News

STARS Education and Research Alliance

October 2023

Welcome Dr Jonathan Quick & Dr Angela Ching in their roles as postdoctoral research fellow (musculoskeletal and orthopaedic research) & clinical trials manager for FORENSIC Australia
Congratulations Hannah Oulfson on submitting her PhD thesis: Exploring person centred nutrition and mealtime care in rehabilitation units
Dr Emmah Doig contributed to the development of the Knowledge Translation and Impact Planner (KTIPs), a resource designed to guide researchers in developing knowledge translation & impact plans for their research
Alison Bell (RECOVER) is part of a team that won the Women in Technology 2023 Consumer Strength Champion award for driving change in QLD, working with Health Translation Queensland to embed & empower consumers in research
Thanks to STARS consumers involved in reviews for MN SWIFT & RBWH Foundation grants
Karina O’Leary Invited Keynote Presentation “Partnering for Person-Centred Care” at the QCH IPP Showcase
Student & Educator Showcase Awards: Students of the Year – Kirsti Yearwood (Medicine); PatikirigeRavindu Panchala Edirisinghe (Nursing); Denise Loh (Allied Health – Speech Pathology). Educators of the Year – David Chang (Medicine – GEMS); Maximilian Sakrzewski (Nursing – PACU); Katherine Goodchild (Allied Health – OT)

September 2023

Dr Emmah Doig was an invited speaker for the Research Impact Summit
Prof Nadine Foster contributed to 3 workshops at the 18th International Forum for Back & Neck Pain Research, the Netherlands, & gave an invited keynote Patient-centred manual therapy: what research is needed next?, European Congress of Manual Therapy and IFOMPT
Prof Trevor Russell presented A systematic review of attendance, adherence and satisfaction with telerehabilitation delivered physiotherapy at RehabWeek 2023 Conference in Singapore
Conference Presentations Awards at Stroke 2023: to Dr Sarah Wallace (QARC) for best co-design presentation and Helen Wallace (PhD candidate, QARC) Bursary Award
Dr Ciara Shiggins (QARC) gave a keynote on CCI at the Monash Speech Pathology Symposium & an invited workshop on inclusion of people with aphasia in stroke research at Stroke 2023
UQ Research Culture Award, Leadership in Research Support & Management for the HABS Research Community of Practice – members include Alison Freriks and Dr Susan Sullivan
6 successful grants, including 4 QLD Health Clinical research fellowship for research at STARS:
- Dr Natasha Roberts (STARS/UQ): The SUrvive and ThRiveintErvention (SURE): Addressing unmet needs for men after prostate cancer treatment
- Dr Jessica Schults (UQ/MN-HEIDI): Strengthening Hospital Associated Infection surveillance in Queensland: a Statewide consensus project
- Dr Clare Burns (RBWH/RECOVER): Co-design, development and evaluation of a consumer-driven, immersive virtual reality tool to optimise communication rehabilitation
- Dr Karen Davies (MN-HeIDI): Implementation of the Medication Administration Evaluation and Feedback Tool (MAEFT): Knowledge Translation

August 2023

Dr Sarah Wallace nominated as a finalist in the 2023 QLD Young Tall Poppy Science Awards.
QARC Aphasia Tech Hub has been nominated for the 2023 Australian Access Awards.
Karina O’Leary was an invited speaker at the Allied Health Research Symposium, Translating Interprofessional Education in Clinical Placements at STARS.
7 consumers met for the first FORENSIC-Aust Research Consumer Group
4 successful grants:
- Adams, Vivanti, Ellick, Olufson, Young. Utilising technology and delegation to proactively management malnutrition in a digital hospital – an evaluation study. Allied Health Clinician Researcher Collaboration Grant
- Burns, Gane, Russell, Bahaei, Ward, Muller, Doig, Window, Beadle, Oh, Petrie, Fraser, Bomford, Guest. Collaborative co-design of clinical protocols for use in immersive virtual reality environments to support multidisciplinary rehabilitation. Allied Health Clinician Researcher Collaboration Grant
- Jane Nikles. Embedding digitally enabled single case experiments in general practice for shared decision-making with patients with persistent pain. Medibank Better Health Foundation (MBHF)/ RACGP Foundation Digital Health Grant.
- Jane Nikles. Identifying effective self-management options for individual patients with persistent neck and/or back pain following road traffic crashes: a general practice-based feasibility study. MAIC / RACGP Foundation Research Grant.

