Reports
The My Life in Recovery Photography Exhibition by Dr Simone McCarthy
The My Life in Recovery Photography Exhibition was held on the 28th of October and served as a powerful platform for knowledge exchange, translating research findings into something impactful. The photographs on display were taken by those with lived experience of gambling harm and told a profound story about collective experiences of gambling harm recovery. This was based on a photovoice research study that invited participants to express their recovery journeys through photography and co-create evidence for action on gambling.
In partnership with IHT researchers from the Public Health Policy, Engagement and Advocacy team and Gambling Harm Lived Experience Experts, the exhibition welcomed a diverse audience of public health researchers, government representatives, treatment providers, lawyers, journalists, advocates, and those with lived experience of gambling. The event featured an inspiring lineup of speakers who led an engaging discussion, integrating perspectives from media, treatment, policy, advocacy, and lived experience on how can address gambling harm.
Afterwards, attendees mingled over refreshments, exploring the images and exchanging thoughts sparked by the exhibition. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with attendees describing the approach as “groundbreaking in the gambling space” and appreciating the “opportunity to reflect” on these powerful stories.
Looking forward, we are exploring opportunities to display the exhibition in other locations, with local councils expressing enthusiasm about hosting it in their communities.
We extend our thanks to IHT for their partnership event funding, which made this impactful event possible.
Dr Simone McCarthy
Institute of Nursing Science, Graz, Austria, visit and presentation by Dr Debra Kerr
Dr Debra Kerr, Associate Professor of Nursing employed in the Western Health/Deakin University partnership, visited the ‘Institute of Nursing Science’ at Medical University of Graz (MUG), which is located 200 kilometres south of Vienna, Austria between September 17 to 27, 2024. This European Union scholarship was funded through the ‘Erasmus+ Staff Mobility for Training Program’. Debra was hosted by Senior Lecturer, Dr Gerhilde Schüttengruber, and Head of the Institute, Professor Christa Lohrmann. Tours were organised for the University Hospital of Graz, the MUG Biobank, the Albert Schweizer Clinic and Hospice, and a Residential Aged Care home.
Fortuitously held at MUG during the mobility, Debra attended the ‘20th European Doctoral Conference in Nursing Science’. She presented her research, focused on ‘Nurses’ Communication Skills’, at a conference workshop attended by doctoral candidates. Potential future collaborations include future staff mobility exchanges by Deakin University and MUG academics to foster research, teaching and scholarship opportunities. There are research alignments across three key areas: Nursing care of older people; Predictors of nurse-sensitive indicators; and, Implementation Science.
Pictured are Dr Gerhilde Schüttengruber and Dr Debra Kerr
‘Reef-to-leaf, leaf-to-reef’: improving human and environmental health for communities in the Yasawa Islands, Fiji.
A team of academics from IHT, Fiji National University and the Barefoot Collective spent three days together during October on Drawaqa and Naviti Islands, in the Yasawa group of islands, Fiji. The visit leveraged the existing relationship with the Barefoot Collective that involves HSD student placements in Fiji and aimed to build collaboration to undertake research in areas of human and environmental health and their intersections. The group experienced a traditional sevu-sevu (welcome from the Mataqali – village chief and headmen), went on site visits to local business operations, sustainability initiatives, local villages and health centre, and engaged in partnership development meetings in the Drawaqa Conservation Trust Marine Science Centre as well as numerous informal discussions, consolidating the emerging partnership. The next step is to explore formalising the consortium. Deakin and CQU intend to write a joint-bid for New Colombo Plan funding to facilitate the growth and continuation of the global mobility aspect of the project. Catering and venue hire were funded through an IHT partnership grant, with other funding sourced from New Colombo Plan program administration funding and Researcher Strategic Growth Funds. \
“Poverty, inequality, and food insecurity in Preconception and the first 2001 days”: Nourishing Food Network Conference
Fiona McKay (IHT, Deakin) and Nicola Heslehurst (Newcastle University, UK) delivered a Nourishing Futures Network conference that attracted 74 delegates from academia, clinical and public health practitioners, community health, voluntary organisations, policy, local government and lived experience working in numerous countries, including the UK, USA, Australia, Denmark, Moldova and Canada. The conference included a range of keynote and guest speakers, 17 poster presentations, and an early career spotlight competition. The conference was followed by a 2 day symposium aimed to bring together early-career, mid-career, and senior experts in food insecurity during pregnancy and early life. Thirty-four participants from the UK, Australia, USA, Canada, Denmark and Moldova attended the symposium to undertake priority setting, networking and collaboration, and writing activities for a paper series on this symposium topic area. The main outcomes of the work include a grant submission to the Canada Research Council, conference submissions (ISBNPA and European Public Health Conference), and a 3-paper Lancet series to be published in 2026. The group are also planning to submit an MRFF in 2025 and hold a second conference in 2026 – likely in North America. We have one joint PhD student and this week submitted a manuscript resulting from the work of a joint masters student. These collaborations will continue into 2025 and beyond. Catering and visual note-taking was funded through an IHT partnership grant, with other funding sourced from a Rank Prise (UK) grant, Newcastle University (UK) Global Partnerships Fund, and Researcher Strategic Growth Funds.
Go back to the December 2024 Newsletter
