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
Current Opportunity – Pancreatic Cancer & New-onset Diabetes
For a very small number (0.5-1%) of people over 55 that are diagnosed with new-onset diabetes, undiagnosed pancreatic cancer is the underlying cause. However, as it is so rare an occurrence imaging is not routinely done to rule it out.
Professor Rachel Neale is planning a feasibility study to evaluate this approach, including costs/benefits to the health system and the mental burden on these patients of a potential cancer diagnosis or misdiagnosis.
Rachel needs help from consumers to create the patient-facing materials that will be used to recruit over 55 year olds with new-onset diabetes to this study. It is important that potential participants are well-informed, without causing distress for these individuals or a desire to privately undergo expensive, likely unnecessary scans.
If you are interested to help, please complete this Expression of Interest Form and email it to involvement@qimrberghofer.edu.au by 5:00pm Friday 6 December.
For this project we are not only looking to hear from people who have lived experience of new-onset diabetes or pancreatic cancer (as a patient or carer). If you can help please apply.
We encourage Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander consumers to apply. It’s important we have your voice on the panel.
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.
Meet our Community Advisory GroupWe are delighted to introduce the members of our Community Advisory Group:
The role of the Community Advisory Group is to bring the consumer and community member perspective to QIMR Berghofer. The group consists of 6 members of our community, 4 researcher representatives and the Consumer and Community Involvement (CCI) Lead. The group will be an effective forum where staff, students, and others at the Institute can ask for the community viewpoint on proposed initiatives, research and projects. Who are they? Read more… Community Advisory Group Terms of Reference |
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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.