Hello everyone,
This month, AAAPC has hit the ground running with new executive and subcommittee memberships coming into effect. Make sure not to miss any news and announcements regarding:
and much more. Happy reading!
Upcoming member events
Save the date for the AAAPC 2022 Annual Research Conference: August 18-19. Add the date to your future diaries now! Keep an eye out for a poll to ask members what format they would prefer: Online or face-to-face.
FACES' next online meeting is happening on October 26. If you aren’t yet a member of this career development group, join by emailing secretariat@aaapc.org.au.
AAAPC Subcommittee updates
The AAAPC subcommittees are how members can contribute to AAAPC as an organisation. Subcommittees are supportive and collaborative interest groups that meet several times per year to discuss and progress parts of AAAPC.
Get involved and join a subcommittee by emailing your interest to secretariat@aaapc.org.au. A quick overview from each subcommittee this month:
AAAPC Travelling Fellowship Award Winners
Congratulations to the winners of the AAAPC Travelling Fellowship! We received some fantastic applications this year, and are looking forward to supporting development opportunities for these researchers and their projects
NAPCRG International Paper Award Winner
Congratulations Abhir Nainani for paper General practitioners’ perceptions of screening for Primary Aldosteronism: a qualitative study. Abhir is a medical student with a passion for preventative medicine and chronic disease management. He is currently undertaking an Honours year at the Department of General Practice (Monash University), to understand the factors that influence a general practitioners' decision to screen for primary aldosteronism.
Abhir is passionate about his research topic and hopes his findings will be beneficial, not just for Australian GPs, but for the wider primary care community as well. He is excited to present his findings at an international conference!
“Following my presentation, I hope that the audience understands that primary aldosteronism is not only common but crucial to detect as it could dramatically change how GPs assess and manage hypertension.”
Celebrating AAAPC Members
Congratulations also to some of our members on successful publications!
This list does not comprehensively include the achievements of all of our members (sorry!). Please send me an email at katelyn.barnes@anu.edu.au when you or another member you know has an achievement that we can all celebrate! Some previous examples include a new PhD completion, publication, or an award.
Welcome to New AAAPC Members
Hello and welcome to our new members! We warmly welcome: Miriam Brooks (Western Sydney University), Carolyn Ee (Western Sydney University), Steven Trankle (Western Sydney University), and Jaqueline Roseleur (University of Adelaide).
It would be a pleasure to introduce members with a short bio and photo in the newsletter - it is a great way to build networks within our community. If you would like your bio to be published in the monthly newsletter, please email secretariat@aaapc.org.au or katelyn.barnes@anu.edu.au. We are excited to meet you!
Hello everyone
August has been busy month, a sign of exciting times within AAAPC! Make sure you don't miss any updates in this newsletter, including announcements regarding:
and much more. Happy reading
AAAPC Annual General Meeting overview
The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Australasian Association of Academic Primary Care (AAAPC) was held on Wednesday 11th August 5pm AEST via video conference. Attendance included 62 members. Minutes of the 2021 AGM are available on the AAAPC website, alongside the President's Report, Financial Report, and Subcommittee Reports. Big thank you to the 2020 AAAPC Executive Committee for their passion and drive in achieving big things last year, despite the challenges of 2020!
The AAAPC Charles Bridges-Webb Medal for outstanding and ongoing teaching and research contributions in primary care was awarded at the AGM to Professor Michael Kidd (AM). Congratulations Michael!
Professor Kidd is the current Principal Medical Advisor and Deputy Chief Medical Officer with the Australian Government Department of Health, and Professor of Primary Care Reform at the Australian National University. He also holds fellowships and honorary professorships with the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, the University of Melbourne, the Southgate Institute for Health, Flinders University, and the University of Toronto.
Introducing your new 2021/22 AAAPC Executive Committee Members
The 2021 AAAPC AGM included confirmation of the new 2021 AAAPC Executive Committee. These members will be supporting AAAPC President, Dr Phyllis Lau.
Policy Research and Advocacy Subcommittee Chair
Hello, I’m Jon Emery. I am an academic GP having completed my DPhil in Oxford many years ago on computerised cancer risk assessment. I moved to Australia in 2004 to become the Chair of General Practice at UWA, and to the UoM in 2013 as Professor of Primary Care Cancer Research. I lead a research group with a focus on cancer and genomics in primary care, methodologically grounded in trials of complex interventions and linked data. I am Director of the national primary care cancer trials group (PC4), and was AAAPC President 2008-10. I'm interested in how the AAAPC can influence national policy on primary care research, especially now with significant opportunities to advance our field. Specifically, the implications of the 10-year plan for primary health care, and discussions about research infrastructure support including PBRNs, a national centre for research innovation and translation and the use of primary care data for research.
To join this subcommittee, please send an email expressing your interest to sectratariat@aaapc.org.au!
Education Subcommittee Chair
Hello, I’m Kylie Vuong, the Education Subcommittee chair. I’m a GP academic based at UNSW Sydney. I work closely together with my colleagues to deliver the primary care course to medical students in the UNSW MD program. It was a highlight to see so many primary care education presentations at the AAAPC 2021 Annual Research Conference. I look forward to working with the AAAPC and the Primary Care Education Subcommittee to celebrate primary care education.
Conference Subcommittee Chair
Hello, I am Dr Renee Fiolet. My background is in community and paediatric nursing, however I completed my PhD in 2020 at the University of Melbourne on exploring the use of technology to address the barriers Indigenous peoples experience when help-seeking for family violence. I am a Nursing Lecturer at Deakin University, and a new research fellow with the Indigenous Equity Unit at the University of Melbourne. I am passionate about ensuring equity in healthcare for Australia’s First Nations peoples, and I am eager to see a world where health is accessible for all. In my role as Conference Chair I hope to see a 2022 conference that is even bigger and better than the previous fabulous conferences hosted by AAAPC, and I hope to see more representation from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers, nurses and midwives who each have a big role in primary health care but we not well represented yet within our organisation. Please join the conference subcommittee – we need you!
