College of Healthcare Sciences

Lisa Shaw

Lisa Shaw

Stephen Yu

Stephen Yu

Karen Smith

Karen Smith

Chae Rose

Chae Rose

Helen Petsky

Helen Petsky

Lucy Bird

Lucy Bird

Matthew Yau

Matthew Yau

Alyssia Merrick

Alyssia Merrick

Louise Myles

Louise Myles

Sandra Dash

Sandra Dash

“Bonus Chats”: A podcast series to build professional identity
Connar McShane
01 Jul 2024 - 31 Dec 2024
This project will use a podcast series to build professional identity within the psychology undergraduate cohort. The 15- minute podcast episodes will feature staff, PhD and Honours students discussing their research and contemporary issues relevant to the discipline. Research has shown that professional identity is important in the retention of people to organisations and careers. This project aims to build a sense of belongingness and community with the psychology undergraduate students through a creative and flexible delivery that showcases the diversity and opportunities within the psychology discipline. Improved retention, performance and engagement are the ultimate long-term goals.
Improving Access and Community Trust in Perinatal Genomics for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Communities: the ImpACT-PG project
Pieta Shakes
01 Oct 2025 - 30 Nov 2027
A 2yr MRFF project led by Professor Lisa Hui (University of Melbourne) including 15 Chief Investigators from five organisations and four partner organisations. There is a critical need to ensure equitable access to perinatal genomic testing for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities in Australia. Our project adopts a novel, consumer centred approach to address this healthcare gap. By building the evidence base on CALD community experiences of perinatal genomics and developing the translational pathway to more equitable health care, our findings will empower all individuals to make informed decisions and support the well-being of their families. Project objectives: 1. Obtain new evidence on community values, attitudes, and experiences of perinatal genomics among CALD communities 2. Co-design, develop, and pilot culturally-appropriate, in-language health information resources for CALD individuals about perinatal genomics 3. Examine the ethical, policy and social implications of disparities in access to and experiences with perinatal genomics of CALD communities 4. Build capacity for population-based data collection and future monitoring of perinatal genomic testing in Victoria as a model for other jurisdictions
Student Perspectives on GenAI Integration in Higher Education
Megan Dale
10 Dec 2025
Background Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) is rapidly transforming tertiary education, offering students personalised, interactive and adaptive learning experiences. GenAI tools support feedback, engagement, identify learning gaps and generate tailored resources that enhance academic performance and autonomy (Zhan et al., 2025; Park et al., 2025). While students are eager to use GenAI (Alenazi & Alhalal, 2025), institutional policies and educator practices often lag behind. The Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA, 2024) highlights the need for strategic planning across process, people and practice to ensure ethical and effective integration. Educators are beginning to use GenAI for personalised resources and administrative efficiency (Kim et al, 2025; Moorhouse et al., 2024), but student trust in these practices is essential. Misalignment or lack of transparency may undermine engagement and perceptions of educational integrity. Aim To explore student perspectives on GenAI integration in tertiary education, focusing on its use in learning and teaching.
Exploring registered nurses understanding of micro trauma: A hybrid concept analysis
Megan Dale
26 Jul 2024 - 10 Apr 2025
The aim of this project is to explore registered nurses’ understanding of micro trauma. A hybrid concept analysis using qualitative enquiry will be undertaken. Current literature does not specifically use the term micro trauma but describes the frequency and impact of endpoints of micro traumas such as burnout and compassion fatigue. Without acknowledgment of an individual’s lived experiences and the influence and impact those experiences have on overall health and wellbeing, it is difficult to fully understand the root causes of what creates harm in nurses. The inference in the literature to micro trauma existing and, that the culmination of micro traumas manifesting in to known phenomenon such as burnout, compassion fatigue and cumulative trauma, has steered the methodology of this project to undertake a concept analysis as the first stage.
Running-related injuries in UK trail runners: A retrospective, cross-sectional study
Sara Winter
13 Jan 2025
