Student Section

Key Contacts

Below are listed profiles of the Divisional representatives on the Student SectionCommittee and the AAG Student Section Academic Advisor.

KIRSTEN MOORE
National Student President 2011/12 and Student International Representative
Email: Kirsten Moore

Title: PhD Candidate and Research Fellow
Institution: The University of Melbourne and the National Ageing Research Institute.
Thesis Title: Carer’s experiences of Extended Aged Care at Home – Dementia (EACHD) packages
Research Interests: dementia care, care environments, falls prevention
Work History:After studying Psychology and Sociology, Kirsten held a position within Home and Community Care in Local Government.  Kirsten joined the Preventive and Public Health Division of the National Ageing Research Institute in 1999 as a Research Assistant and became a Research Fellow in 2003. She has been involved in projects across the spectrum of aged care including evaluations of health and community services including falls clinics, movement disorder clinics and rehabilitation services and has developed resources for aged care staff, clients and carers.  She was involved in a national project mapping acute aged care services for the Australian Health Ministers’ Advisory Council and more recently she managed a Department of Health and Ageing project through the Encouraging Best Practice in Residential Aged Care initiative implementing falls prevention evidence in nine residential aged care facilities across three States. In 2009 she commenced her PhD through the Department of Social Work, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine Dentistry and Health Sciences at the University of Melbourne.
AAG Membership History: Became a member of the AAG in 2008 and Student Newsletter Rep in 2010.
Primary Goals as Student Representative: To further strengthen the student group and provide opportunities for students to develop their networks and share their experiences and knowledge.

CLAUDIA MEYER
Past National Student President
Email:  Claudia Meyer

Bach App Sci (Physio), Cert Hydrotherapy, MPubHealth                            Claudia graduated as a physiotherapist in 1993 and has since  worked in Australia and the UK in both the private and public sector. She worked for many years at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, Royal Park and City Campus, as part of the orthopaedic rehabilitation team. Claudia completed a Masters of Public Health through the University of Melbourne in 2008, with her minor thesis entitled: "The Power to Choose: A systematic review of the factors associated with an under-utilisation of respite care among older spousal carers". She joined the National Ageing Research Institute (NARI) in 2006, working as a Research Physiotherapist in the Health Promotion team, and also as the Professional Learning Co-ordinator.

She now builds on her interest areas of falls prevention, dementia and the translation of knowledge to undertake a PhD, through Alzheimer’s Australia and the Dementia Collaborative Research Centres. Her thesis, currently titled  “Translating falls prevention knowledge for community-dwelling older people with dementia and their carers: What works?” is being undertaken through LaTrobe University and NARI with supervisors Dr Sophie Hill, Professor Keith Hill and Dr Briony Dow.

LINDA ISHERWOOD
Honorary Student Secretary
Email:  Linda Isherwood

Title: PhD Candidate and Research Associate
Institution: Flinders University
Thesis Title: Social resources in late-life widowhood: a mixed methods study
Research Interests:  Social networks, support and activities; widowhood; healthy ageing; mental health; primary health care
Work History: Linda has an M.A. in Social Work and worked for many years in community and hospital-based mental health settings in the UK and Australia.  In 2008 she joined the Discipline of General Practice, Flinders University as a Research Associate.  Linda has been involved in projects examining the prevention of emergency admissions to hospital and the effectiveness of self-management programs for chronic disease.  In 2009 she commenced her PhD through the National Institute of Labour Studies at Flinders University.
AAG Membership History: Became a member of the AAG in 2009 and Student Secretary in 2011. Linda is also on the SA Division Conference committee.