To get involved with the 2022 conference, email sectratariat@aaapc.org.au.
Early Career Researchers Subcomittee Chair
Hello, my name is Habiba Jahan, and I will be chair of the Early Career Research Subcommittee for 2021-22. I am a general practitioner and trainee of the RACGP, currently undertaking my academic registrar post with Prof Nigel Stocks at University of Adelaide. My academic post project is based on MedicineInsight Database-General Practice management of depression after coronary heart disease. I consider AAAPC a platform for improving research skills, leadership and collaboration.
During this difficult time of COVID, I will work with other members of AAAPC to promote Primary care research. My aim is to encourage more general practice trainees, nurses and allied health practitioners to undertake research and create a support network for them while they are at the early part of the research career.
To get involved with the ECR Subcommittee, please email sectratariat@aaapc.org.au.
Marketing and Membership Subcomittee Chair
I am Dr Kristi Milley, the new AAAPC Marketing & Membership Subcommittee Chair. I started my career as a Medical Scientist but pivoted to primary care research after my PhD. I think my Twitter bio is the perfect 20 character summary of where I am now: National Manager for PC4, Australia's peak organisation for cancer in primary care research. Board game lover and podcast host - Research Roundup. I’m privileged to work with a dedicated group of national researchers for cancer in primary care. I see a dedication and commitment to nurturing academic primary care and primary care research in the AAAPC, which is why volunteered for this role.
For me, the AAAPC is a great community of researchers, educators and professionals who share my passion for promoting the importance of primary care and primary care research. I look forward to shaping messages that inspire, inform and that create opportunities that grow our community and increase awareness of the work our members do.
To join the membership and marketing subcommittee, please express your interest via email to secretariat@aaapc.org.au
Treasurer
Hello, I’m Sibel and I’ll be the AAAPC treasurer for 2021-2023. My background is as a genetic counsellor but my research interests are about translating new genetic and genomic tests for use in the whole population. I finished my PhD in early 2021 (after a fun few months writing it up in lockdown in Melbourne!), which explored the acceptability and feasibility of a colorectal cancer polygenic risk score to target screening in primary care.
I've now stayed on with the same Cancer in Primary Care research group at the University of Melbourne, expanding my PhD research to explore predicting risk of other cancers in primary care. I love how AAAPC is such a collaborative and warm association, that aims to promote and flourish so many areas of primary care research. I volunteered to be treasurer because I love Excel!
Secretary
Hello, I am Ms Shakira Milton and I’m the incoming AAAPC Secretary for 2021/22. I am a Research Assistant and have been working on different cancer in primary research projects since 2016. Now, I am a PhD Candidate conducting a randomised controlled trial of a decision aid for bowel cancer prevention in general practice at the Department of General Practice and Centre for Cancer Research at The University of Melbourne. I became a AAAPC member earlier this year and joined the ECR subcommittee which inspired me to join the executive committee. In the role as Secretary, I will provide administrative support to our executive. I committee members. I will also manage the executive committee meetings, and our annual AGM meeting and take minutes in all of our executive committee meetings. I look forward to supporting our exec and learning from everyone!
Newsletter Editor
Hello (again!), I am Dr Katelyn Barnes and will continue as AAAPC Newsletter Editor for 2021/22. I am a dietitian by trade, but researcher by nature (and training). I completed my PhD in 2017 exploring what nutrition care in the fitness industry looked like and how it could be safer and more effective. Now, I work across Healthy Primary Care (Griffith University) and the Academic Unit of General Practice (ANU), exploring how primary care services and health systems are working (or not working) for patients and practitioners.
I love how supportive and engaged the AAAPC members are. In the role of newsletter editor, I will keep members up to date with the activities, opportunities, and achievements of AAAPC and its members. I’m looking forward to connecting with you all in your inbox every month!
AAAPC Annual Research Conference highlights
The AAAPC Annual Research Conference was an absolute success! Big thank you to the 2020 Conference Subcommittee, chaired by Associate Professor Lauren Ball. Thank you also to all attendees for your participation and support – you all helped to create a positive, supportive and engaged conference that was a pleasure to be a part of.
Keynote presentations from both Professor Danielle Mazza and Associate Professor Matire Harwood inspired attendees with their unique research journeys, albeit in quite different arenas! Both emphasised the importance of engagement with people, communities, organisations, and politicians for research impact, and highlighted the value of research in supporting equity and informing solutions to social injustices. We are so grateful to both Professor Mazza and Associate Professor Harwood for sharing their experiences, expertise, and enthusiasm!
Concurrent sessions and posters spanned a broad range of academic primary care. BIG thank you to all presenters for sharing their work, ideas, and contributing to discussions. Published abstracts are available through the Australian Journal of Primary Health (volume 27, issue 4).
Last but not least, congratulations to the AAAPC Conference Prize Winners!
Congratulations to one of our members who have completed their PhD!
Dr Mari Somerville conducted a 4-phase, multi-methods program of research, guided by the i-PARIHS framework, to understand the nutrition care provided to people with prediabetes in Australia. Mari’s PhD findings suggests that prediabetes is inconsistently detected, and nutrition care is rarely provided to people, despite their desire for support to eat well. Mari’s PhD highlights opportunities to improve care for people living with prediabetes, and may inform redevelopment of health service and workforce models.
Congratulations also to some of our members on successful publications in August!
This list does not comprehensively include the achievements of all of our members (sorry!). Please send me an email at katelyn.barnes@anu.edu.au when you or another member you know has an achievement that we can all celebrate! Some previous examples include a new PhD completion, new publication, or an award.
