I am a health economist specialising in maternal and women's health with particular interests in value-based health care, efficiency and equity measurement, and economic evaluations alongside clinical trials. I gained a PhD in Health Economics from the University of Sydney and have a Bachelor of Arts from Griffith University.

I have held continuous NHMRC funding throughout my career, and currently hold an NHMRC Career Development Fellowship. I have previously held a NHMRC PhD Scholarship and NHMRC Early Career Fellowship, and for my work from these was awarded a Queensland Young Tall Poppies Science Award in 2017. I am currently an Associate Professor of Health Economics within the School of Public Health and Preventative Medicine, Monash University, and have previously held positions at the University of Sydney, within the Charles Perkins Centre and the NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre, and the Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine. 

In recognition of my expertise and standing within the health economics discipline I have been appointed as a member of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) Economics Subcommittee where I provide health economics advice to the PBAC regarding medicines seeking listing on the PBS.

My current projects include:

NHMRC Career Development Fellowship ‘Value in Maternity Care: Harnessing the power of big data’. 

‘Can intrapartum SildEnafil safely Avert the Risks of Contraction-induced Hypoxia in labour? iSEARCH – a pragmatic Phase 3 Randomised Controlled Trial’, MRFF Rare Cancers, Rare Diseases and Unmet Need Clinical Trials Program.

‘Improving the mental wellbeing of parents after perinatal loss: Development and implementation of a parent-centred online intervention to enhance primary care sector capacity’ MRFF.

‘Preventing Stillbirth: the Australian Safe Baby Bundle’ MRFF Accelerated Research Program and NHMRC Partnership Grant

‘WOmen's action for Mums and Bubs (WOMB): A pragmatic trial of participatory women's groups to improve Indigenous maternal and child health’ NHMRC Project Grant

‘Should we treat iron deficiency anaemia of pregnancy with lactoferrin? A randomised controlled trial’ NHMRC Project Grant

NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Targeted Approaches to Improve Cancer Services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians

‘Birth outcomes and their long-term consequences for women in the ADF: Impact models of care.’ Defence Health Foundation

‘Incontinence in peripartum women: Prevalence, predictors and prevention’ Gold Coast University Hospital Foundation

I specialise in efficiency and equity measurement in maternal and child healthcare using large population-based linked administrative datasets, and economic evaluations alongside clinical trials. Through my research program I partner with health service providers and policymakers to generate real-world evidence that is shaping the current delivery of healthcare and improving outcomes for individuals across Australia.

My research focuses on maternal health, and it’s impact across the First 1,000 Days. Through my research I seek to influence maternal health care policy and delivery to ensure accessible and equitable, as well as efficient, care for all women. I partner with health service providers and policy makers to generate real world evidence that is shaping current health care and improving outcomes for individuals across Australia. This has included the delivery of maternal health care through more efficient staffing models, the delivery of care to remote populations through the national Breastscreen program and the national Rural Health Multidisciplinary Training Program. My work on out of pocket fees has drawn attention to the inequalities in healthcare access amongst Indigenous people with cancer, and highlighted the high and unequal amount paid by women for maternity care. My work on out of pocket fees has been directly cited in national health policy positions, and was the feature of an episode of SBS Insights.

My work is funded through NHMRC and MRFF grant schemes or directly by research end-users. I currently hold an NHMRC Career Development Fellowship, and lead the health economics component of multiple NHMRC Project, Partnership and Centre for Research Excellence grants.

I lead a team of health economists who specialise in embedding equity considerations, and patient perspective of healthcare costs and outcomes into economic analyses. I have strong quantitative analysis skills, with extensive experience in modelling health and healthcare costs, linked administrative data analysis, microsimulation modelling using SAS, and conducting economic evaluations alongside clinical trials.