Projects per year
Personal profile
Biography
Associate Professor Michelle Lazarus serves as the Director of the Monash Centre for Human Anatomy Education (CHAE) and Deputy Head of Department (Education) for Anatomy & Developmental Biology within the Biomedical Discovery Institute. Additionally, she is the Curriculum Integration Network lead within the Monash Centre Scholarship in Health Education (MCSHE) as well as a Monash Education Academy Fellow, anatomy education discipline lead within the medical curriculum, and a core member of the General Surgical Science Examination Board for Royal Australian College of Surgeons.
In addition to her leadership roles, she is passionate about evidence-based education. Her research group explores ways of improving basic science teaching to enhance students’ professional identity and role development, as well as knowledge competency. Her work focuses on integration of psychosocial skills (medical ethics, professionalism, uncertainty tolerance and clinical skills) within core coursework.
Her recent work explores the role of uncertainty within healthcare science education, challenging A/Prof’s Lazarus’s own tolerance of uncertainty (an academic irony). Within her active and dynamic research group, she supervises multiple higher degree students and honours students. Michelle is an award winning educator and teaches extensively into the medical anatomy program. In addition to her teaching awards, she is the recipient of multiple education research grants and travel grants, and runs workshops to help other academics starting their education research pathways. Her research approach is collaborative and team-based, with many of her research funding coming through partnerships both locally and internationally.
In addition to her research and teaching endeavours, she develops innovative curricula and empowers others to do the same. An example of her curricular innovations include her curated monthly science literacy podcast accessible through www.AskAnatomist.com which focuses on the anatomy underpinning medically interesting topics through a multi-disciplinary lens, as well as internationally renowned and utilized medical imaging tutorials. A/Prof. Lazarus is passionate about all things education, and works to inspire others. She is well known for asking questions, and she values exploring others' queries in both teaching and research.
Research interests
- Anatomy Education
- Higher Eduation
- Qualitative Methods
- Healthcare Education
- Mixed Methods
- Uncertainty Tolerance
- Professional Identity
Monash teaching commitment
- Undergraduate Medical Anatomy
- Developmental Biology
- Biomedical Sciences
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
External positions
Committee Member, American Association of Anatomists
Committee Member, Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS)
Research area keywords
- Anatomy
- Medical Education
- Medical
- Education
- Ambiguity
- Qualitative
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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Development of Co-designed Digital Exemplars to Enhance Health Profession Readiness for Safe and Effective Care of People with Disability
Lalor, A. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), Brand, G. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Farlie, M. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Gosling, C. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Morgan, P. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Petrakis, M. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Lazarus, M. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Archer, J. (Chief Investigator (CI)) & Lindley, J. (Chief Investigator (CI))
1/07/24 → 31/12/25
Project: Research
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Preparing Learners for Uncertainty in Health Professions Subtitle: A Handbook for Educators
Lazarus, M. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), Stephens, G. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Garcia Ochoa, G. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Kickett, R. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Bedi, G. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Brand, G. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Bonnamy, J. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Barbour, L. (Associate Investigator (AI)), McCartan, J. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Callaway, L. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Austin, Z. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Brock, T. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Farlie, M. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Diug, B. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Howard, B. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Robinson, P. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Wright, C. (Associate Investigator (AI)) & Wise, S. (Associate Investigator (AI))
6/04/23 → 31/12/24
Project: Other
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Exploring the value and impact of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) for university educators’ teaching practice
Sarkar, M. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), Lazarus, M. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Wright, C. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Ilic, D. (Chief Investigator (CI)), White, P. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Thompson, C. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Maynard, N. (Chief Investigator (CI)) & Berry, A. (Chief Investigator (CI))
1/10/21 → 31/12/23
Project: Research
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Strategic integration of sustainable health care education into health professional curricula.
