Spotlight on EMCR Awardees
In 2021/22, WHRTN awarded 36 EMCRs funding for flexible and diverse needs, and to strengthen and boost the career development of women working across women’s health research or research translation.
Read about four of the projects from awardees, Dr Siew Lim, Dr Jane Currie, Associate Professor Kate McBride and Dr Jessica Grieger
Dr Siew Lim
Australian National Health and Medical Research Council Early Career Fellow and an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD)
Setting up a Cardiometabolic Health Implementation Research in Postpartum individuals research team and consumer group, and conducting a consensus-building activity to set the principles, values and research priorities with consumers and health professionals on the management of postpartum individuals with a history of gestational diabetes.
“This award enabled me to establish an international consumer group with a strong Australian representation of postpartum women for cardiometabolic health implementation work. I am connected with partners in Brazil, Fiji and Malaysia that we were not able to include in the current project due to logistical challenges and timeframe constraints.”
Project overview
This project is about setting up a Cardiometabolic Health Implementation Research in Postpartum mothers (CHIRP) research team made of academics, clinicians and consumers.
CHIRP consists of a group of researchers and consumers who believe that research should be conducted with those who will benefit from it. We also believe that research should help those with the greatest need. CHIRP was established to address health conditions affecting postpartum mothers. The current focus of CHIRP is to address inequities in type 2 diabetes (T2DM) prevention in individuals after gestational diabetes (GDM).
CHIRP Regional leaders were appointed in each of these regions: Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe, and Oceania. In each region, Health Service Representatives and Consumer Representatives were recruited to address inequities in T2DM prevention in people after GDM. Health Service Representatives were doctors and workers from allied or community health, primary care, policy and public health. Consumer Representatives were postpartum mothers (within 5 years of birth) with a history of GDM.
Highlights and breakthroughs
Successful recruitment of regional leads from the Americas, Europe, Asia and Africa.
Completion of workshops in the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania.
CHIRP research team was established with representatives from all five continents.
CHIRP consumer team was established with consumers from all five continents.
Values, principles and research priorities were identified for each region
Dr Jane Currie
Associate Professor in Nursing at Queensland University of Technology, chair’s the Homeless Health research team at St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney, and practices clinically as a nurse practitioner with Micah Projects.
Identify the impact of the Domestic Violence Community Nurse service (DVCN) on access to healthcare for women and children experiencing domestic and family violence.
“Receiving this award has enabled me to establish a data linkage component to the study, and identify the impact of the DVCN on access to care. The data linkage is critical to identifying the translational impact of the DVCN service, and will be important in applying for future funding.“
Project Overview and Objectives
To establish a data linkage study to identify the impact of the DVCN on access to healthcare for women using the service, at two time points: 12-months prior to their use of the DVCN service, and 12-months post their use of the DVCN service.
To understand the barriers and facilitators of access to healthcare for women and children experiencing domestic and family violence.
To document the model of care of the DVCN.
To identify DVCN service usage from February 2021-June 2022.
Highlights and breakthroughs
Worked closely with the Micah Projects staff, and cemented an industry partnership.
Recruited a Master of Philosophy student from the Micah Projects.
Findings of a literature review have been accepted for publication in the Journal of Advanced Nursing.
A focus group was conducted with women with lived experience of domestic and family violence, which highlighted the key barriers and facilitators in accessing healthcare. Findings have already been disseminated through a Q1 publication in the Journal of Advanced Nursing.
Associate Professor Kate McBride
Epidemiologist and Director of Academic (Postgraduate Coursework) Programs within the School of Medicine at Western Sydney University.
Developing a further understanding of why women with obesity are less likely to present for breast screening as well as a temporary screening than women without obesity to inform future intervention.
“This award enabled me to kick start my research by funding research assistance and much needed time away from teaching. Most importantly, it has helped me to generate data around women who are living with obesity, and how they experience breast screening which has led to a NHMRC funded project to improve their screening rates.”
Project Overview
Establish causal relationship between being obesity and breast screening.
Explore the experiences of women with obesity at breasts screening.
Develop an intervention to address barriers to screening among women with obesity.
Highlights and breakthroughs
The data linkage was completed in May 2022 and it established that there is a dose response relationship between body weight and participation in breast screening. The data linkage also revealed that there are multifactorial complex issues preventing all women from taking part in breast screening including cultural backgrounds marital status education level and social economic status.
The survey found that women with obesity had poor experience that breast screening which prevented them from rear tending for subsequent breast screen appointments. These poor experiences were partly due to the radiographer not being sensitive enough to body size issues.
These data have people dented at the will Congress of epidemiology and also due to be presented at the European public health conference in Berlin November 2022.
This work also led to a collaboration with researchers from the University of Western Australia and University of Melbourne leading to successful award of an NHMRC targeted call from research grant which will be developing an intervention to educate radiographers and help women with obesity Fillmore ease when attending for breast Grady WA. This grant also led to a further NHMRC application to expand the intervention to women of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and women with disability again in the West Australian setting. This application is pending.
Dr Jessica Grieger
A nutrition research scientist specialising in maternal cardiometabolic health in pre-conception and pregnancy. She leads the nutrition, metabolic and reproductive health group within the Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide.
Exploring the perspectives and experiences regarding the nutrition and lifestyle strategies that were provided to Caucasian and Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) women during their pregnancy.
“This award allowed me to advance my skills in qualitative research, exploring health behaviours and knowledge in women from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. My career development has been enhanced through both virtual and face-to-face attendance at three diabetes conferences, strengthening knowledge, and increasing collaborations.”
Project Overview
This project contributes to Dr Grieger’s broader program of research which is investigating the prevention and management of gestational diabetes. The project intended to contribute to the recruitment, conduct and analysis of focus groups in Caucasian and culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) women who recently had gestational diabetes.
Highlights and breakthroughs
Attending the face-to-face Australasian Diabetes Congress, 2022, in Brisbane. Enjoyed talks by Tim Skinner, a Health Psychologist at LaTrobe University, discussing motivational interviewing and BCT; suggesting that patients with low self efficacy are likely to have a negative effect rather than behaviour change. Sarah Price, an endocrinologist, discussing VLED diets before pregnancy, weight regain, and time to pregnancy; and Dr Susie de Jersey, a dietitian, discussing carbohydrates and diets for diabetes.
Key highlights from our qualitative data among 33 women who had gestational diabetes: Culture can complicate lifestyle modification for gestational diabetes; education must be culturally sensitive and competent; education should be delivered by health professionals of a shared cultural group.
