RESEARCHER PROFILE (Filmed November 2023)
Dr Brendan Shannon
Head of Postgraduate Programs
Monash University
Melbourne, Australia
Dr Brendan Shannon is a registered paramedic and Head of Postgraduate Programs and Deputy Head of Department of Paramedicine at Monash University.
Transitioning from 12 years clinical work as a paramedic to academia, Dr. Brendan Shannon understands the importance of research and education in the field of healthcare. He became a paramedic, pursued higher education, and transitioned into academia while still maintaining a clinical workload.
Brendan has balanced clinical and academic experience throughout his career and his research is closely informed by paramedicine practice.
Brendan has a keen research interest in alternative care pathways, non-transport, referral services, paramedic practitioners and community paramedicine. His Doctoral research focused on investigating the experiences of health services when implementing alternative care pathways.
These pathways are designed to deliver care in community settings for populations that are traditionally underserved. The programs examined were found to effectively address complex patients’ needs in community settings.
Dr. Shannon is driven to help people’s lives be better, particularly those who don’t have the privileges as others. His focus is on treating underserved communities with chronic diseases and complex social conditions, who frequently use healthcare services, through community paramedicine programs, as well as patients who frequently utilise healthcare services like the emergency department.
“The intersection of chronic disease and complex social conditions presents a unique challenge in healthcare. Researching programs to increase access to care for underserved patients within the community is a big umbrella term with lots of avenues to explore”, says Dr Shannon.
Apart from research, having a purpose to help others and teaching, Dr Shannon has a passion for restoring old cars nurtured from family influences. He also takes part in amateur martial arts, in particular Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
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Genetics of the choroid and impact on eye health
Dr Samantha Lee is a Senior Research Fellow at Lions Eye Institute and the University of Western Australia. Dr Lee obtained her PhD in 2017 and the Queensland University of Technology and has since been working on the genetics and environmental causes of various eye diseases, with a focus on glaucoma and myopia. She has published 57 full-length scientific papers and her work has been cited over 1,000 times. She serves on the Editorial Board for the journal BMC Ophthalmology and Scientific Reports, and on the Research Advisory Committee for the Ophthalmic Research Institute of Australia.
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Indigenous Australian health and ear disease
Professor Kelvin Kong feels incredibly fortunate to lead a fulfilling life surrounded by his loved ones. With a demonstrated history of service in the health industry, he brings a wealth of expertise across various sectors including clinical research, medical education, surgery, paediatrics, health policy, and Indigenous education. Kelvin started his university, residing at New College in 1992, which brings him fond memories. Graduating from medicine from the University of NSW, Kelvin continued his studies and became a fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) and Australian Society of Otolaryngology, head & neck Society (ASOHNS).
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Big data research in maternal, perinatal and renal health epidemiology
Dr Erandi Hewawasam is a Research Fellow at the National Perinatal Epidemiology and Statistics Unit within the Centre for Big Data Research in Health at University of New South Wales (UNSW). Her work focuses on maternal and reproductive health, chronic diseases (e.g., kidney disease, endometriosis), and early-life outcomes. She is the Program Manager for the Fertility Medicine Data Asset for Australia (FM-DATA), an MRFF-funded national infrastructure project linking fertility, hospital, Medicare, pharmaceutical, and perinatal datasets covering more than 40 million individuals. She also coordinates the Early Life Course Platform, integrating around 20 New South Wales and Australian federal administrative datasets to support population health research.
