About the authors
Editors
Associate Professor Darshini Ayton is the Deputy Head of the Health and Social Care Unit at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. She is a transdisciplinary implementation researcher with a focus on improving health and social care for older Australians and operates at the nexus of implementation science, health and social care policies, public health and consumer engagement. She has led qualitative research studies in hospitals, aged care, not-for-profit organisations and for government and utilises a range of data collection methods. Associate Professor Ayton established and is the director of the highly successful Qualitative Research Methods for Public Health short course which has been running since 2014.
For more about Associate Professor Ayton see:
Monash Profile: https://research.monash.edu/en/persons/darshini-ayton
Dr Tess Tsindos is a Research Fellow with the Health and Social Care Unit at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. She is a public health researcher and lecturer with strong qualitative and mixed methods research experience conducting research studies in hospital and community health settings, not-for-profit organisations and for government. Prior to working in academia, Dr Tsindos worked in community care for government and not-for-profit organisations for more than 25 years. Dr Tsindos has a strong evaluation background having conducted numerous evaluations for a range of health and social care organisations. Based on this experience she coordinated the Bachelor of Health Science/Public Health Evaluation unit and the Master of Public Health Evaluation unit and developed the Evaluating Public Health Programs short course in 2022. Dr Tsindos is the Unit Coordinator of the Master of Public Health Qualitative Research Methods Unit which was established in 2022.
For more about Dr Tsindos see:
Monash Profile: https://research.monash.edu/en/persons/tess-tsindos
Dr Danielle Berkovic is a Research Fellow in the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. She is a public health and consumer-led researcher with strong qualitative and mixed-methods research experience focused on improving health services and clinical guidelines for people with arthritis and other musculoskeletal conditions. She has conducted qualitative research studies in hospitals and community health settings. Dr Berkovic currently provides qualitative input into Australia’s first Living Guideline for the pharmacological management of inflammatory arthritis. Dr Berkovic is passionate about incorporating qualitative research methods into traditionally clinical and quantitative spaces and enjoys teaching clinicians and up-and-coming researchers about the benefits of qualitative research.
For more about Dr Berkovic see:
Monash Profile: https://research.monash.edu/en/persons/danielle-berkovic/publications/
Contributors
Kostas Hatzikiriakidis is a PhD Candidate and research assistant working in the Health and Social Care Unit at Monash University. He has worked across a broad range of multidisciplinary projects that have applied qualitative research methods to examine the need for and evaluation of health and social care interventions to support disadvantaged populations. His PhD research is currently exploring the barriers to physical activity and nutrition among people with disability living in supported accommodation and utilises several qualitative data collection methods, including photovoice.
Dr Sarah Carmody is the Centre Manager for the Centre of Research Excellence in Enhanced Dementia Diagnosis (CREEDD) and a Research Fellow with the Health and Social Care Unit at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. She has expertise in health promotion and public health, has worked across research, community and healthcare settings for 20 years, and is experienced in qualitative and case study research, including extensive qualitative interviewing and thematic analysis evaluating community-based programs. Sarah has also coordinated and taught health promotion, program planning, and evaluation undergraduate and master’s subjects and short courses.
Sue-Anne Hunter is a Wurundjeri and Ngurai Illum Wurrung woman. She has a Master of Social Work and is a current PhD student at Monash University. Sue-Anne worked in the Aboriginal Child and Family Welfare field for over 20 years. Sue-Anne is committed to self-determination and advocating for the rights of all First Nations Peoples. She is currently Deputy Chair and Commissioner with the Yoorrook Justice Commission.
Dr Heather Craig is a public health researcher and teaching associate at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. She has skills in both qualitative and quantitative methodology and has experience conducting research relating to patient experiences of healthcare. Dr Craig has co-facilitated the Monash University short course titled ‘Qualitative Research Methods for Public Health’ and co-facilitates in the Master of Public Health Qualitative Research Methods Unit.
Dr Tatiana Corrales is a Research Fellow with the Health and Social Care Unit at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. Dr Corrales has extensive experience in the child and family welfare sector and has conducted qualitative studies in prisons (men’s and women’s), with pregnant women at risk of having their newborn infants removed through statutory intervention, with young people exiling the out-of-home care system, and most recently, with judicial officers and legal professionals working at the intersection of out-of-home care and youth justice systems in Victoria and New South Wales. Dr Corrales has a strong grounding in research ethics, including the philosophical and practical tensions that arise when undertaking sensitive research with marginalised and traumatised cohorts.
