST, 123. 17-19

Conference Papers (Full Papers - Bold in the Presenter)

Jiang, N., Dirks, K.N., Luo, K. (2011) Relationship between climate indices and daily NO2 concentrationsin Auckland, New Zealand. 19th International Congress of Biometeorology, Auckland, New Zealand, Dec 4-8 (oral presentation)

Salmond, J.A., Williams, D., Laing, G., Kingham, S., Dirks, K., Longley, I., Henshaw, G. (2011). Influence of vegetation on the vertical distribution of pollutants in a street canyon. Clean Air Society of Australia and New Zealand, Auckland (oral presentation)

Dirks, K.N., Dekker, I., Scheib, L., Svoboda, K., Sharma, A. (2010). Recreational Noise Exposure in New Zealand. Paper presented at the International Symposium on Sustainability in Acoustics (oral presentation)

Dirks, K.N., Singhal, N., Austin, G.L., Elanasinghe, A., Nanni, A. (2010). Developing a methodology for quantifying the contribution of volcanic plumes to urban air pollution. Paper presented at the 31st NATO/SPS International Technical Meeting on Air Pollution Modelling and Its Application (poster presentation)

Conference Papers (Abstracts Only)

Dirks, K.N. (2012) Applications of a semi-empirical modelling approach. Research in urban meteorology and climatology: Current actrivities and future prospects, Melbourne, Australia, 13-15 March 2012.

Talbot, N., Salmond, J., Dirks, K.N., Petersen, J., Jonhston, P., Kreher, K. (2011) An investigaiton inot brown haze events over Auckland, New Zealand. 19th International Congress of Biometeorology, Auckland, New Zealand, 4-8 Dec 2011.

Dirks, K.N., Dirks, V.I. Sharma, P., Salmond, J., Costello, S. B. , Kingham, S. Longley, I. (2011) Carboxyhemogolbin in the blood as a biomarker for urban air pollution exposure: the role of body physiology and activity level in patterns of uptake. Clean Air Society of Australia and New Zealand, Auckland, July 2011.

Longley, I., Olivares, G., Harper, S., Kingham, S., Pattinson, W., Dirks, K. (2011) A multi-modal assessment of the impact of road traffic on local air quality in Auckland. Clean Air Society of Australia and New Zealand, Auckland, July 2011.

Bo Zaid, N., Austin, G.L., Dirks, K.N., Costello, S.B. (2011). Estimating vehicle fleet emissions from traffic flow data for air pollution dispersion modelling. Poster presented Extreme Weather 2011 - Joint Conference of the NZMS and AMOS, 9-11 Feb, 2011, Wellington (p.38)

Sharma, P., Dirks, K.N., Salmond, J., Costello, S.B. (2011). Personal exposure and uptake of vehicle air polluiton while commuting in Auckland. Oral paper presented at Extreme Weather 2011 - Joint Conference of the NZMS and AMOS, 9-11 Feb, 2011, Wellington (p.158)

Elangasinghe. M.A., Dirks, K.N., Singhal, N. (2011). Prediction of carbon monoxide concnetrations in Auckland, New Zealand using a site-optimised semi-empirical model and artificial neural networks. Oral presentation at Extreme Weather 2011 - Joint Conference of the MSNZ and AMOS, 9-11 Feb, 2011, Wellington (p. 69)

Talbot, N., Dirks, K.N., Salmond, J., Petersen, J. (2011). Climatological Analysis of haze events in Auckland, New Zealand. Oral presentation at Extreme Weather 2011 - Joint Conference of the MSNZ adn AMOS, 9-11 Feb, 201, Wellington (p.153)

Urone, P., Dirks, K., Hinrichs, R., Sharma, M. (2010). Using Dynamic Books to Teach Physics to Life Science Students. Paper presented at the American Association of Physics Teachers (oral presentation by P. Urone and abstract), July, Portland, Oregon

Welch, D., Shepherd, D., Dirks, K., and Mathews, R. (2010). The relationship between quality of life, noise sensitivity, and annoyance by aviation noise. Paper presented at the The New Zealand WHOQOL Group, 2nd New Zealand QOL Conference, Auckland

Dirks, K.N., Dirks, V.I., Salmond, J., Kingham, S., Longley, I. (2010). Vehicle air pollution exposure - The role of individual physiology on the uptake of carbon monoxide in the body. Paper presented at the New Zealand Geographical Society Conference (oral presentation and abstract), July 2010

Radio Interview

Rewi Newnham and Kim Dirks (2010). Health Impacts of Volcanic Ash [Radio]. In Ruth Beran (Producer), Our Changing World, National Radio. New Zealand: radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ourchangingworld