Hello and welcome to our new members! We would like to formally introduce:
From a background in rural general practice, Professor Roger Strasser (AM), was Australia's first Professor of Rural Health and Inaugural Head of the Monash University School of Rural Health before he moved to Canada to become founding dean and CEO of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine from 2002 to 2019. In 2020, Professor Strasser became the first professor of rural health in is New Zealand, and now leads the University of Waikato's Rural Health Public Engagement, including public education about rural health and advocacy for rural health, as well as community engagement at the local level. In addition,
Professor Strasser is leading capacity building in rural health research across remote and rural New Zealand. Recognizing the importance of context and community in medical education and research, Professor Strasser has become one of the world’s foremost authorities on rural, socially accountable medical education, and a sought-after speaker and advisor.
We warmly welcome all our new members! We would love to introduce new members in the newsletter - it is a great way to build networks within our community. If you would like your bio to be published in the monthly newsletter, please email secretariat@aaapc.org.au or katelyn.barnes@anu.edu.au. We are excited to meet you!
The end of July is upon us! There have been lots of exciting AAAPC happenings this month, make sure you don't miss anything, including announcements regarding:
AAAPC Annual General Meeting
The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Australasian Association of Academic Primary Care (AAAPC) will be held on the eve of the Annual Research Conference 2021 on Wednesday 11th August 5pm AEST via video conference. All members are eligible to attend. Details to join the meeting will be circulated closer to the date. If you cannot join the meeting, please email secretariat@aaapc.org.au with this form completed to appoint a proxy.
Previous AGM minutes can be found on our website.
Nominate for AAAPC Executive Committee Membership
Nominations are now open for eight committee positions undergoing election at the 2021 AGM. Join this active group to engage and contribute to ongoing AAAPC activities!
To nominate yourself, or another equally amazing person, please complete a nomination form and email to secretariat@aaapc.org.au by Monday 9th of August.
AAAPC Annual Research Conference
The conference kicks off in 2 weeks! AAAPC annual research conference registrations are still open - register to attend on our conference webpage. On the website you can also see the online program, and workshop descriptions.
Even though we are online this year, don’t miss out on the social program! There is the Welcome event on Wednesday 11th of August, ECR lunch and evening networking shuffle on Thursday, and a chance to connect with like-minded colleagues in special interest group discussions on Friday.
We cannot wait to see you all online soon
FACES Update
Come and catch up with colleagues at the virtual lunch for peer-networking! The FACES lunch is on Thursday 12th of August at 12 noon. This session will use breakout rooms to provide an opportunity to connect with FACES participants and conference attendees in small groups.
We would also like to take this opportunity to thank Hyun Song, Annette Peart and Ben Harris-Roxas for generously sharing with FACES participants their journey into the ECR workforce on June 16th. The session provided excellent insights into life post-PhD for FACES participants.
AAAPC is an active organisation. The Subcommittees give members a chance to reflect upon and contribute to AAAPC strategic priorities, spanning a wide range of topics such as marketing of AAAPC, engagement of members, national primary care policy reform and writing statements the value of primary care. For more information on the subcommittees, check them out on the website! Here, we will provide a brief overview of each subcommittee from 2020/21.
The Policy & Advocacy subcommittee have spent a great deal of time working out how AAAPC can contribute to an Australian national practice based research network and are the engine room for writing AAAPC responses to calls from input on a range of nationwide strategies. This year we have responded to the call from the Medical Research Future Fund for input into how the fund has been implemented, and, very recently on Australia's 10-year plan for primary care. We have so far mainly been focussed on Australian issues and would be keen to make an impact into New Zealand's primary care system in years to come.
Thank you to the 20220/21 subcommittee members, for their insight and contributions through the year! If you would like to get involved for 2021/22 please do get in touch to register your interest! Importantly, either Grant Russell (grant.russell@monash.edu) or any member of the current executive would be keen to speak to members interested in taking over the role of the Committee Chair and Deputy Chair for 2021-22.
The Marketing & Membership subcommittee has been busy making AAAPC a more visible, effective and sustainable organisation! This year the subcommittee has been led by Dr Lauralie Richard. Our new subcommittee chair, Dr Kristi Milley took on the role in May. Lots of thanks to the 2020/21 subcommittee members, you have all helped shape AAAPC this year! If you are not yet a member, and are passionate about science communication, register your interest via email to kristi.milley@unimelb.edu.au. Don’t forget to follow AAAPC on Twitter @AAAPC_ANZ!
The ECR and Capacity Development subcommittee has been busy creating supports and networking events for early career researchers. This lively and engaged group has been led by Dr Rita McMorrow in 2020/21, and has implemented the mentoring program (FACES), regular catch up sessions, and coordinated the May 2021 webinar with Jean Frederique (available online here). To see some of their hard work in action, come to the FACES networking lunch at the AAAPC Annual Research Conference on Thursday 12th of August. Big thank you to all members of the ECR subcommittee for their input this year! If you are not a member of this subcommittee, but are interested in becoming one, register your interest via email to secretariat@aaapc.org.au.
The Conference Subcommittee has been busy preparing for the annual research conference, happening in 2 weeks. Dr Lauren Ball has chaired the committee to pull together a marvellous 2021 program, with invited presentations from Professor Mazza and Associate Professor Harwood. This subcommittee will be ready for a well-deserved rest soon! But there is no rest for the wicked(ly awesome), and the subcommittee will be ramping up again in September this year to start coordination for the 2022 conference. If you would like to get involved to help pull together amazing primary care research from all around Australasia, get in touch via email to secretariat@aaapc.org.au to register your interest in joining.
The Education Subcommittee has just started this year, with Dr Kylie Vuong at the helm. The group is ambitious and coordinating a AAAPC webinar for later this year. Big thanks to all the education subcommittee members in 2020/21! If you are not yet a member, have an interest in primary care education, and would like to get involved; get in touch via email to Kylie at kylie.vuong@unsw.edu.au.
Subscribe to the Members Noticeboard!
New jobs, education opportunities, research projects, and primary health care discussions have been posted on the members noticeboard this past month.
