Dr Allegra Schermuly is ARC Research Fellow in sociology in the School of Social Sciences. Dr Schermuly was awarded her PhD in 2018 and is also a registered nurse with postgraduate nursing qualifications. Prior to training as a sociologist, she gained extensive healthcare experience as a critical care nurse (perioperative), clinical teacher and accredited immuniser with 25 years’ experience in various nursing roles in the UK and Australia, including as a lead operating theatre practitioner (plastic surgery) at renowned plastics, maxillofacial and burns surgery centre, the Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead, UK; as an anaesthetic nurse with Peninsula Health in Melbourne; and as a nurse immuniser in the Victorian COVID-19 response with Monash Health.

Since 2017, Dr Schermuly has been employed on four ARC Discovery Projects at Monash: DP17 A sociological study of patients’ use of digital media; DP20 The sociology of antibiotics and the antimicrobial resistance crisis; DP23 The sociology of health data for sexuality and gender diverse people; DP23 Understanding the role of digital technologies in addressing loneliness. Her experience also includes researching the experiences of Indian nurses in Australia, research on medical tourism and a review of the evidence for effective AMR communication and education.

Allegra specialises in the sociology of health and illness with a focus on appropriate communication and stakeholder engagement in effective responses to health issues, including in relation to the impact of digital technologies on consumer experiences of healthcare. She is a highly experienced research assistant with skills which include in-depth, semi-structured interviews, focus groups, surveys, research translation workshops and coding and analysis of qualitative data to inform publications and policy development.

Dr Schermuly has extensive experience of community and stakeholder engagement; from her PhD, which was about community perceptions of Victoria Police, and from her postdoctoral Research Fellow roles. Dr Schermuly was Managing Editor of the Journal of Sociology January 2021- February 2023 and remains an Associate Editor of the journal.