Since 2014, Western Alliance has built a research presence across the Western Victorian health landscape, promoting collaboration, building research capacity, and funding regionally focused health research.
Feedback from Western Alliance health service members indicated that 'boots on the ground support', especially in smaller health services, was critical for fostering engagement, capacity building, and health sector-led research.As a result, Research Translation Coordinator positions have been created and employed across the western region of Victoria.
These roles are embedded within health services and provide technical support for conducting and translating research, facilitate collaboration and grant funding opportunities, and help develop research capacity across Western Alliance member organizations.We encourage you to contact your local Research Translation Coordinator (RTC) to discuss how they can support your research and translation efforts.Meet the CoordinatorsDr Michael Field, Western Alliance Research Translation Coordinator for the Barwon / Colac region.
Michael grew up on the Bellarine Peninsula, studied at Deakin University, and attended medical school in Adelaide.
He has worked as a junior doctor in South Australia and in population health research at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute.
His research interests include childhood allergy and rural health inequalities.
Michael aims to build research capacity in the Barwon / Colac region by supporting clinical and administrative staff.Alesha Sayner, Research Translation Coordinator – Grampians.
Alesha also serves as the Allied Health Research & Knowledge Translation Lead at Grampians Health.
She is a pelvic health physiotherapist and PhD candidate.
You can contact Alesha at (emailprotected) to discuss research or translation ideas.Dr Ella Ottrey, Research Translation Coordinator – East Grampians and Maryborough.
Ella, a clinical dietitian with a PhD, has a research career exploring hospital mealtimes and is a Postdoctoral Fellow at Monash Centre for Scholarship in Health Education.
She supports research capacity building by reviewing protocols, assisting with ethics, providing statistical support, and connecting health services with universities.Jessie, Research Capacity Building Lead for South West Victoria.
Jessie, who grew up in northeast Victoria and completed her PhD on children's farm safety, works to enhance research capacity within health services in her region.
She also continues as an Associate Research Fellow at the National Centre for Farmer Health.
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