About

Metro South Health operates a Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) which provides ethical and scientific review/clearance of research projects.

The Metro South HREC (MSHREC) considers both the ethical and scientific validity of proposed research within Metro South Health. Under the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) coordinated National Mutual Acceptance, the MSHREC can also review for research projects conducted in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia, Australian Capital Territory and South Australia.

The MSHREC aims to:

• protect the mental and physical welfare, rights, dignity and safety of research participants
• facilitate and promote high calibre ethical research through efficient and effective review processes
• ensure that all clinical and ethical research is conducted responsibly.

The MSHREC is certified by the NHMRC (registration number EC00167).

It is constituted and functions in accordance with the NHMRC National Statement of Ethical Conduct in Human Research (2007, Updated 2018) ('National Statement'). Please see the Ethical and Scientific Review of Human Research Procedure and Metro South Health HREC Terms of Reference (PDF, 148.97 KB)

Metro South Health has adopted the streamlined ethical clearance process for multi-centre research that helps to reduce unnecessary duplication of review of research.

Meeting dates

The MSHREC meets at 5.00 pm, once a month on the first Tuesday of the month (unless otherwise indicated). Researchers must submit all required forms and documents by 12.00 noon on a closing date listed in the relevant document:

• HREC Application Closing and Meeting Dates 2023 (PDF, 143.95 KB)

Members

As per section 5.1.30 of the NHMRC National Statement, the membership of the MSHREC includes:

• Category A- a chairperson, with suitable experience, whose other responsibilities will not impair the HREC's capacity to carry out its obligations under the National Statement
• Category B- at least two lay people, one man and one woman, who have no affiliation with the institution and do not currently engage in medical, scientific, legal or academic work
• Category C- at least one person with knowledge of, and current experience in, the professional care, counselling or treatment of people; for example, a nurse or allied health professional
• Category D- at least one person who performs a pastoral care role in a community, for example, an Aboriginal elder, a minister of religion
• Category E- at least one lawyer, where possible one who is not engaged to advise the institution
• Category F- at least two people with current research experience that is relevant to research proposals to be considered at the meetings they attend - these two members may be selected, according to need, from an established pool of inducted members with relevant expertise.

Our MSHREC members include:

Category A

Dr Mary Boyde - Chairperson

Dr Mary Boyde, RN, BN, MN, MEd, PhD, MACN, is a Nurse Researcher in Cardiology and previously Nurse Educator with Nursing Practice Development Unit at PAH. Mary has been Deputy Chair of the MSHREC since 2019. She has been appointed as an Adjunct Associate Professor with the School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Queensland and a Clinical Fellow, School of Nursing, Queensland University of Technology. Mary has extensive experience in clinical cardiology nursing, undergraduate and post graduate teaching. Her research is focussed on acute and chronic cardiology nursing, improving patient outcomes through non-pharmacological interventions and patient education.

A/Prof Kristen Gibbons - Deputy Chairperson (Low Risk) 

Trained as a Biostatistician and a Epidemiologist, A/Prof Gibbons has extensive HREC experience following recnt tenure as the Deputy chair of Mater HREC Scientific Advisory Committee. With a unique ability to bridge the gap between statistician and clinician as well as an extensive publication record, A/Prof Gibbons joins Dr Mary Boyde in providing strategic leadership for the MSH HREC. Through her work as Senior Epidemiologist within the Child Health Research Centre at CHQ, Kristen is committed to providing opportunities for knowledge sharing across the research continuum to ensure high quality research outputs that place research ethics and integreity at the core of research practice.

Additional ethical and scientific review requirements

• Research projects involving the following may require additional ethical and scientific review (ie in addition to MSHREC review):

  • gene technologies/Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)
  • Security Sensitive Biological Agents (SSBAs)
  • use of approved or unapproved medicines, medical devices, blood, tissues and chemicals
  • coronial material
  • persons in custody in Queensland and/or staff of Department of Justice and Attorney-General
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
  • state-wide data collections
  • persons unable to consent
  • prescribed studies under the Epidemiological Studies (Confidentiality) Act 1981 (Cth)

• Please see the Ethical and Scientific Review of Human Research Procedure (PR2017/113) for more information.