I am a research fellow working in the Graduate School of Medicine. As a scientist, my goals are to learn new things and use this knowledge to make people’s lives a little better. My previous research has been varied and includes the role of lipids in aging, studies of aggression in prisons, and reports on the health workforce of Australia.

My current focus of research is antimicrobial resistance and stewardship. Antimicrobial resistance is a worldwide problem caused by the inappropriate use of antibiotics. In Australia, a large number of antibiotics are prescribed in general practice settings for acute respiratory infections despite these infections most commonly being caused by viruses.

To address this, I am managing the Optimal Implementation of Antimicrobial Interventions in General Practice (the OptimasGP) study. This is a five-year project funded by the MRFF and is led by Prof Andrew Bonney. The aim of the study is to increase the use of antimicrobial interventions in primary care. This project includes co-design, an RCT, and the translation of findings into practice across Australia.

Alongside this work, I work with the Wollongong Antimicrobial Resistance Research Alliance’s to investigate trends in antimicrobial resistance the Illawarra.

My second area of research is Australia’s rural health workforce. The disproportionate shortfall in rural Australia’s health workforce leads to health disparities in this area. As part of my work, I examine the factors causing these shortfalls with a focus on medical graduates. This work used the Medical Students Outcome Database, a landmarking longitudinal study that has been running for over a decade.