ANTHONY BROWN
Student Representative, New South Wales  and Hunter Valley
Email: Anthony Brown

Anthony Brown is a PhD student at the University of Western Sydney , looking at retired men’s involvement in community organisations. Since 2000 Anthony has been the Project Officer at the Men’s Health Information and Resource Centre (MHIRC) at the University of Western Sydney , where he assists groups and organisations working with men and boys by providing support, information and networking opportunities. He is also the Coordinator of International Men’s Health Week in NSW.  Before coming to MHIRC Anthony has worked for over ten years with community organisations.  Anthony has worked in various capacities with older people, young people, homeless people, and people living with HIV/AIDS.  Anthony was the Project Manager of Australian Coalition ‘99 (NSW) a community and government partnership of over 90 organisations working to plan responses to 1999 the International Year of Older Persons in NSW.

JOANNE MIHELCIC
Student Representative, Victoria
Email: Joanne Mihelcic

ELLEN MEISSNER
Student Representative, Queensland
Email: Ellen Meissner

CHRIS MATERNE
Student Representative, South Australia
Email: Chris Materne 

Title: PhD Candidate.
Institution: School of Psychology , Flinders University.
Thesis Topic: Memory Rehabilitation in Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease: The Role of Memory Self-Efficacy in Spaced Retrieval Training.
Research Interests: Along with my interest in memory dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease, I have an interest in intergenerational relationships, especially between grandparents and their grandchildren.
Work History: After many years in the hospitality industry I found my way back to Uni and completed undergraduate studies in psychology.  Since then I have worked in the Flinders Centre for Ageing Studies as a research assistant and as the Co-ordinator of Clinical Assessments for The Australian Longitudinal Study of Ageing. I am also involved in tutoring undergraduate (and some post graduate) students at Flinders.
AAG Member History: Student member since 2007; SA/NT representative from October 2008.
Primary Goals: To support and promote the AAG, especially to students.  To develop and foster relationships between students from different disciplines and institutions who share an interest in older people.

ROWENA MACKEAN
Student Representative, Tasmania
Email: Rowena Mackean

(Position Vacant)
Student Representative, Western Australia
Email: 

KASIA BAIL
Student Representative, Australian Capital Territory
Email: Kasia Bail

Title: PhD Candidate and Assistant Professor
Institution: Dementia Collaborative Research Centre and University of Canberra
Thesis Title: Using nurse sensitive indicators to examine hospital dementia services
Research Interests: Barriers to person-focused nursing care, chronic illness management in hospitals, prognosis communication
Work History: Kasia has worked clinically as a nurse in the areas of cancer, palliative care, emergency, and general hospital nursing since 2001. She worked as a part time research assistant in the hospital research centre from 2002-2007 doing work on hospital nursing policy analysis and the ACT aged care nurse practitioner projects. This included some time in the public service under the Chief Nurse, before she moved into academia. Her first class honours was on prognosis communication between doctors, nurses and allied health for haematology patients in an acute setting. She worked with undergraduate and postgraduate students from 2007-2010 including research into clinical placements in aged care and the development of ‘Dedicated Education Units’. Kasia commenced her PhD with the support of the DCRC and supervisors Diane Gibson, Laurie Grealish and Helen Berry in 2010. Her PhD is nested in the NHMRC-funded ‘Hospital Dementia Services’ project and will look at differences between patients with and without dementia on outcomes that are sensitive to nursing care, such as urinary tract infections, pneumonia and pressure areas.
AAG Membership History: Became a member of the AAG in 2010, and ACT Student Representative and Student Newsletter Rep in 2011.
Primary Goals as Student Representative: To support local and national students and early career researchers/clinicians in the development of knowledge, networks and skills in aged care and ageing.

(Position Vacant)
Student Representative, Northern Territory
Email: 

ADVISOR TO THE STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES COMMITTEE
PROFESSOR COLLEEN CARTWRIGHT

The AAG Student Section is very fortunate to have Professor Colleen Cartwright in the role of Academic Adviser to the Student Representatives Committee.   Colleen is Foundation Professor of Aged Services and Director of the Aged Services Learning and Research Centre (ASLaRC) at Southern Cross University. A published academic, widely experienced researcher, much- respected supervisor and well-known in AAG networks for her affinity with students, Colleen has been an invaluable source of pragmatism, encouragement and mentoring advice to Student State Representatives since accepting the appointment in 2008.