At QIMR Berghofer, we are committed to bringing your perspective and that of other members of our community to the research we do.
You may have experience, either personally or in caring for others, in an area of health. Through these experiences, you will have been a ‘consumer’ of health and medical services that exist thanks to medical research.
Our researchers wish to learn from your observations, thoughts and ideas. Through our Better Health Together program, your experience can help our scientists shape their research so it has a greater impact on health outcomes in the real world.
Sign-up to our Better Health Together register
What is the Better Health Together program?
Better Health Together is our consumer and community involvement (CCI) program. It has been developed to support community member involvement in our medical research.
Members of the community will have opportunities to work in partnership with our researchers in various ways, such as:
- having input on research priorities
- shaping the direction of research by sharing lived-experiences
- acting as “citizen scientists” on research teams and projects
- helping us communicate our findings to the community
- assisting us to translate research findings into patient care
How will it help our research?
- Our research questions will better meet the needs of the community and health consumers
- Our findings will have greater impacts for patients in the clinic
- Our community will learn more about science, better health and the research happening right here in Queensland
What are the benefits for Better Health Together members?
- Help us prioritise the needs of patients in research innovation
- Be part of the team and help our researchers to make a difference
- Learn more about medical research and confidently share this with others
- Access other opportunities, such as training sessions, workshops and events
Join our Community Advisory Group
Applications close: Friday 6 October 2023
Expressions of interest are invited for consumers and community members to join our Community Advisory Group (CAG) and fill six (6) open positions.
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE CAG?
- provide the consumer and community perspective on our research
- provide advice to leadership on strategic directions and issues affecting the Institute, where requested
- provide guidance to research program areas, labs and individual researchers on future directions, initiatives and research
- provide feedback on proposed fundraising, marketing and communications initiatives
- monitor and guide the Institute’s community involvement program
WHAT IS INVOLVED?
- The group will meet four (4) times a year
- Offer of $150 for each 3 hour meeting attended
- In-person or remote meeting attendance available
- Membership is a minimum of two (2) years
HOW TO APPLY
Applicants should provide in an email:
- a copy of their resume
- a cover letter (one page maximum) that addresses the selection criteria and includes a brief statement about what attracted them to apply.
Download the draft Terms of Reference and the membership selection criteria for more details.
Please send your expressions of interest to become a member to involvement@qimrberghofer.edu.au.
Read Ben and Nardene’s story in LifeLab 118
Dr Behnam (Ben) Rashidieh is a cancer researcher from the Signal Transduction Laboratory at QIMR Berghofer. His research focuses on metastatic cancers and tumour microenvironments, exploring alternative approaches to treat aggressive cancers, hopefully with fewer side-effects for patients.
To better understand the potential impact of his research, Behnam partners with Nardene Lumley, a breast cancer survivor.
Want to help?
Sign-up to be a member of QIMR Berghofer’s Better Health Together program today to receive the latest consumer opportunities directly to your inbox. No experience required.
Questions?
Contact Dr Nancy Cloake, Consumer and Community Involvement (CCI) Lead, at involvement@qimrberghofer.edu.au.