Here's Health. Health Research at UniSA
The Division of Health Sciences hosted Here's Health. Health Research at
UniSA on Tuesday 8 September.
Showcasing a variety of research currently undertaken in the Division of
Health Sciences, this event offered prospective Honours and research
students a chance to hear from researchers with various levels of experience
and meet with them in an informal setting at the conclusion of the
presentations.
If you weren't able to attend the event, or want to review one of the
sessions, please select a session title below to download
the podcast.
Division of Health Sciences research contacts:
Assoc Prof Pat Buckley Dean, Research & Research Education
pat.buckley@unisa.edu.au
Ms Jenni Critcher, Research Coordinator
jenni.critcher@unisa.edu.au
Find out more
about doing a research degree at UniSA.
Speaker information
Assoc Prof Pat Buckley
Dean: Research & Research Education
Division of Health Sciences
Visit
Pat's homepage for more details.
Dr Emma Parkinson-Lawrence
A member of the Cell Biology of Disease Research Group, Emma's research is
focussed on understanding how material stored within intracellular lysosomes
affects the function of neurons in a genetic disease called Sanfilipo
Syndrome. This is a collaborative project with researchers in the lysosomal
diseases research unit, SA pathology and Flinders University. Emma was
awarded her PhD in 2004 and is currently a Lecturer within the School of
Pharmacy and Medical Science at UniSA. Emma is a passionate advocator for
health and medical research in Australia and regularly takes part in
scientific outreach to students and the wider community. Emma was a
recipient of a Young Tall Poppy Award in 2007 and is an Executive Director
of the Australian Society for Medical Research (ASMR).
Dr Matt Haren
Matt's research is focused on understanding individual and community
mechanisms of metabolic and ageing related health problems and in particular
to understanding intervention strategies to produce effective and
sustainable improvements to health in communities. His current work focuses
on rural and regional communities. Matt was awarded his PhD in 2005, and he
is now an NHMRC-funded Research Fellow in the Sansom Institute and the
Spencer Gulf Rural Health School at UniSA. His scientific achievements and
commitment to broader science communication were recognised with a South
Australian Young Tall Poppy Science Award this year.
Dr Lisa Kalisch
Lisa's research is focused on the quality use of medicines, and she is
particularly interested in the use of linked databases to identify
associations between health policy, medicine use and health outcomes. Lisa
was awarded her PhD in 2008, and she is now a Post Doctoral Research Fellow
within the Quality Use of Medicines and Pharmacy Research Centre, in the
Sansom Institute at UniSA. Lisa works on the Veterans' MATES program which
aims to improve medication use and health outcomes for veterans, by using
administrative claims data to study patterns of healthcare and medicines
delivered to veterans. Examples of the type of work Lisa has conducted
includes a study in the use of generic medicines and implementation of the
Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme brand substitution policy; continuity of care
after discharge from hospital; use of medicines and health services by the
very old; prevalence of drug interactions amongst the elderly; and health
outcomes associated with the use of potentially inappropriate medicines.
Lisa is also a registered pharmacist with recent clinical experience in the
acute care setting.
Mrs Natasha Schranz
Natasha completed her undergraduate degree in Human Movement
before going on to complete her Honours year with the Division of Health
Sciences. She then continued on to become a PhD candidate within the School
of Health Sciences and has recently just handed up her research proposal.
Her PhD project will be looking at running a resistance training
intervention with overweight and obese adolescent males and determining what
effect this has on their strength, body composition and self-concept.
Natasha currently holds an Australian Postgraduate Award scholarship and is
a scholar with Healthy Development Adelaide.
Mr Brad Simpson
Having been apprehensive at first to embark on a PhD undertaking, Brad says
this is the best decision he has made in terms of boosting his career
prospects. He is currently investigating the medicinal properties of a
native Australian plant used in traditional Aboriginal medicine. At just
over the halfway point, a major outcome of the project already has been the
acquisition of two patent applications. The plant investigated has potent
anti-inflammatory properties which he, along with the chief investigators,
is hoping to exploit into a commercially viable natural-based product in the
treatment of inflammatory disorders.
Mrs Debbie Walsh
Debbie is a postgraduate student in the School of Nursing and Midwifery and
is writing up her PhD relating to Policies and Practices used in Australian
Hospitals to promote and protect breastfeeding. This research aims to
provide insights into current breastfeeding policy and its effect on
practice. Debbie holds an Australian Postgraduate Award scholarship and her
study is based around a nationwide survey and focus group interviews. It
links to her Bachelor of Nursing Honours thesis of 1999. She has held senior
clinical nursing and midwifery positions in Katherine (Northern Territory),
England and Saudi Arabia. In her spare time she has a family of teenage boys
to look after and works in General Practice.