SPH, Poche and CSHR HDR Retreat 2024

We invite you to attend the SPH, Poche and CHSR Higher Degree by Research (HDR) Retreat 2024.

The retreat will be dedicated to career development, wellness, and social activities for HDR students from across the School of Public Health (SPH), the Poche Centre for Indigenous Health, and the Centre for Health Services Research (CHSR). This 2-day event is designed to offer a perfect blend of professional development and relaxation, providing a valuable opportunity to connect with colleagues, unwind, and recharge for your HDR journey.

If you have any questions, please contact Bunmi Bojuwoye via a.bojuwoye@uq.edu.au or Leticia Ribeiro via l.watanaberibeiro@uq.edu.au

We look forward to seeing you then! 

Program

Download the program (PDF, 1 MB)

Day 1, 14 October 2024

Day 2, 15 October 2024

Guest speaker bios 

Andrew McWilliam

Andrew McWilliam is an accredited Exercise Physiologist and Nutritionist with over a decade of experience in health and wellness. Since 2012, Andrew has worked with individuals across private practice and industry settings, helping motivate clients to achieve their health goals through personalised exercise and nutrition plans. His expertise spans diverse client populations, from corporate employees to those in manufacturing and mining industries. Driven by a passion for education, Andrew has spent 8 years as a clinical educator in a university exercise physiology clinic, mentoring students and shaping the next generation of health professionals. In addition to his clinical roles, Andrew delivers engaging health and wellbeing seminars to corporate clients, providing practical tools to improve physical, mental and holistic health. He is committed to empowering individuals and groups with evidence-based strategies to enhance their wellbeing by optimising movement, nutrition, and sustainable health habits for long-term success. 

Kate Swanson 

Kate Swanson is a member of UQ’s Graduate School Executive Team. Kate is a strong advocate for Higher Degree by Researcher (HDR) development and the links to industry that can provide both for research outcomes, and candidate growth. Her passion centres around research management, specifically building an awareness of the role HDR candidates play in industry engaged research and understanding the new complexities that can bring in terms of navigating sanctions, foreign interference, and added regulatory frameworks. 

Megan Ferguson 

Dr Megan Ferguson is a Senior Lecturer in Public Health Nutrition and is the Director of Higher Degree Research at the School of Public Health. Megan’s research in partnership with remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and community retail settings follows a public health and nutrition career working in policy and service provision in government, remote retail and the international development sectors. 

Emma McLennan 

Dr Emma McLennan is a Research Development Manager in the School of Public Health (SPH). Emma provides guidance and support to researchers in sourcing and writing grants, and to EMCA's in providing tailored grant writing workshops and in career development advice. With more than 20 years’ experience in universities, Emma is dedicated to enabling researchers to succeed through information provision, support and grant application feedback; to ensure that high quality applications are submitted. She enjoys engaging with researchers, learning about their work, and is happy to advise on career options according to stage of career, and anything research grant related. 

Andrew Goodman 

Dr Andrew Goodman is a Postdoctoral Fellow with the Australian eHealth Research Centre, CSIRO. Prior to his PhD journey (commencing in 2019) he spent more than 13 years as an Indigenous Healthcare Worker in Queensland working alongside rural and remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the discipline of cardiac and healthcare services. Andrew’s research seeks to explore novel approaches and/or solutions to improve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ health and wellbeing using eHealth. His PhD (The University of Queensland, 2023) focussed on the co-design of a mobile health platform specifically tailored for the clinical management of CVD risk factors, in partnership with two ATSICCHOs in Far North QLD. 

Reema Naresh 

Reema is part of the professional team at The ARC Centre of Excellence in Indigenous Futures, within the Faculty of Business, Economics and Law. She is the events lead at the research centre.  Her strengths lie in community engagement and event management, fostering collaborative relationships and delivering successful events. Beyond her primary role, Reema leverages her expertise as an experienced yoga, breathwork and meditation facilitator to drive workplace and community wellness initiatives. Reema designs and delivers impactful workplace wellness programs, promoting employee well-being, and collective success. Through these targeted initiatives, she fosters a supportive culture that prioritizes holistic wellness and sense of community. 

Stacey Pizzino 

Dr Stacey Pizzino is the Engagement and Partnerships Manager at the School of Public Health (UQ). In this role, she specialises in bridging the gap between the university and real-world impact and is responsible for cultivating relationships with key stakeholders at the regional, national, and international levels. Stacey’s research focuses on the health consequence of extreme events such as armed conflict, disasters, and climate change. Her PhD was the world's largest epidemiological study of casualties of explosive ordnance examining over 100,000 casualties across 17 countries. This work led to invitations to present at high-level global forums, including at the United Nations, where she advocated for the rights of survivors and evidence-based decision-making. As co-editor, Stacey recently published the second edition of a leading disaster health management textbook for the Asia-Pacific region. 

Heena Akbar 

Dr Heena Akbar is a Fijian Pacific Senior Academic (Teaching and Research) with the Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland. Heena is currently teaching in MD Program (Faculty of Medicine) and the First Nations Health and Wellbeing postgraduate course for the Master of Public Health (MPH) Program) with the School of Public Health.  Heena, as one of the co-founding member of Pasifika Women’s Alliance Inc. (PWA), and subcommittee lead for Stronger and Healthier Families (2013-2024), has engaged with culturally and linguistically diverse communities including Indigenous Australians and Māori and Pasifika peoples in promoting and advocating cultural identity and health and wellbeing. Heena is passionate about building community capacity through co-designed solutions, and integrating participatory action research, Indigenous perspectives and knowledge systems with social justice principles to promote equitable health and wellbeing, and contributing nationally and internationally. 

Suhailah Ali 

Suhailah is the Director of Climate Justice at Jubilee Australia Research Centre, a nongovernmental organisation that conducts research-based advocacy, in partnership with other organisations and communities across Australia and the Asia-Pacific, to defend the rights of people and the planet over profit, and hold corporations and governments accountable. She has a transdisciplinary research background, spanning neurobiology to the intersection of climate change and mental health. She completed her PhD at the School of Public Health in 2023, investigating premature mortality in people with severe mental disorders. 

James Fowler 

James is a Research Fellow at the UQ Poche Centre for Indigenous Health and is finishing his PhD within the UQ School of Public Health. As a proud Queer person, much of James’ work focuses on the LGBTQIA+ community, primarily in the context of improving access to, and delivery of, affirming and responsive health services. This includes evaluations of mental health programs and the co-design of treatment protocols and models of care. James is an Associate Fellow within the Higher Education Academy and has supervised a range of undergraduate and postgraduate students completing research-based projects. In 2022 James was awarded the UQ Ally Award for his contributions to making a safer UQ for LGBTQIA+ students. James currently serves on the Queensland Government’s advisory panel on LGBTQIA+ issues and previously worked for Lady Gaga on her Born This Way Foundation Youth Advisory Board. 

Helen Gray 

Helen Gray is the Knowledge Translation and Engagement Manager at UQ’s RECOVER Injury Research Centre. She has a Master of Professional Communication and has previously worked for SPH’s Australian Women and Girls’ Health Research Centre, TAFE QLD and CSIRO. As a science communicator, her goal is to increase the relevancy and impact of research projects through consumer and community engagement and knowledge translation. 

Getting to the venue

Located in the heart of the city at 308 Queen Street, we recommend traveling via public transport. Central train station is a short four-minute walk, and bus stop 59 Queen and 149 Creek are right outside the building.

Access the building via 308 Queen Street and advise the concierge staff you are attending the SPH Poche and CHSR HDR Retreat. They will assist in directing you to the event space on Level 2, Room 227.

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