From my undergraduate days, working on vacation projects in South America, conducting research in remote Aboriginal communities and collaborating on health and education-based projects in China and Indonesia, I recognised the potential for research to contribute to change.
My work experiences have led to an ongoing appreciation of the importance of evaluation, the value of collaboration, and a desire to see translation of the outcomes of my research. My role in health research economics is about contributing to the translation of research outcomes and improving the efficiency and effectiveness of our healthcare system.
The aim of my research is to provide evidence from rigorous economic evaluation to enable effective use of resources. The application of health research economics is relevant to all stakeholders from researchers to funding agencies and governments, taxpayers, and the recipients of interventions and new technologies. The ultimate goal of my research would be to contribute to research translation, a more efficient and effective healthcare system and consequent improvements in health and wellbeing.
From the time Kim graduated from her Honours degree, she was employed in academia in education and the social sciences, teaching and conducting research. These roles saw her work for extended periods in Aboriginal communities in the northwest of Australia and in Wuhan, Xian and Beijing in China, where her long-held interest in holistic health and medicine grew.
These collaborations, which involved the development of health and social programs, as well as education programs for medical students, led to subsequent work with international students and a Masters in Social Change and Development. Her Masters research involved evaluating the impact of international higher education programs, which led to collaborations with AusAID and higher education institutions in Indonesia and the development of further evaluation frameworks for a number of health and social programs in Australia.
Her PhD research involves the application of health economics to clinical trials, and empowering researchers to better translate outcomes from their research into everyday use, contributing to improvements the efficiency and effectiveness of our healthcare system.