List of selected publications

Conference paper(s)

Dirks, K.N., Dekker, I., Scheib, L., Svoboda, K., Sharma, A. (2010). Recreational Noise Exposure in New Zealand. Paper presented at the Inetrnational Symposium on Sustainability in Acoustics (full paper under review). Retrieved August 2010
Dirks, K.N., Singhal, N., Austin, G.L., Elanasinghe, A., Nanni, A. (2010). Developing a methodology for quantifying the contribution of volcanic plumes to urban air pollution. Paper presented at the 31st NATO/SPS Inetrnational Technical Meeting on Air Pollution Modelling and Its Application (Full paper under review, poster presentation)
Salmond, J., Longley, I., Kingham, S., Dirks, K.N., Williams, D., Wagner, J. (2009). Three-dimensional spatio-temporal variability in air quality at road intersections. Paper presented at the Clear Air Society of Australia and New Zealand (full paper published)
Dirks, K.N., Longley, I., Salmond, J., Kingham, S., Fernandes, K. (2009). Blood Carboxyhemoglobin levels as a biomarker for urban air pollution exposure. Paper presented at the International Conference on Southern Hemisphere Meteorology and Oceanography (full paper published, keynote presentation)
Baldi, M., Salinger, J., Dirks, K.N., McGregor, G. (2009). Winter horpital admissions and weather types in the Auckland Region. Paper presented at the Internation Conference on Southern Hemisphere Meteorology and Oceanography (full paper published)

Conference proceedings(s)

Urone, P., Dirks, K., Hinrichs, R., Sharma, M. (2010, July 2010). Using Dynamic Books to Teach Physics to Life Science Students. Paper presented at the American Association of Physics Teachers (oral presentation by P. Urone and abstract), Portland, Oregon
Welch, D., Shepherd, D., Dirks, K., and Mathews, R. (2010). The relationship between quality of life, noise sensitivity, and annoyance by aviation noise. Paper presented at the The New Zealand WHOQOL Group, 2nd New Zealand QOL Conference, Auckland, Auckland
Dirks, K.N., Dirks, V.I., Salmond, J., Kingham, S., Longley, I. (2010). Vehilce air pollution exposure - The role of individual physiology on the uptake of carbon monoxide in the body. Paper presented at the New Zealand Geographical Society Conference (oral presentation and abstract), July 2010
Burr, L. Thorne, P., Dirks, K.N. (2009). Hearing Protection in the Construction Industry. Paper presented at the NZAS (poster and abstract), Taupo, New Zealand
Svoboda, K. Dirks, K.N. (2009). The effect of noise exposure to staff in the events industry (poster and abstract). Paper presented at the NZAS, Taupo
Austin, G.L., Sutherland-Stacey, L, Dirks, K.N., Newnham, R. (2009). Volcanic plumes from Mt Ruapehu: Radar, Ash Trajectories, Atmospehric Pollutants and Health Impacts (oral presentation and abstract). Paper presented at the NZMS, Auckland
Dirks, K.N., Newnham, R., Austin, G.L., Sutherland-Stacey, L. (2009). Volcanic plumes from Mt Ruapehu: Radar, ash trajectories, atmospehric pollutants and health impacts Part II (oral presentation and abstract). Paper presented at the MSNZ, Auckland
Kingham, S., Salmond, J., Longley, I., Dirks, K.N. (2009). Developing a land use regression model to assess spatial and temporal variations in nitorgen doixide withinan urban environment (oral presentation and abstract). Paper presented at the Clear Air Society of Australia and New Zealand, Perth, Australia

Film or broadcast(s)

Rewi Newnham and Kim Dirks (Writer). (2010). Health Impacts of Volcanic Ash [Radio]. In Ruth Beran (Producer), Our Changing World, National Radio. New Zealand: radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ourchangingworld read more

Journal article(s)

Newnham, R., Dirks, K.N., Samaranayake, D. (2010). An investigation into the long-distance health impacts of the 1996 eruption of Mt Ruapehu, New Zealand. Atmospheric Environment, 44. 1568-1578
Austin, G.L., Dirks, K.N. (2010). Why clouds don't fall down: Brown, Einstein and Perrin. NZST, 123. 4-5
Dirks, K.N. (2010). Weather and our health. NZST, 123. 17-19
Dirks, K. N. (2009). Quality of the Auckland Air Shed - by Ningbo Jiang (Book Review). Weather and climate, 29. 10-11
Gosai, A., Salinger, J., Dirks, K.N. (2009). Climate and Health in Auckland. ANZJPH, 33(6). 521-526