Our Staff and Associates

Staff

Professor Warren Payne Executive Director

PhD, BSocSc (PE)
Warren has extensive experience in the tertiary sector and has researched and taught in a variety of exercise science and health promotion areas. He has written over 250 refereed publications, conference proceedings and major industry reports. Warren's work with industry has resulted in significant changes to a range of industry groups, for which he has received a number of awards. Since 2003, he has been awarded grants for consultancy based research totalling over $6 million for work in physical performance test development and health program evaluation. He is a past chair of the Victoria University's Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Committee and an executive member of the Universities Australia Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research) Committee. He has been a board member and an advisor to a range of professional, industry, government and community organisations. In particular, he was a founding executive member of the Australian Association for Exercise and Sports Science. He has held numerous board positions with Sports Medicine Australia, resulting in him being awarded a Fellowship and President’s Award by Sports Medicine Australia. Warren has also received a number of academic and industry awards and he has also established a range of commercial and academic links in countries such as China, Sri Lanka, the United States and the United Kingdom. In his previous appointment, Warren played a significant leadership role in Victoria University (VU) being ranked in the top 2 per cent of the world’s universities, including having the majority of VU’s research being assessed as being at, or above world standard. Warren recently led the establishment of VU Research. This is a unique, whole-of-University department responsible for the conduct and development of all of VU’s research and research training activities. Warren provides advice to the Board on policy, planning and implementation and overseas the governance and performance of Western Alliance. Telephone: (03) 4215 2896 Email: warrenpayne@westernalliance.org.au

Drew Aras Executive Officer

BAppSci (Physiotherapy), MPH Hailing from Ocean Grove, Drew started his career as a physiotherapist working in public health settings across Geelong, Melbourne, Sydney and the United Kingdom. He has since completed a Master of Public Health and has worked in health promotion and preventative health, health program and project management and extensively in health research and education. Prior to commencing with Western Alliance in October 2018, Drew was the Associate Director of Education & Research at Northern Health, a large public health service in Melbourne’s north. Drew has a special interest in health services research, workforce development, preventative health, patient experience, health literacy and falls prevention. Drew provides support and advice to the Board, including on policy, planning and implementation, and is also responsible for Western Alliance’s day-to-day operations, financial management and staffing, Drew also administers the research funding portfolio. Drew looks forward to helping to build research and improve health outcomes across western Victoria. Telephone: (03) 4215 2896 Email: drewaras@westernalliance.org.au

Cassandra Hamilton Administrative Officer

  Cassandra provides administrative support and advice to the Executive Director, Executive Officer, the Board of Directors and the Research Translation Committee members, as well as general office administration, financial assistance, website maintenance, correspondence and all events coordination. Cassandra has over 25 years experience in office administration. Prior to commencing with Western Alliance in March 2018, Cassandra worked at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre for over 8 years in a variety of roles – her most recent role involved management of the whole secretarial team for the Haematology and Medical Oncology departments, overseeing all administration departments for the Division of Cancer Medicine and assisting the Divisional Director.       Telephone: (03) 4215 2900 Email: cassandrahamilton@westernalliance.org.au

Associates

Professor Anna Peeters Principal Research Translation Investigator

Anna is Director of the Institute for Health Transformation and Professor of Epidemiology and Equity in Public Health at Deakin University. She is Principal Research Translation Investigator at Western Alliance, Board Member for the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation (VicHealth) and Obesity Australia, and Past President of the Australian and New Zealand Obesity Society.

In 2014 she was awarded the prestigious World Obesity Federation Andre Mayer Award for research excellence in obesity and a Churchill Award for innovative work in equity and population prevention. She works to build the evidence for effective and equitable policy and practice to improve health outcomes.

