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Our team

The members of CFAHR hold a range of different types of research capacity building positions, which vary in nature depending on the funding source for their roles and the numbers of external partners engaged in the position.

The members of CFAHR hold positions that

  • are either funded purely through MSH or involve conjoint investment from University partners
  • are employed by health or employed by a University partner
  • are full time or part time
  • range from early career to experienced researchers
  • are across the Health Practitioner salary levels.

The CFAHR team is always keen to discuss expanding the team – either through developing new collaborations, or expanding existing collaborations with the University sector or other sources of funding.

Organisational structure

CFAHR’s organisational structure (see Figure 1 below) is conceptualised around the notion that the Centre functions as a team, in which the individual differences of the roles and employment structures of each member are acknowledged and respected.

   

Meet the team

Professor Liz Ward

Professor Liz Ward

Position: 
Director, Centre for Functioning and Health Research

Director, Centre for Functioning and Health Research, and Professor (conjoint) Metro South Hospital and Health Service, Queensland Health and School of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland.

Dr Laurelie Wishart

Dr Laurelie Wishart (nee Wall)

Position: 
Principal Allied Health Research Fellow in Cancer / Research Workforce Development Officer

Dr Laurelie Wishart (nee Wall) holds a Bachelor of Speech Pathology (Hons, University Medal) from the University of Queensland, and completed her PhD in 2016, investigating the use of telehealth applications to assist the management of swallowing disorders in patients with head/neck cancer.

Simon Finnigan

Dr Simon Finnigan

Position: 
Principal Allied Health Project Officer

Dr Simon Finnigan is a social worker and also has a PhD in psychology. Since 2002 he has worked collaboratively on various multi-disciplinary clinical research projects, including international collaborations between health services, universities and industry. This includes two years at Trinity College and St James Hospital, Dublin.

Dr Hannah Mayr

Position: 
Health Practitioner Research Fellow

Dr Hannah Mayr is a Health Practitioner Research Fellow with the Centre for Functioning and Health Research and a dietitian by background. She completed her Bachelor of Health Sciences (Nutrition and Dietetics) with Honours at Queensland University Technology in 2013 and her PhD at La Trobe University in 2018.

Dr Caitlin Brandenburg

Position: 
Health Practitioner Research Fellow

Dr Caitlin Brandenburg holds a Bachelor of Speech Pathology (Hons I) and PhD from the University of Queensland. She completed her doctoral work in 2015, focusing on mobile technology use in aphasia rehabilitation.

Dr Emma Finch

Dr Emma Finch

Position: 
Conjoint Senior Research Fellow

Conjoint Senior Research Fellow - The University of Queensland & Princess Alexandra Hospital

Dr Elise Gane

Dr Elise Gane

Position: 
Conjoint Research Fellow

Conjoint Research Fellow, Physiotherapy Department, Princess Alexandra Hospital, and School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland

Last updated 18 October 2021
Last reviewed 18 October 2021