July 2023

Farewell to Dr Erin Caruana and Dr Peter Window as they finish their part-time interim roles as our Physiotherapy Conjoint Research Fellow – many thanks to both
Dr Natasha Roberts, Conjoint Nurse, featured on the “5 Things Nursing Podcast” Ep40 on Prostate Cancer
Occupational Therapy Australia interviewed Dr Nicole Andrews (RECOVER) for National Pain Week to spotlight the important contributions of OTs in chronic pain management
The Stroke telerehabilitation decision toolkit has been launched on QHEPS
Grant success: Cunningham, Window, Hepnar, Lamont, Brauer, O’Sullivan, Adam, Upadhyay. Access to physiotherapy for patients with Parkinson’s Disease attending RBWH’s Movement Disorder Clinic. RBWH Physiotherapy Trust Fund Grant.

June 2023

Farewell and good luck to Dr Annie Hill as she takes up an A/Prof role at La Trobe, and continues to collaborate with UQ & STARS colleagues in speech pathology and telehealth research
Welcome to postdoctoral research fellow Dr Karime Mescouto who joins Prof Michele Sterling’s team in RECOVER to contribute expertise in qualitative research design
Bionics Queensland & RECOVER co-hosted a breakfast event showcasing the progress of emerging innovators in brain injury treatments & the use of technology
Congratulations to Dr Kirstine Shrubsole & Dr Sarah Wallace for their Collaboration of Aphasia Trialists Early Career Researcher Awards, for Research Impact & Research Quality
Four STARS research consumers involved in the development of two funding applications (MRFF Consumer-Led Research Grant and NHMRC-NIHR Collaborative Research Grant)
3 successful grants:
- Russell, Jenkinson, Kondalsamy. Community Priorities in Regional and Rural Health Research. Office of the QLD Chief Scientist Engaging Science Grants.
- Wallace, Bennington, Isaksen, Shiggins, Beesley, Beesley. Co-design of a unified (international) aphasia awareness campaign. Health Translation QLD CCI Microgrant.
- Mapping the adolescent and young adult needs of patients in rehabilitation. UQ Psychology Research Seed Funding Grant.

May 2023

STARS OT Sophie Hay joins the Alliance team, supporting the Stroke Telerehabilitation Toolkit project
Meeting between STARS Exec team, STARS Alliance, and the UQ Poche Centre 22ndMay to explore collaborative opportunities in indigenous health.
Dr Elizabeth Beadle co-convened Australasian Society for the Study of Brain Impairment (ASSBI) conference, and coordinated a “Lived Experience Panel”.
The Alliance team have developed a series of short education sessions addressing key topics identified by STARS staff in the Learning Needs Analysis Survey – sessions running May to Oct 2023
Alison Bell (RECOVER) and Lisa Anemaat (STARS) are collaborating on the Health Translation Queensland CCI in Research Alliance working group to establish QLD guidelines for consistent CCI reporting in research

April 2023

RECOVER welcomed 2 new PhD students: Nayomi Ranathunga and Raphael Ohms
Conjoints Dr Emmah Doig & Karina O’Leary, & STARS clinicians Haylee Kajewski & Andrea Rapolthy-Beck have been workshopping with STARS clinicians (wards 4A, 4B and 5A) to reflect on the implementation of interdisciplinary goal setting at STARS and plan for future sustainability
Dr Manuela Besomi, Dr Emmah Doig, Prof Paul Hodges & Lisa Anemaat commenced a series of co-design workshops with 10 international researchers as part a research project to co-design KT strategies to implement current expert-based recommendations on electromyography to bridge evidence to practice
Alison Bell (RECOVER) was an invited panel member for UQ’s Faculty of CCI Seminar Series: Planning your Consumer Priority Setting Research Activity (70 attendees)
Grant awarded: Dissanaayaka, Mitchell, Worthy, Brookes, Shrubsole, Verreynne, O’Sullivan, Pachana, Chatfield, Liddle, Byrne. Enhancing utility of neuropsychological evaluation for earlier and effective diagnosis of dementia in Parkinson’s disease. MRFF Dementia, Ageing and Aged Care Mission. $2m over 4 years