Keep your finger on the pulse by subscribing!
Get in and engage with members - discussion posts are welcome! You can respond to posts by scrolling down to the bottom of a post and clicking “Reply”. Ask questions, stimulate discussion, or simply let us know which topics you like hearing about.
AAAPC is full of prolific writers! Congratulations to several members on their recent publications:
Dr. Erin Oldenhof is a Benzodiazepine withdrawal counsellor at Reconnexion, where she works long-term with individuals who have become dependent on their prescription medication (benzos/z-drugs). She recently completed her doctorate (clinical psychology), where the research impetus was the advent of real-time prescription monitoring of benzodiazepines in Australia. Erin’s thesis presented a new patient-centred model for deprescribing benzodiazepines. She continues research and advocacy to improve patient-centred care amongst primary care clinicians, to reduce the potential harms associated with abrupt discontinuation of benzodiazepines.
Another very full AAAPC newsletter is here! There are lots of exciting AAAPC happenings so make sure you don't miss anything, including announcements regarding:
The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Australasian Association of Academic Primary Care (AAAPC) will be held on the eve of the Annual Research Conference 2021 on Wednesday 11th August 5pm AEST via video conference. All members are eligible to attend.
Details to join the meeting will be circulated closer to the date. If you cannot join the meeting, please email secretariat@aaapc.org.au with this form completed to appoint a proxy.
Nominations are now open for eight committee positions undergoing election at the 2021 AGM. Join this active group to contribute to ongoing AAAPC activities!
2021 ARC registrations have reached over 100! Woohoo! Registration costs include AAAPC 2021 membership and all conference activities, including the AGM. Discount prices are available for student members. Register now !
We are looking forward to seeing you online, and discussing all things primary care in August!
AAAPC research and teaching awards are open!
The Charles Bridges-Webb Medal is awarded to an AAAPC member who has made, and will continue to make, sustained high level contributions to academic environment of primary care research.
The Neil Carson Medal is a new award, installed in 2020, and is awarded to an AAAPC member who has made, and will continue to make, sustained high level contributions to the leadership in primary care and medical education.
These two awards are one of the ways AAAPC commits to fostering and supporting career development in academic primary care. Application instructions and nomination forms are available on the prizes tab of the AAAPC webpage. Applications close 5pm 9th July 2021. Prizes will be announced during the AAAPC Annual Research Conference!
AAAPC travelling fellowships are open!
The AAAPC Travelling fellowship is up to $2000 for use towards costs and activities that will foster collaborations and partnerships between primary care researchers and/or external stakeholders. A total fellowship pool of $6000 is available. The travelling fellowship is available to all AAAPC members, though will prioritise Early Career Researchers. Get in quick! Application instructions and nomination forms are available on the Travelling Fellowship webpage. Applications close 5pm 9th July, 2021.
Update from the Early Career Researcher and Capacity Development Subcommittee
Are you a member of AAAPC and looking to advance your career through research? Join Friends Advancing Careers through E-based Support (FACES)! We provide regular meetings for mentoring, advice and collegial discussions about career advancement in primary care research and academia. Please contact Dr Rita McMorrow rita.mcmorrow@unimelb.edu.au to express your interest!
Several AAAPC members have received national accolades this month! We would like to congratulate Professor Kirsty Douglas, Professor Paul Glaziou, Professor Chris Del Mar, and Professor Claire Jackson for their substantial contributions to primary care.
Congratulations Professor Kirsty Douglas on your AMA President’s award!
At the recent Annual General Meeting of the Australian Medical Association (ACT), held on Wednesday, 26 May 2021, Professor Kirsty Douglas was presented with the 2021 President’s Award by the outgoing AMA President (ACT) Dr Antonio Di Dio.
Professor Douglas’ award is in recognition of a fine and longstanding contribution to the health services of the ACT. Professor Douglas’ work has encompassed vital roles in almost every aspect of clinical and executive practice. Her long-term contribution has been made with great strength and enthusiasm that continues to this day, in a diverse range of often challenging roles.
Congratulations Professor Paul Glasziou on your 2021 Order of Australia (AO) badge!
Professor Glasziou received his Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for distinguished service to medical education and standards, and to evidence-based medical research. He is a Professor of Evidence-Based Practice at Bond University and the Director of the Institute for Evidence-Based Healthcare. Professor Glasziou’s key interests include identifying and removing the barriers to using high-quality research in everyday clinical practice.
Congratulations Professor Chris Del Mar on your Order of Australia (AM) badge.
Professor Del Mar received his Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for significant service to tertiary education, to health and medical research, and to professional bodies. He is Professor of Public Health at Bond University and Professor at the University’s Institute for Evidence-Based Healthcare.
Congratulations Professor Claire Jackson on your Order of Australia badge.
Professor Claire Jackson was made a Member in the General Division (AM) for significant service to primary health reform, and to general practice medicine.
Professor Jackson has devoted the past three decades of her life to health services research and reform and pioneered a new mode of primary care that was used as a prototype nation-wide.
We would also like to congratulate several members on their recent publications:
Dr Jessica Botfieldis a Research Fellow with SPHERE, the NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Sexual and Reproductive Health for Women in Primary Care at Monash University. At SPHERE she is involved in the ORIENT study (ImprOving Rural and regIonal accEss to long acting reversible contraceptioN and medical abortion through nurse-led models of care, Tasksharing and telehealth), the AusCAPPS study (the Australian Contraception and Abortion Primary Care Practitioner Support), and coordinating the Women's SRH COVID-19 Coalition. Jessica is also a Senior Research Officer and Registered Nurse at Family Planning NSW. Her research interests focus primarily on sexual and reproductive health and rights (in particular contraception, unintended pregnancy and abortion, and promoting equitable access to information and services for these), nurse-led models of care and service provision, and the design and evaluation of health services.
