The Impact of WHRTN Support
WHRTN provides valuable mentoring and collaboration opportunities that supports and boosts the careers of women researchers.
Associate Professor Danielle Hitch from Occupational Therapy at the School of Health and Social Development Deakin University
A perfect example of how WHRTN is operating at the forefront of women’s health in Australia is highlighted in the career of Associate Professor Danielle Hitch from Occupational Therapy at the School of Health and Social Development Deakin University. Danielle was a recipient of WHRTN’s 2023 EMCR Awards, designed to develop capacity and capability in research co-design with community stakeholders.
Her original award has now been used to leverage a successful MRFF grant application alongside researchers from University of Melbourne for 2.9 million dollars over 5 years. The project will address the impact of Long COVID in culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities.
The project drew heavily on the previous WHRTN funded project which is being finalized for publication and is published as a chapter in Danielle’s recent textbook on Long COVID, in which every chapter was co-authored by people with lived experience.
Danielle reports that the original WHRTN award gave her the chance to co-design research materials and make key community links crucial for shaping the new project called CONCORD. It also provided the opportunity to build capacity in bilingual / bicultural early and mid-career researchers, some of whom have gone on to join the CONCORD team.
Danielle is leading the first phase of the project and is part of the leadership group for the subsequent phases. The first phase aims to develop understandings about the lived experience of Long COVID among CALD communities and to understand people’s healthcare journeys and experiences of symptoms. This work will be used to co-design a tailored model of care with accessible tools to enhance diagnosis and management. The final phase will entail the implementation and evaluation of the model to ensure feasibility and effectiveness.
“WHRTN’s support was instrumental in helping me develop both the project and the networks that made this latest grant possible.”
More broadly, WHRTN provided valuable mentoring and collaboration opportunities that helped me grow as a researcher and connect with the right people,” said A/Prof Danielle Hitch.
Danielle has leveraged expertise in primary care interventions, to develop culturally sensitive tools and strategies to empower patients, families, healthcare providers and CALD communities. The project will deliver an accessible, acceptable, and scalable model of care that improves health outcomes, enhances wellbeing and promotes equity for CALD Australians living with Long COVID.