Palermo, C. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), Kent, F. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Brand, G. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Bedi, G. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Pencheon, D. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Pritchard, S. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Choate, J. (Associate Investigator (AI)) & Lazarus, M. (Associate Investigator (AI))
1/07/21 → 30/06/22
Project: Research
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Tolerance of Uncertainty & Ambiguity (ToU/ToA): Identifying mechanisms for integrating this critical Future Education skill into higher education (HE
Lazarus, M., Ziebell, A., White, P., Davis, E., Parasnis, J., Mujumdar, S., Brock, T. & Brand, G.
Monash University – Internal University Contribution
1/01/20 → 31/12/20
Project: Research
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Dissecting the role of sessional anatomy teachers: A systematic literature review
Rhodes, D., Fogg, Q. A. & Lazarus, M. D., Jul 2018, In: Anatomical Sciences Education. 11, 4, p. 410-426 17 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
12 Citations (Scopus) -
Breaking with tradition: A scoping meta-analysis analyzing the effects of student-centered learning and computer-aided instruction on student performance in anatomy
Wilson, A. B., Brown, K. M., Misch, J., Miller, C. H., Klein, B. A., Taylor, M. A., Goodwin, M., Boyle, E. K., Hoppe, C. & Lazarus, M. D., Jan 2019, In: Anatomical Sciences Education. 12, 1, p. 61-73 13 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
55 Citations (Scopus) -
A meta-analysis of anatomy laboratory pedagogies
Wilson, A. B., Miller, C. H., Klein, B. A., Taylor, M. A., Goodwin, M., Boyle, E. K., Brown, K., Hoppe, C. & Lazarus, M., Jan 2018, In: Clinical Anatomy. 31, 1, p. 122-133 12 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Open AccessFile133 Citations (Scopus) -
Practicing handoffs early: Applying a clinical framework in the anatomy laboratory
Lazarus, M. D., Dos Santos, J. A., Haidet, P. M. & Whitcomb, T. L., 1 Oct 2016, In: Anatomical Sciences Education. 9, 5, p. 476-487 12 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
6 Citations (Scopus) -
Perceptions of anatomy: critical components in the clinical setting
Lazarus, M. D., Chinchilli, V. M., Leong, S. L. & Kauffman Jr., G. L., 2012, In: Anatomical Sciences Education. 5, 4, p. 187 - 199 13 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
58 Citations (Scopus)
Prizes
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Australian Award for University Teaching: Teaching Excellence Award (Health)
Lazarus, M. (Recipient), 23 Feb 2022
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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Dean's Award for Teaching Excellence
Lazarus, Michelle (Recipient), 2020
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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Monash Education Academy Fellowship
Lazarus, M. (Recipient), 2 Jun 2016
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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The Silver Quill
Stephens, G. (Recipient), Sarkar, M. (Recipient) & Lazarus, M. (Recipient), Jun 2023
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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John Wiley & Sons (Publisher)
Georgina Stephens (Guest editor) & Michelle Lazarus (Guest editor)
Dec 2023 → Nov 2025Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work types › Editorial responsibility
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An Introduction to Qualitative Research Workshop with Assoc Prof Michelle Lazarus
Hendrika Duivenvoorden (Organiser) & Michelle Lazarus (Keynote/plenary speaker)
2023Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Contribution to workshop, seminar, course
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Teaching and faculty development outreach between Monash and Umanand Prasad School of Medicine – University of Fiji
Michelle Lazarus (Contributor)
5 Jun 2016 → 10 Jun 2016Activity: Community Talks, Presentations, Exhibitions and Events › Public outreach
Press/Media
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Digital deception: How bad actors and bots are infiltrating our surveys and influencing data
Bonnamy, J., Connell, C., Lazarus, M. & Carr, B.
17/04/25
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Article/Feature
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AI in healthcare education: Is it ready to teach the future?
Michelle Lazarus, Peter Douglas & Mandy Truong
1/09/22
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Expert Comment
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Learning the value of face-to-face STEMM teaching during COVID-19
26/11/20
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Article/Feature