Dr. Sanne Petersis a postdoctoral research fellow and started her work at Monash University in January 2021. As part of the General Practice Department, it is Sanne's aim to develop a sustainable collaboration between medical staff and researchers in order to facilitate data-led healthcare improvements. Sanne’s PhD explored strategies aimed at improving the knowledge translation in the training of general practitioners at the University of Leuven in Belgium. During her postdoctoral work in Belgium and as Vice-Chair of the Implementation Working Group of the Guidelines International Network, she has been focusing on practice-oriented research projects. She facilitated bottom-up change processes that aimed to increase the uptake of evidence-based clinical guidelines into primary healthcare practices. Sanne is the co-supervisor of a PhD student in medical education and several other student-led research projects.
Dr Habiba Jahanis an academic registrar of RACGP for 2021-2022. She is undertaking a quantitative study analysing a large dataset MedicineInsight at University of Adelaide under Professor Nigel Stocks. Her study is to investigate General Practice management of Depression in patients with Coronary Heart Disease. Dr Habiba Jahan completed her MBBS in 2012. She holds a Diploma in Child Health (University of Sydney) and a Certificate course in Emergency medicine (ACEM).
Dr Jahan is currently working as a GP in training at Hindmarsh Bowden Health, South Australia. Outside work, she enjoys spending time with family and travelling.
We have a lot of updates this month – a sign of all the wonderful things going on with AAAPC!
Exciting news – abstract acceptance for workshops, presentations and posters have been notified! Make sure to reply to the notification email to confirm your presentation. The Australian Journal of Primary Health (AJPH) will be publishing an online supplement with the accepted abstracts from the Conference.
Registrations are open - Please note that presenters must register by June 11.
AAAPC awards and fellowships will be opened soon!
Nominations will be opening soon for 2021 AAAPC Charles Bridges-Webb Award for sustained high level contributions to academic primary care and the NEW Neil Carson Award for significant and sustained contributions to primary care education. Stay tuned for notifications in your email!
The AAAPC travelling fellowship is being revised in light of the global pandemic and the increasing financial constraints that have been experienced by our members. The fellowships will provide support for early career researchers to collaborate across institutions and disseminate results. Watch this space for an announcement of when the fellowships open!
The AAAPC Early Career Researcher and Capacity Development Subcommittee will hold a session FACES - Friends Advancing Careers through E-based Support via Zoom Wednesday 16th of June at 12 midday AEST. The session will include conversations with recent graduates about their journey from PhD to workforce covering both academia and beyond. We will also hear what senior academics look for PhD graduates!
Please contact Dr Rita McMorrow rita.mcmorrow@unimelb.edu.au if you would like to join FACES.
Jean Frederique webinar: bridging health services and research through building networks and collaboration
The webinar recording is now available online for members!
Dr Levesque shared his experience on building networks across the health sector, and highlighted facilitators and challenges to collaboration. He also highlighted specific opportunities for primary care to collaborate with government to drive service improvements. The webinar was well attended and instigated fantastic discussion with members. Thank you Dr Levesque for sharing your insights!
Congratulations Dr Sharon James for successfully completing your PhD! Sharon’s thesis used a combination of video observation and interviews with nurses to investigate lifestyle risk communication by Australian general practice nurses. Her work provided a detailed exploration of how practice nurses talk with patients about lifestyle risk, and the barriers and facilitators to such conversations.
Congratulations to some of our members on successful publications!
Dr Shelley Roberts is an Allied Health Research Fellow in a conjoint position between Griffith University and Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service. Dr Roberts' is an Accredited Practicing Dietitian with research interests in malnutrition, patient participation in care and patient centred care, healthcare technologies, pressure injury prevention, and integrated knowledge translation. Dr Roberts' current project is on identifying and mangaging malnutrition and frailty in primary care. Find out how you could participate or contribute on the AAAPC Members Noticeboard!
Amy Kirkegaard is an Accredited Practising Dietitian and PhD Candidate at Griffith University. Amy's PhD explores how primary care dietitians use quality management and improvement principles to enhance the quality of care. Amy is passionate about advocating for a primary care system that is innovative, high-quality, and meets the needs and wants of health consumers.
We warmly welcome all our new members including: Sameera Ansari (University of NSW), Jennifer Neil (Monash University), Tim Staunton Smith (Monash University), Kym Thomas (University of Adelaide), Jeremy Chiang (University of NSW), Emma Baillie (University of QLD), Surriya Baloch (University of Melbourne), Flora Hui (University of Melbourne), Shakira Milton (University of Melbourne), and Amy Webb (University of Melbourne).
Upcoming AAAPC Webinar - Bridging health services and research through networks and collaboration: a tale of two cities May 6
The AAAPC Early Career Researcher and Capacity Development Subcommittee are pleased to host Dr Jean-Frédéric
Dr Jean-Frédéric Levesque is the Chief Executive of the NSW Agency for Clinical Innovation and an Adjunct Professor at the Centre for Primary Health Care and Equity at UNSW. Jean-Frédéric is a leader in healthcare system analysis and improvement, combining experience in clinical practice in refugee health and tropical medicine, clinical governance and academic research. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Canada in Preventive Medicine and Public Health. Prior to joining NSW Health, Jean-Frederic held senior positions responsible for publicly reporting information about the Canadian health system at the Institut National de Santé Publique du Quebec and the Commissaire a la sante et au bien-etre du Quebec and he was a Visiting Academic at the University of Melbourne.
In this webinar, Dr Jean-Frédéric Levesque will reflect on his work in the academic and policy realms to highlight the polarities often erected as barriers for both sectors to work collaboratively. He will draw on examples from recent collaboration across industry, clinical, policy, and academia to drive health care service innovation and system improvements in clinical care. Dr Levesque will discuss how he has built networks across all aspects of the health sector including facilitators and challenges to building collaboration. He will also highlight more specific opportunities for primary care to collaborate with government to drive service improvements.