March 2023

Congratulations to Prof David Copland and the QARC team for their NHMRC Consumer Engagement Award. This award recognises QARC’s exceptional contribution to aphasia research and supporting the lives of people with aphasia, their families and support networks.
Collaborations including researchers from QARC and RECOVER:
- YouTube video by Epilepsy Queensland about Improving the Reliability and Validity of Presurgical Language Mapping
- YouTube video by Mater Foundation about funding the first dedicated speech-language pathologist position within an epilepsy unit in Australia
- Everyday AI podcast and article about the pain and education chatbot ‘Delores’
5 grants awarded:
- Moseley (UniSA), Sterling et al. ReconNECKt: A randomised placebo-controlled trial to test the safety, clinical and cost effectiveness of a new treatment for chronic neck pain. MRFF Clinical Trials Activity. 5yr, $1.4M
- Sterling, Elphinston, Foster, Treleaven, Slater, Setchell, Tuffaha, Lodge, Forbes, Peek, Lynch, O’Leary. Implementing integrated psychological and physical care for Australians after road traffic injury. Partners: MAIC, SIRA, Allianz, APA, CPA. MRFF Clinician Researchers: Nurses, Midwives and Allied Health Grant. 4yr, $1.5M.
- Sterling, Nikles, Elphinston. PRioRTI RCT: PReventing chronic pain after whiplash Road Traffic Injury. Partners MAIC, CPA. MRFF Clinical Trials Activity. 5yr, $2.1M.
- Wallace, Bennington, Isaksen, Shiggins, Beesley, Beesley. Co-design of a unified (international) aphasia awareness campaign. Health Translation Queensland CCI Microgrant.
- Wallace, Worthy, Barron, Jamieson, Copland, Shrubsole, Shiggins, Hill, Haslam et al. Bridging the Digital Divide: Building Health Self-Efficacy through Communication-Accessible Online Environments. MRFF 2021 Consumer Led Research.

February 2023

Prof Dave Copland commences as Co-Director of the STARS Education and Research Alliance, and continues to lead QARC (QLD Aphasia Research Centre) in STARS/UQ
Alison Bell (RECOVER) and Lisa Anemaat (STARS) have been invited to collaborate with Health Translation Queensland (HTQ) to form a CCI community of practice as a part of the HTQ CCI program
Dr Matthew Roberts, a urologist in STARS & RBWH and researcher in UQCCR, won Metro North paper of the month
Jane Nikles awarded 2 Health Hub Morayfield REEC Seed Funding Grants for StudyU: a new tool to self-manage chronic pain and Early prevention of chronic musculoskeletal pain after injury: a survey of GP attitudes and prescribing behaviours ($10k each), and a further $2,000 from HTQ for the StudyU project

January 2023

Welcome to Dr Peter Window, conjoint physiotherapy research fellow (0.4FTE) and Raj Singh, HP clinical researcher on the Stroke Telerehabilitation project
Professor David Copland featured in Research Australia’s INSPIRE magazine (p56-57) discussing the work of the Queensland Aphasia Centre (QARC)
In 2022 STARS provided work integrated learning for 288 students with 6603 days of placement, facilitated by 143 educators – many thanks to all involved!
96 students from 9 professions and 18 facilitators from 6 professions took part in 16 skills workshops in STARS during 2022
2x Research Alliance for Urban Goori Health (RAUGH) Collaborative Seed Grants awarded:
- Dr Mark Appleyard (STARS/MH), Prof Gail Garvey (UQ), Dr Jonathon Leitch (IUIH). Laying the Foundations for a whole-of health-care-system approach to addressing inequities in bowel cancer for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Metro North.
- Dr Natasha Roberts (STARS/UQ conjoint), Prof Gail Garvey (UQ), Dr Jonathon Leitch (IUIH). Unmet needs in prostate cancer for indigenous men and their communities

2022 News

December 2022

Congratulations to Kellie Stockton and the Allied Health Team for their Values in Action Metro North Staff Excellence Award.
Catherine Sanderson (Speech Pathologist, STARS) received the 2022 UQ-SHRS Clinical education partnership award in Speech Pathology, recognising her outstanding commitment to Clinical Education across a sustained period of more than 10 years.
Two RAUGH grants ($25k each) awarded to Dr Mark Appleyard, Prof Gail Garvey and Dr Jonathon Leitch (Laying the foundations for a whole-of health-care-system approach to addressing inequities in bowel cancer outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Metro North) and Dr Natasha Roberts, Prof Gail Garvey and Dr Jonathon Leitch (Unmet needs in prostate cancer care for indigenous men and their communities).
Dr Sarah Wallace was featured in a Podcast episode for Aphasia Access. Measuring What Matters & Operationalizing Outcome A Conversation with Sarah J. Wallace (episode 94: https://aphasiaaccess.libsyn.com/)
Watch a 2min video showing a snapshot of our Students at STARS in 2022.