Dr Michael Field Research Translation Coordinator - Barwon/Colac Region

MBBS, BA (Psych), BCom Newly appointed as the Research Translation Coordinator for the Barwon/Colac region, Michael grew up on the Bellarine Peninsula and studied at Deakin University on Geelong before moving to Adelaide where he attended medical school. Michael worked as a junior doctor in South Australia in both city and country settings then returned to Victoria taking up a position in population health research at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute at the Royal Children's Hospital. Michael's research experience spans clinical trials, cross-sectional studies and cohorts, and his research interests include childhood allergy and addressing rural health outcome inequalities. He also maintains part-time clinical practice in surgical assisting. Michael joined Western Alliance in February 2020 and aims to build research capacity in the Barwon/Colac region through supporting clinical and administrative staff at Western Alliance partner sites in the region. Email: MField@cah.vic.gov.au

Jaclyn Bishop Research Translation Coordinator - Ballarat/Grampians region

B.Pharm (Hons), MPH, PhD (Candidate) Newly appointed as the Research Translation Coordinator for the Ballarat/Grampians region, Jaclyn is a pharmacist with experience spanning acute health, education, government and consultancy. She is in the final year of a PhD with the National Centre for Antimicrobial Stewardship (NCAS) and Melbourne University. Since commencing her PhD, Jaclyn has published several papers on this topic which have raised the profile of rural health. Most recently, Jaclyn worked at Ballarat Health Services as the Deputy Director of Pharmacy-Dispensary & Quality Use of Medicines, medication safety and as a project manager with TOPCare Cardiology and presently with CELLLIT. Jaclyn joined Western Alliance in February 2020 and aims to build research capacity within the Ballarat and Grampians region. Email: Jaclyn.Bishop@eghs.net.au or Jaclyn.Bishop@bhs.org.au

Dr Louise Greenstock Research Translation Coordinator - South West/Western District region

PhD, PG Cert (Social Sciences) Newly appointed as the Research Translation Coordinator for the South West/Western District region, Louise is an experienced researcher whose post-doctoral career began with a Research Fellow position at the Australian Health Workforce Institute at the University of Melbourne in 2010. In this role, Louise designed and led a number of research projects on topics related to health workforce, models of care, inter-professional learning, and health inequalities. Louise has since worked on a wide range of academic and applied research projects and has a rich consulting portfolio, which spans the fields of primary prevention, harm minimisation, and health system redesign. This work has included developmental evaluation, research capacity building, mentoring and training roles. Louise is interested in working with health professionals to identify ways to collect meaningful data and demonstrate impact on health outcomes. Louise joined Western Alliance in July 2020 and aims to build research capacity within the Hamilton and Warrnambool regions. Email: louise.greenstock@wdhs.net

Dr Laura Alston Associate Research Fellow 2019

Preventing chronic diseases in rural populations for future generations: The role of rural health services in guiding community efforts to improve the food environment

We are delighted to announce that Dr Laura Alston has been the successful candidate to be awarded the Associate Research Fellowship for 2019. Laura is a clinical dietitian and qualified diabetes educator who is passionate about preventing and treating chronic diseases through better nutrition. She submitted her PhD in November this year, the focus of which has been on the preventable inequalities in heart disease experienced by rural Australians. Laura recently received a Graduate Women's Victoria award for her PhD progress in 2018. Her fellowship project will involve investigating the role of rural health services in assisting their community to improve the local food environment and will include the development of evidence-based guidelines for rural health services in Western Victoria and more broadly across the state of Victoria. Laura's Fellowship represents a collaboration between Colac Area Health, The Global Obesity Centre, Deakin Rural Health and the Department of Health and Human Services.

Jessica Jebramek Associate Research Fellow 2018

Subtle cognitive indicators in the prediction of post-operative delirium: The role of the digital Clock Drawing Test

We are delighted to announce the commencement in June 2018 of Western Alliance’s first Associate Research Fellow. Jessica Jebramek was awarded the associate research fellowship following her success through the application process in early 2017. Jessica completed her undergraduate studies (BPsychSc and BA Psych(Hons)) at Federation University and, during that time, gained experience in the youth sector, working mainly in the youth justice and youth homelessness areas. In 2016 she began working as a research assistant for Deakin University, in the national roll-out of the Dementia Care in Hospitals Program (DCHP), based at Ballarat Health Services. As part of her associate research fellowship, Jessica will be undertaking the Master of Applied Science by research, through Deakin University. Her research study will involve a digital version of the digital Clock Drawing Test (dCDT), its potential for early detection of subtle cognitive impairments and its role in the prevention of post-surgical delirium. Jessica's research interests are in the neurocognitive domain, including cognitive impairment (delirium and dementia), and neurocognitive manifestations of acquired brain injury, including stroke. Jessica is also interested in perinatal mental health and the effects of physiological changes in new parents on perinatal mental health and cognition.