The AAAPC Early Career Researcher and Capacity Development Subcommittee will hold a session FACES - Friends Advancing Careers through E-based Support via Zoom THIS Friday on April 30th. The session will be led by Dr Renee Fiolet talking about her experience of using community participatory based research during her PhD.
New membership prices
Commencing in 2021, AAAPC membership categories and fees will be revised to encourage increased student memberships! The new AAAPC membership categories are:
This change in membership policy addresses two important objectives of the AAAPC Strategic Plan, namely increased student and multidisciplinary memberships. Current AAAPC members who have renewed membership in 2021 and are eligible for a new discounted category are recommended to contact secretariat@aaapc.org.au to arrange reimbursement of excess paid fees. Please note, fees in NZD are subject to exchange rates of time of transaction.
Congratulations to two of our members for successfully completing their PhDs!
We warmly welcome some new members from the Adelaide Rural Clinical School at the University of Adelaide! The Adelaide Rural Clinical School has been quietly working to increase primary care research capacity in rural South Australia to enable them to invest in community-engaged research. New members for AAAPC this month include:
Associate Professor Davide Gonzalez who has a background as a paediatrician and epidemiologist with experience in global public health, preventive medicine and biostatistics. He is currently coordinating a study investigating the impact of the Adelaide Rural Clinical School on the medical health workforce in rural settings. Moreover, he works on several projects that use health informatics to support primary health workers, including the analysis of big datasets (MedicineInsight, Royal Flying Doctors Service database) and the use of patient and doctors reminders for preventive activities.
Associate Professor Pascale Detwiller is an academic pharmacist based in Pt Lincoln who has significant experience in community-driven research projects, clinical audit and therapeutics. One of her current projects involves the investigation of community resilience and wellbeing in regional South Australia.
Kym Thomas is a Nukunu elder who works in Pt Augusta. He has longstanding experience in Aboriginal community development, governance and leadership. He is currently leading a research project on how local Aboriginal people experience aged care services.
Dr Sue Williams is based in Nairne, has a strong history of public health research and provides vital support to our distributed research team. She is currently coordinating a project looking at Point of Care Ultrasound in rural general practice.
We would love to welcom all new members to AAAPC - if you would like your bio to be published in the monthly newsletter, please email secretariat@aaapc.org.au This is a great way to build networks within our community.
AAAPC Newsletter Editor update
Hello everyone! My name is Dr Katelyn Barnes, I will be filling in as newsletter editor for a couple of months while Melinda is on maternatiy leave (Congratulations Melinda!). I am a dietitian by trade, though have traversed into the land of general practice research over the last 2 years. I love research - planning, doing, reading, and critiquing! Outside of research, I am a baker, caffeine addict, pet lover (that's Yuki in the picture!) and aerial acrobat!
I'm looking forward to being in touch with you all over the next few months to share the good AAAPC news!
Please do get in touch if you have news to share
Until next month,
Dr Katelyn Barnes, AAAPC Editor
katelyn.barnes@anu.edu.au
and much much more. Happy reading!
AAAPC Annual Research Conference August 12-13 - Scholarships and sponsors
The AAAPC is pleased to offer two competitive scholarships to support attendance at the 2021 Annual Research Conference, including for:
For more information or to register your interest please visit https://www.aaapc.org.au/ARC_scholarships.
We are also still seeking sponsors to support the success of the AAAPC Annual Research Conference. Please refer to the conference prospectus for sponsorship opportunities.
We hope to see you online in August, registration is available now! Please contact us if you have any questions.
Associate Professor Lauren Ball
Conference Committee Chair
l.ball@griffith.edu.au +61413031470.
NEW EMAIL ADDRESS for AAAPC
AAAPC has a new email address! It is secretariat@aaapc.org.au, so please update your address books. A huge note of thanks to AAAPC Executive Committee member Lynsey Brown for leading the way with this.
Upcoming AAAPC Webinar - Bridging health services and research through networks and collaboration: A tale of two cities, May 6
The AAAPC Early Career Researcher and Capacity Development Subcommittee are pleased to host Dr Jean-Frédéric Levesque on Thursday May 6th, 2021 at 7pm AEDT for the next AAAPC Webinar.
Dr Jean-Frédéric Levesque is the Chief Executive of the NSW Agency for Clinical Innovation and an Adjunct Professor at the Centre for Primary Health Care and Equity at UNSW. Jean-Frédéric is a leader in healthcare system analysis and improvement, combining experience in clinical practice in refugee health and tropical medicine, clinical governance and academic research. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Canada in Preventive Medicine and Public Health. Prior to joining NSW Health, Jean-Frédéric held senior positions responsible for publicly reporting information about the Canadian health system at the Institut National de Santé Publique du Québec and the Commissaire a la santé et au bien-etre du Québec and he was a Visiting Academic at the University of Melbourne.
News from the Early Career Researcher and Capacity Development Subcommittee
On March 5 the AAAPC Early Career Researcher and Capacity Development Subcommittee held the first FACES - Friends Advancing Careers through E-based Support session via Zoom. Thirteen PhD students and ECRs met for a peer-networking session to share our experiences and current research plans. The next session will be on April 30th with Renee Fiolet leading a peer discussion about her experience of using community participatory based research during her PhD.
Stay in touch with AAAPC - A request for members
There are many exciting opportunities constantly going on in the AAAPC community, including great new jobs and research projects. Sadly however, the AAAPC Newsletter only comes out once a month. The good news is that we now have a noticeboard on our website for all our members!
The even better news is that if you would like to keep up-to-date with AAAPC announcements without constantly visiting the website, all you need to do is:
1. Sign into the AAAPC website and go to the Members Only Section >> Noticeboard
2. Underneath the big blue rectangle there is a where you can click 'Subscribe' to receive regular messages to your inbox from the Members Only (see screenshot below). Follow the instructions from there.
If you would like to leave a message for other members, all you need to do is click the other link under the big blue rectangle --> 'Create topic'.
