I am a Senior Research Associate at the School of Clinical Medicine at UNSW. My research experience reflects a keen interest in implementation science, health systems research, and integrated care. I have more than eleven years’ experience conducting qualitative and implementation research in healthcare. My research has contributed to improving integration of the youth mental health system, the effects of COVID-19 on the Australian paediatric health system, the evaluation of integrated paediatric health implementation initiatives, exploring health priorities and knowledge translation in community-based palliative care, knowledge translation in youth health, and the delivery of mental health services to rural populations. A major focus of my research has been health system strengthening, particularly focusing on improving the integration of health services to both support the effective use of limited resources and to improve consumer experience. I have contributed to directly to the building of my collaborative and multidisciplinary team, which has amassed more than $46 million in successful grant funding since I started with the team.I hold a Doctor of Philosophy from Western Sydney University, and a Masters in Qualitative Health Research at The University of Sydney.
2024 Maridulu Budyari Gumal (SPHERE) Building ‘Big Ideas’ Health Services Research Grant Scheme Community In Motion: Preventing health disparities through a physical activity and wellbeing program for adults with complex mental health issues. $154,805 Co-CI overseeing Implementation evaluation
2024 MRFF Clinician Researchers - Applied Research in Health Application Equitable Pathways and Integrated Care in Cerebral Palsy $1,464,888.22 Co-CI overseeing Implementation evaluation
2022: Translational Research Grants Scheme, SUSTAIN, Sustaining Strengthening Care for Children, $499,733.74 Co-CI overseeing Implementation evaluation.
2022: Translational Research Grants Scheme, Asthma Care for Home: evaluation of efficiency and effectiveness of virtually enabled asthma care initiative for children in rural NSW, $488,326.57, Co-CI overseeing Implementation evaluation
2022: Medical Research Foundation Fund (MRFF) Clinician Researchers Initiative Applied Research in Health Grant Opportunity, Strengthening Care for Rural Children, $2,996,188 Co-CI overseeing Implementation evaluation.
2022: Randwick Clinical Campus Research & Education Funding Support, Journal publication costs, $2000
2021: Translational Research Grants Scheme, RuralKidsGPS– delivering equitable care to children in rural NSW, $963,727, Co-CI overseeing Implementation evaluation.
2020: Sydney Children’s Hospital Network Foundation COVID-19 Research Fund, Resilient Healthcare for Children: Learning from the COVID-19 Pandemic, $79,000, Co-CI project coordinator.
2020: Disability Innovation Institute Research Seed Funding, What does it mean to have a good hospital experience? Participatory research with children with intellectual disability, $29,600, Co-CI providing methodological expertise.
2018: South Western Sydney Local Health District Research Seed Funding, You can’t ask that: Myth-busting community-based palliative care $6,993.50, Co-CI providing methodological expertise.
2013: Ontario Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth Mental Health, Development of a Policy Ready Paper on the Use of Technology in Mental Health Service Delivery to Children, $25,000, Co-CI providing research assistance
I joined UNSW as a Research Associate with the Population Child Health Research Group, within the School of Clinical Medicine at UNSW Sydney in August, 2019. Over this time, I worked on projects understanding and delivering integrated models of care in complex health systems including an evaluation of the Child Digital Health Record, developing an implementation blueprint for a paediatric learning health system, evaluating the response of the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network to the COVID pandemic, and two large scale implementation evaluation of integrated paediatric models of care. My role within these projects has contributed to the theory and operational knowledge of integrated paediatric care globally. I was successful in applying for a Senior Research Associate position within the Population Child Health Research Group in March 2022. Since assuming this role, I have commenced as project lead for the Youth Integration Project, a project exploring clinician and consumers perceptions of the barriers and enablers in effective integrated care in youth mental health.
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9177-3428