Griffith PHCRED has four positions each year available to primary health care practitioners. Funding provides wages for one day per week for nine months over a 12 month period to conduct research related to primary health care. Positions will be advertised towards the end of each year to recruit for the following calendar year.

2009 PHCRED Fellowships

Now open: Applications close 17 October 2008

PHCRED Queensland has a new round of research fellowships available to novice researchers in Primary Health Care.

Applications are invited from all primary health professionals including GPs, nurses, allied health and health promotion professionals, Aboriginal health workers, primary health care managers, graduates of other relevant disciplines (social and behavioural sciences, health economics) currently working in primary health care, and members of consumer groups, self help groups and community organisations.

Fellowships provide funding for approximately 40 days over a 12 month period and are offered through Griffith University, Bond University, James Cook University (JCU), Mount Isa Centre for Rural and Remote Health (MICRRH), and The University of Queensland (UQ).

•  2009 PHCRED Fellowship Application Form
  

2008 Research Fellows

Helen d’Emden is a dietitian with the Queensland Diabetes Centre. Her project aims to identify the prevalence of adolescents with type 1 diabetes at risk of eating disorders. Helen will also examine the association between behavioural problems and eating disorders, and the effects these factors have on diabetes control.

Beth Hunter is the Executive Officer of the Queensland Self-Management Alliance (QSMA). Beth’s project aims to establish a pilot learning circle (journal club) for evidence-based practice in chronic disease self-management and to assess its short-term impacts on professional and organisational capacity.

Sue Pager has been awarded a second fellowship to complete her research into the impact of aging and falls on the health and wellbeing of older, urban, community dwelling Aboriginal Australians. She was awarded a fellowship in early 2007 which enabled her to complete the first phase of hes study which involved a critical review of the literature, and developing the study design, health research protocols and her application for ethics approval. The second phase of the study will explore the knowledge, beliefs, experiences and behaviours related to healthy aging in Aboriginal people, and identifying themes that may be useful in planning healthy aging and falls prevention interventions for this population. 

Leeanne Schmidt is a public health nurse with Queensland Health Brisbane Southside Population Health Unit. Leeanne is conducting a qualitative research project that uses focus groups and interviews to explore the barriers and enablers to immunisation in key culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities in the Logan area.  The research project is being guided by a research reference group that includes key immunisation and multi-cultural agencies in Logan.  

Kent Sweeting has been awarded a second fellowship for the final stage of his pilot randomised clinical trial to evaluate the effectiveness of treatments for Achilles tendinosis which he started in 2006. Kent will also evaluate treatment preferences for chronic Achilles tendon pain using discrete choice modelling.

Previous Research Fellows

Robyn Chambers is a community nurse in a general practice. Her project aims to explore the impacts of Chronic Disease Management incentives on general practice, identify opportunities for improvements to CDM care management and the optimal use of CDM incentives.

Erin Dixon is a GP. Erin's project aims to develop a chart audit of all presentations of infectious diseases in the first two years of life for children living in a remote Aboriginal community in the Northern Territory. She will be reporting on the incidence of skin conditions such as scabies, skin sores and fungal infections, and evaluating the impact of the health skin program which has been operating in the community for over 12 months.

Carolyn Ehrlich is a nurse employed by the Department of Health. She is currently working on the Place-Based Initiative, a chronic disease management project. Her research project aims to investigate the access and utilisation of self-management information by people with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Philip Gabel is a physiotherapist. Philip is working on his PhD and has used his fellowship time to write up several articles related to his PhD research which involved developing screening and measurement tools for musculoskeletal medicine. Phillip has submitted four articles to peer-reviewed journals, and has had six papers accepted at conferences, three as posters and three as podium presentations. Philip has since been awarded a Griffith PHCRED writing bursary to continue to write articles for publication.

Kristy Hill is a Health Promotion Officer at the Royal Flying Doctors Service. Kristy conducted a qualitative research project to examine the contribution of the RFDS field days in building community capacity for health in remote areas of North Queensland. Kristy has since received a Griffith PHCRED writing bursary to produce a journal article on her project.

Dr. Scott Masters is a GP. Scott developed a research project plan, ethics application and funding application for a study to evaluate the effectiveness of a combination of manual therapy and steroid injections in the treatment of lower back pain in Australian settings. Scott has gained ethics approval and is now undertaking the study in collaboration with a group of GPs and physiotherapists.

Sue Pager is an Allied Health Educator with the Logan Beaudesert Health Service. Sue’s project aims to explore the impact of aging and falls on the health and wellbeing of older, urban, community dwelling Aboriginal Australians.  

Kent Sweeting is a podiatrist. Kent is conducting a pilot randomized control trial evaluating treatments for painful Achilles tendinosis; trialling prolotherapy injections, eccentric loading exercises and a combination of the two treatments. Kent is still completing the pilot and has been successful in obtaining three small funding grants to support the full randomized control trial.