We are requesting that all AAAPC members strongly consider subscribing to the Members Noticeboard, as an effective way for us all to stay in touch in real time.
Executive Committee Positions - Call for Expressions of Interest
Two of our Executive Committee members are going on maternity leave soon, and will be stepping down shortly before the Annual General Meeting in August 2021.
As such, we are looking for interested AAAPC members to self-nominate for the following positions, both to start in May 2021:
- Chair of the Membership and Marketing Subcommittee
- Newsletter Editor
Please email secretariat@aaapc.org.au if you are interested or have any questions.
Report on the AAAPC Webinar with Prof Carl May - February 2021
We were delighted to host Prof May from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine for an online webinar. 180 people registered for the event and we were taken on an in-depth tour of implementation and Normalisation Process Theory. The success of this webinar highlights the AAAPC community's passion for research methods and we will be having further webinars in 2021. Participants rated the webinar very highly and many took the opportunity to send warm messages of thanks to Prof May.
The event was hosted by Dr Liz Sturgiss and Dr Lauralie Richard. The recording of the webinar can be found online in the Members only section of the website. We are pleased to provide this recording as a service to members. After July, the recording will be made available to the public.
New Zealand Primary Health Care, General Practice & Rural Health Research Symposium - 27-29 August 2021
The call for abstracts is now open for the 2021 New Zealand Primary Health Care, General Practice & Rural Health Research Symposium, which will be held this year in Invercargill. The event is in-person but people unable to travel in the current circumstances will be able to join the sessions via Zoom.
Closing date for abstract submissions is 12 April 2021. For more details visit:
https://www.otago.ac.nz/dsm-gprh/about/news/events/symposium/index.html.
Medical Research Future Fund Grant Opportunities
Two new MRFF research grant opportunities will be of interest to many AAAPC members:
Celebrating some AAAPC Members
A shout out to some members who have had some recent publication success:
I know that this list does not comprehensively include the many achievements of all of our members (apologies). But please send me an email at melinda.choy@anu.edu.au when you or another member you know has a new publication out or receives an award so that we can all celebrate them!
We warmly welcome all new members to AAAPC - if you would like your bio to be published in the monthly newsletter, please email secretariat@aaapc.org.au This is a great way to build networks within our community.
This month we are especially welcoming new member Dr Rona Carroll! Dr Rona Carroll is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Otago Wellington, NZ in the Department of Primary Health Care and General Practice. She is also a GP working in youth health with a special interest in transgender and gender affirming healthcare. Rona is a new researcher and her current projects are exploring general practice care for rainbow young people and improving LGBTQIA+ healthcare education for medical students.
AAAPC Webinar with Prof Carl May - Thursday 18 Feb
AAAPC is pleased to host Prof Carl May from London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine for an online webinar. His talk is titled "When implementation goes wrong: how can we understand the dynamics of failure to launch?"
Implementation science is an exciting field of research that focuses on how to get high quality evidence about treatment, and the organisation and delivery of care, into routine practice. In this talk Carl will look at the dark side of implementation – and explore some of the reasons why big expensive implementation projects often fail.
Details:
- Thursday 18 Feb 7pm AEST/9pm NZDT
- Registration is free and AAAPC welcomes all primary care researchers and teachers
- For further information please see the AAAPC website https://aaapc.org.au/webinars/ or email liz.sturgiss@monash.edu
AAAPC Annual Research Conference - Call for abstracts now open
We welcome abstract submissions covering the full spectrum of primary care across a range of multidisciplinary perspectives. We also welcome contributions focusing on methodological developments and challenges relevant to the field. We will consider abstracts of relevance to primary care practice, research, education, and policy.
In 2021 we are seeking abstracts across four different presentation types: Oral Presentations, Poster Presentations, Dangerous Ideas and Interactive Workshops.
Please visit the website for all the details and to submit your abstract. The call for abstracts will close on Wednesday 17 March 2021.
Practice-based research networks (PBRNs) list now on website
Practice-based research networks (PBRNs) are sustained collaborations between practitioners and academics who are dedicated to developing relevant research questions, working together on study design and conduct, and translating new knowledge into practice to ultimately benefit the health of populations.
In 2020, there are around 23 primary health care PBRNs in Australia. The Australian primary health care PBRNs, mostly based in general practice and administered through academic institutions, vary in sizes but their key function is to engage clinicians in research to answer community-based health care questions and translate research findings into practice.
A list of PBRNs is now available under the Resources tab on the AAAPC site. Please note this is a members only page so you will have to be logged in for access.
FACES Program is recommencing for 2021!
AAAPC’s peer-support program FACES 'Friends Advancing Careers through E-based Support' is recommencing for 2021.
The objective of this program is to provide mentoring, advice and collegial discussions about career advancement in primary care research and academia for AAAPC members.
Our first session will be a peer-networking Zoom session on Friday March 5th at 12midday AEDT. This will be an opportunity to meet and learn about each other’s current and future research plans.
Register your interest here: https://aaapc.org.au/Sys/Poll/21920 (note this is a members-only page) or contact rita.mcmorrow@unimelb.edu.au if you have any questions.
A shout out to some members who have had recent publication success:
Congratulations also to Prof Jane Gunn, whose research into better management of those at risk of persistent and disabling depression has been showcased in the NHMRC’s '10 of the Best’ success stories from Australia’s health and medical researchers.
We warmly welcome all new members to AAAPC - if you would like your bio to be published in the monthly newsletter, please email aaapc.secretariat@anu.edu.au This is a great way to build networks within our community. This month we are welcoming our first academic optometrist to the AAAPC community, Prof Allison McKendrick.