The of this study of UK trail runners are to: 1) investigate the prevalence of running related injuries, 2) describe the type of injuries sustained, 3) investigate the most common anatomical location of injury, 4) assess the severity of injury, and 5) investigate factors associated with injuries including demographic characteristics, training factors and past running related injuries.
Mental Health Among Medical Professionals in Foshan City, China (Old ID 22511)
Wendy Li
20 Jan 2016 - 31 Jan 2017
This project aims to investigate mental health among medical professionals in Foshan City, China. The mental health of physicians is now recognised as a serious issue in China after a number of high profile incidences in which doctors have been attacked by patients. Of course, being a high stress occupation, mental health issues caused by professional stress and burnout have always been present among medical professionals. This study seeks to use a mix-methods approach to explore such issues.
Serving the underserved in the tropics: Making a difference with positive psychology (Old ID 25136)
Wendy Li
28 Jun 2019 - 29 Jun 2019
As the first AASP (mini) conference focusing on serving the underserved in the tropics, the proposed mini conference aims to address this gap to promote making a difference in tropical Asia with positive psychology. The themes of the mini conference include: * mental health and psychological wellbeing in the tropics; * projudice, discimination and structural inequality; * individual and community resilience.
Examining playing performance in Rugby Union via static and dynamic approaches (Old ID 26769)
Wade Sinclair
01 Mar 2020 - 31 Dec 2022
Innovative technology within elite sport has provided high performance staff with an abundance of player and team performance metrics – ‘big rugby data’. Despite the availability of this information, the crucial keys to match success in rugby union remain unknown, possibly due to the complexity of match play. This project will evaluate the complexity of elite rugby union matches by examining teams’ performance via novel sport analytics considering static and dynamic approaches. Outcomes will identify the keys to success from a micro to macro level and assist coaching staff to optimise strategies for enhanced success within rugby union.
Independent Testing of Buoyancy Aids in Situ for Surf Life Saving Australia - Phase V (Old ID 23058)
Wade Sinclair
01 Nov 2016 - 01 May 2017
Following recent amendments to Australian Standards pertaining to minimum buoyancy, this project will evaluate a range of fitted buoyancy aids adhering to the revised buoyancy standards in a fit for purpose assessment of competitive and training activities directly associated with lifesaving sport in situ in qualified surf lifesavers (youth to masters). The findings from this project will enable the sport's governing body, Surf Life Saving Australia to provide evidence based decisions and policy regarding the use of buoyancy aids for usage within lifesaving sport for competition and training purposes.
A pilot study into the effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) for improving veteran mental health in North Queensland (Old ID 27280)
Wendy Li
01 Jan 2022 - 31 Dec 2023
This pilot study aims to test the effectiveness of a MBSR intervention on veteran mental health in North Queensland. MBSR is a clinically standardized 8-week group intervention, with one 2.5-hour session each week and an all-day (6 hours) self-retreat session in week 6. It provides systematic training in mindfulness to improve mental health through self-regulating arousal to stress. Fifty veterans living in Townsville will be recruited to participate in the MBSR intervention. To assess the effectiveness of MBSR, a repeated-measures design will be employed, with mental health outcomes being measured at four timepoints.
Title: News, Fiveaa Talking Adelaide
Reseracher: Jessica Oliva (Senior Lecturer, Psychology)
Start Date: 19 Jul 2024
Title: Bachelor of Arts (Modern Asian Studies), Griffith University
Reseracher: Rachel Walker (Professor of Nursing & Midwifery)
End Date: 01 Jan 1991
Title: PSANZ Policy & Endorsement Committee
Reseracher: Sam Teague (Senior Research Fellow)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2025
End Date: 01 Jan 2028
Title: News, Sonshine 98.5
Reseracher: Jessica Oliva (Senior Lecturer, Psychology)
Start Date: 19 Jul 2024
Title: PSANZ Perinatal Ethics Subcommittee
Reseracher: Pieta Shakes (Lecturer, Nursing and Midwifery)
Title: News, Star 106.3
Reseracher: Jessica Oliva (Senior Lecturer, Psychology)
Start Date: 19 Jul 2024
Title: News, Curtin FM
Reseracher: Jessica Oliva (Senior Lecturer, Psychology)
Start Date: 19 Jul 2024
Title: Interview, 3AW 693
Reseracher: Jessica Oliva (Senior Lecturer, Psychology)
Start Date: 19 Jul 2024
Title: Interview, 4RO AM
Reseracher: Jessica Oliva (Senior Lecturer, Psychology)
Start Date: 19 Jul 2024
Title: Interview, K Rock 95.5
Reseracher: Jessica Oliva (Senior Lecturer, Psychology)
Start Date: 19 Jul 2024