November 2022

Welcome to Dr Natasha Roberts who commenced in the conjoint nursing clinical research fellow role
Congrats to STARS Allied Health Director Dr Kellie Stockton, appointed to Queensland Clinical Senate Executive
Three mobile sensor technology workshops held at STARS for the ART-Hub research program: 45 participants (including two consumers) reduced 20 to 3 top priorities for rehab services in STARS
Bec Jenkinson (HaBS), Alison Bell (RECOVER), Jo Maxwell (FoM), Lisa Anemaat (STARS) and two STARS consumers took part in a panel discussion on CCI in health and medical research at the Health Consumers Queensland Annual Forum on the Sunshine Coast.
STARS is hosting visiting UK Professor Pip Logan (to 16th Feb 2023). Pip gave an invited lecture 22nd Nov: “Organised curiosity and reflective practitioners – the keys to a rehabilitation research rich environment”
Seven UQ HERA launched programs including ULTRA – UQ Clinical Trials Capability and EvolveHealth Health Workforce Optimisation
Alliance staff and teams won UQ HaBS Faculty Staff Awards:
- Karina O’Leary: Excellence in Clinical and Professional Skills Education
- Dr Megan Ross: Academic Leadership
- QARC team: Consumer and Community Involvement (CCI) in Research
- Emma Caird: Professional Staff Award – Above and Beyond
- QARC Professional team (Jaycie Bohan, Emma Caird, Margot Sexton, Hannah Wedley): Commendation for Teamwork

October 2022

Welcome to Dr Erin Caruana in an interim physiotherapy conjoint role (0.2FTE) leading a project on STARS weekend rehabilitation service
35 consumers and 22 academics attended the “Consumer Roundtable 2022: Bringing researchers to the consumer table to explore telehealth” held at Herston on 10th Oct
Research involving STARS entitled ‘The impact of transition from non-digital to digital prescribing on medication safety’ was awarded the Professor William Egerton Award for Best Discovery and Innovation Research award at the Herston Symposium. Authors: Engstrom, McCourt, Canning, Dekker, Voussoughi, Bennett, North, Pole, Donovan, Sullivan.
Two NHMRC Investigator Grants awarded to Professor Michele Sterling (Better health outcomes after road traffic injury; $2.35m) and Professor Nadine Foster (Musculoskeletal pain: getting the right patient to the right treatment at the right time; $2.8m)
Two CAHRLI Innovation Challenge Grants awarded ($7k each): Jasmine Kellaway, Dana Kidd and Linda Cuskelly (A Clinical Assistant led innovation to improve patient experience of virtual care) and Dr Elizabeth Beadle, Hannah McGlashan, Emmaline Falconer, Vanessa Whitehead, David Rodwell, Elizabeth Torby and Samantha Jones (The biofeedback for emotional self-regulation (Bio E.R) project).

September 2022

Congratulations to Dr Emmah Doig, who has been promoted to Senior Conjoint Research Fellow in Occupational Therapy and Jodie McLagan, who has been promoted in the Metro North administration stream.
Dr Sarah Wallace (QARC) received a UQ Foundation Research Excellence Award (FREA) for her project entitled “Plug-In and Power-Up: Boosting Health Self-Efficacy through Communication-Accessible Online Environments” ($95k).
Dr Nicole Andrews (RECOVER) was awarded a UQ EMCR Industry Engagement Award for her work with the Tess Cramond Pain and Research Centre, RBWH, on Pain ROADMAP.
Lisa Anemaat won the PhD Bursary award at the Stroke Society of Australasia meeting in New Zealand ($1,000 prize). See media and spotlight on Lisa and her work.
STARS was awarded “Best Public Building” in the annual Property Council of Australia Awards.
Feature in the Johanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Evidence Implementation Bulletin Issue 3, 2022: Goal Setting SuperSTARS: Progress over Perfection, by Haylee Kajewski, Dr Emmah Doig, Karina O’Leary, Amanda Goodwin, Andrea Rapolthy.
Research by Dr Anna Copley, Dr Emma Finch, Prof Jenny Fleming, Dr Petra Cornwell, and Dr Emmah Doig has resulted in the publication of the ASSBI IMPACT treatment manual. A goal-directed, metacognitive intervention for people with cognitive communication disorders.