Prof Allison McKendrick BScOptom, MScOptom, PhD
Allison is an academic optometrist in the Department of Optometry & Vision Sciences, The University of Melbourne. She has served as Head of Department from 2013-March 2021, and was Deputy Head of the Melbourne School of Health Sciences from 2017-2020. Her research aims to better understand normal visual processing and damage due to disease, particularly in older adults. Her research lab has applied aims including developing better clinical tests for the assessment of vision loss; determining methods of preventing visual damage, and improving understanding of the consequences of vision loss on performance in natural visual environments and day-to-day tasks. Her lab has been supported by from the ARC, NHMRC, and industry partnership. Allison is active in optometric peak professional bodies, being a current member of the Board of Directors of Optometry Victoria/South Australia, and a former director of the national body, Optometry Australia.
AAAPC Annual Research Conference 2021 Save the Date Announcement
After the fabulous online Annual Research Conference we had in 2020, the AAAPC Annual Research Conference 2021 will be hosted online again. Based on the fantastic presentations at the inaugural AAAPC Annual Research Conference, the Dangerous Ideas are back for 2021! The event will also feature interactive workshops aimed at building research skills for primary care researchers. The call for abstracts for all presentation types will be opening soon so keep a close eye on the ARC webpage (aaapc.org.au/ARC) for more information.
Season's Greetings from the AAAPC President
On behalf of the Executive Committee, I would like to say a big thank you to our members for your support for AAAPC, especially during the challenges we have faced this year.
We look forward to a bigger and brighter year in 2021!
Wishing you all the best for the festive season, and a happy, healthy and safe new year.
Sincerely,
Phyllis Lau
AAAPC Travelling Fellowship 2020 Recipient
Congratulations to Sajal Saha, this year's recipient of the AAAPC Travelling Fellowship!
Sajal Saha is an academic pharmacist and a Commonwealth Scholar from the UK. He also graduated from a Master of Public Health with Distinction and the prestigious John Griffith Prize from the University of Leeds, UK. Saha is a Pan Canadian Transdisciplinary Understanding on Training and Research in Primary Health Care (TUTOR-PHC) Trainee2020. He is currently a PhD fellow of the Department of General Practice of Monash University and the National Centre for Antimicrobial Stewardship (NCAS) in Australia. Saha wants to use the AAAPC fellowship in conducting a workshop involving GPs, pharmacists and stakeholders to refine the GP-pharmacist antimicrobial stewardship (GPPAS) model designed as part of his doctoral program for future feasibility testing in optimising antimicrobial(s) use in Australian primary care, and presenting in the AAAPC conference 2021. He believes that this grant would help him to generate a NHMRC investigator grant building upon the developed GPPAS model through building a solid network among Monash University, University of Toronto and the University of Melbourne.
AAAPC Member Noticeboard - How to use it
Do you have an announcement, job advertisement or opportunity that you would like to share with AAAPC members?
We now have a members only section of the AAAPC website that you can use to communicate with other members.
The process is simple:
1. Login to your member portal on the AAAPC website.
2. Click on Members Only.
3. Click on Noticeboard.
4. Add you subject, and body of the message; you can also add an attachment to the body of the message.
5. If you would like emailed updates about your message and any replies, press "Subscribe to topic" and choose the frequency of updates from the dropdown menu.
6. Press create.
You can also comment on other posts and connect to AAAPC members.
All posts on the noticeboard are made in the name that you login with. No anonymous posts are possible.
A huge congratulations also to Jane Gunn, who will the interim Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences for 12 months from February 2021.
We warmly welcome all new members to AAAPC - if you would like your bio to be published in the monthly newsletter, please email aaapc.secretariat@anu.edu.au This is a great way to build networks within our community.
Join the Membership and Marketing Subcommittee!
Joining a Subcommittee is one of the best ways to get more involved in AAAPC. It is a great way to meet and work alongside colleagues from all over the organisation. The Membership and Marketing Subcommittee is still looking for keen members to join them.
If you are interested in joining this vibrant and productive Subcommittee, please email your details to aaapc.secretariat@anu.edu.au.
AAAPC Member Noticeboard - A new place to find out what's on
As many of you know, members of AAAPC are regularly coordinating and connected to lots of workshops, conferences, training events and job opportunities. And now there is an easy place for AAAPC members to both view and announce interesting opportunities!
The AAAPC Member Noticeboard can be accessed by logging into the website. It is a Members Only feature, and well worth checking out. There are quite a few interesting announcements up there right now.
NAPCRG 48th Virtual Annual Meeting on now - November 20-24 2020
You are still able to register to attend the North American Primary Care Research Group Annual Meeting, which is currently on now virtually. For those of you wondering what to do this weekend, NAPCRG is a great opportunity to experience the width and depth of international primary care research. There are quite a few AAAPC members presenting content and some content will also be accessible for registrants post-conference. With reduced prices and the virtual option, it is a great opportunity.
Medical Research Future Fund News
We warmly welcome all new members to AAAPC - this month we especially welcome Jianrong Zhang. If you would like your bio to be published in the monthly newsletter, please email aaapc.secretariat@anu.edu.au This is a great way to build networks within our community.
Jianrong Zhang, MD, MPH is a PhD Student (in General Practice) at the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences at the University of Melbourne (Australia). In 2008-2016, Jianrong accomplished medicine degrees at Guangzhou Medical University (China). From 2017 to 2019, he studied epidemiology and biostatistics as a Master of Public Health candidate, and learned health policy as a Clark-Fox Policy Scholar, at Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis (USA). His research interests include population health, oncology, thoracic surgery, primary care, health services research, study design & methodology, research on publications, and health policy. In 2014-2020 (29 Oct), Jianrong published 20 research articles, 2 reviews, 2 case studies, 11 perspectives/editorials, 2 letters to the editor & 15 conference abstracts in peer-review journals, and had presentations at several international conferences (e.g., WCLC, ESMO Asia, SCT Annual Meeting). Jianrong is also a reviewer of high-impact journals, a member of several academic societies (e.g., IASLC, ASCO, ATS, SCT, CHPAMS, AAAPC), and an editor of some academic journals.
