Dr. Robyn Preston
BA(DevSt) (Hons), PGCertDisasRefugHlth, GCertEd, MHealthSc(HealthProm), PhD
Senior Lecturer - Public Health
School of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences
Centre for Indigenous Health Equity Research, Appleton Institute
- r.preston@cqu.edu.au
- ORCID: 0000-0003-4700-1521
- (07) 4726 5395
-
Townsville
B2 - 2.03
My Networks
About Me
I am a social scientist specialising in qualitative and mixed methods research. My research portfolio covers critical areas for prioritised communities, including access to health and community and regional/rural/remote populations, as well as Rural Home-based Aged Care. I have extensive experience in complex collaborative projects, often involving partnerships with services, peak bodies, and industry, promoting embedded capacity building and working virtually across different cultures and countries. I strive to develop and manage strategic research teams and productive collaborations and partnerships that drive research impact.
I lead the emerging interdisciplinary research group "Ageing Creatively in Rural Areas" (ACRA). We work in partnership with Ageing Well in Rural Areas (AWRA), a coalition of community organisations based in Central Highlands region of Queensland that focus on health and social care for older people. ACRA has over three years sustained, on-the-ground consumer engagement experience in the region including the often under-served communities of Capella and the Sapphire Gemfields. We bring genuine, trust-based relationships with older adults, carers, community organisations, local government, health services and aged care providers: a capability built through direct, continuous community presence and engagement. Together we have driven the development of ongoing networks with health services, community groups and older-adult groups, providing infrastructure support to recruit and support consumer co-researchers. These relationships provide a strong foundation for recruitment, community engagement, knowledge translation and the co-design of locally relevant solutions. This work is supported by a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Partnership Grant (lead by the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Canada) and the Aegium Foundation.
General
Universities Studied At
James Cook University, Townsville, Australia
Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia
The Australian National University, Canberra
Universities Worked At
James Cook University
Awards
2024 CQU Internal Research Grant: Aged Care in Rural Areas Pilot: Aged Care in Rural Areas - CQUniversity
2022 CQU Learning and Teaching grant
2021 JCU Advisory Panel of the Year (Nominated teams must have a track record of successful HDR candidate outcomes. The award is made for engagement in high quality team supervisory practice)
2018 JCU Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning Cohort Doctoral Studies Program Team
2017 JCU Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning First year social medicine team
2016 Early Career Researcher winner 3 minute thesis Competition Division of Tropical Health and Medicine, JCU
2011-2014 Australian Postgraduate Award (APA) Scholarship, Living Allowance/Scholarship
2011-2014 School of Medicine and Dentistry, Top-up Scholarship
2014 Faculty of Medicine, Health and Molecular Science, Graduate Research Scheme Grant
2012 School of Medicine and Dentistry, James Cook University Graduate Research Scheme Grant
2012 Faculty of Medicine, Health and Molecular Science, Graduate Research Student Grant
2011 School of Medicine and Dentistry Student Support Scheme Grant
2005 Department of Health and Ageing, Research Capacity Building, Mt Isa Centre for Rural and Remote Health (MICRRH), Research Development Program Fellow Grant (Primary Health Care Research Evaluation Development)
Previous teaching
2005 - 2018 College of Medicine and Dentistry, James Cook University. I developed and delivered face to face social medicine content to Bachelor of Medicine; Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) students with class sizes of up to 190 students. My teaching expertise was in public health, underserved populations, health systems and research methods. I also designed Postgraduate Research Methods and Health Professions Education subjects for on-line delivery to local and international students. I developed the first on-line course in the college.
2016 – 2018 Cohort Doctoral Studies Mentor, Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University. The Cohort Doctoral Studies Program is designed to support and nurture doctoral students through their studies by providing workshops, seminars, coursework, peer learning facilitation and writing workshops in a cohort model where students commence and progress through their program as a group. I mentored PhD students in the health sciences, designed and delivered workshops and assisted with the recruitment and selection of students. I have particular expertise in mentoring Aboriginal students, rural and remote students, and students from lower and middle income countries.
2005-2015 I was an occasional tutor and lecturer for Masters of Public and Tropical Health and Allied Health students in research methods and health promotion.
As an Adjunct Senior Research Fellow, College of Medicine and Dentistry, James Cook University, Primary supervisor for two completed projects:
- Enhancing Current International Human Research Ethics Guidelines by Including Indigenous Principles of Human Research Ethics. The Cases of the Pacific Island Nations of Fiji and Tonga. (PhD , Primary Advisor)
- What is the economic and social impacts of Monash University, School of Rural Health - Bairnsdale, on the East Gippsland Community - Victoria (PhD , Primary Advisor)
I have also supervised short Masters level projects, summer scholarships and mentored international students through JCU’s collaboration with the Fijian National University. I have one completed PhD in 2021 (Experiences of dementia in Fiji: perspectives of people with dementia, caregivers, community and service providers (PhD , Secondary Advisor) and two completed MBBS (Hons) students and one completed postgraduate (research) student.
Professional Experience
I have a professional background in international development, health promotion and community development.
Professional Memberships
Australian Health Promotion Association
Australian and New Zealand Association for Health Professional Educators
Responsibilities
2017 - 2021 Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada / L'Association des facultés de médecine du Canada Charles Boelen International Social Accountability Award - Adjudication Committee Member
Professional Interests
- Community and health sector partnerships, particularly in rural and remote home-based Aged-care
- Socially accountable health professional institutions and research
- Research, teaching and service leaning partnerships between community and social service organisations and universities
- Adaptive capacity and community resilience
- Qualitative Research Methods
- Health Promotion focusing on community development and participation
- Monitoring and Evaluation
- Project and program planning for community and health services
Industry Reports
Haylee Fox, Geraldine Vaughan, Catherine O’Mullan, Robyn Preston, Chris Doran, Billingsley Kaambwa, Isaac Livai & Kris McBain-Rigg Seasonal Work, Systemic Injustices - A Research Report on Health Inequities in the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility Scheme (2025)
Department of Health - Contract Research: National Research Project on Remote Radiology Assessment Service Delivery (2019)
Department of Health - Pharmacy Trial Program - Integrated Practice Pharmacists within Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (2019)
Editor
Associate Editor, Australian Journal of Primary Health (2019 - current)
Associate Editor, Focus on Health Professional Education (2018 - 2021)
Recent Research Projects
Implementing, Evaluating and Scaling Community-Led Solutions for Home-Based Care
Grant: Donation (Category 3: Industry and Other)
Funding Schemes: Aegium Foundation - Implementing, Evaluating and Scaling Community-Led Solutions for Home-Based Care - Donation (Contract Research)
Total Funding: $60,000.00
Preparing for the Unimaginable in the Rockhampton region: building community capacity and capability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disaster (con_14440)
Grant: Competitive Grant (Category 2: Other Public Sector)
Funding Schemes: Queensland Floods Flexible Funding Grant
Total Funding: $94,042.00
Community-engaged Research in Education, Advocacy, & System Transformation for Equity (CREATE): Exploring the Transformative Potential of Socially Accountable Research Networks Locally and Globally
Grant: Competitive Grant (Category 3: Industry and Other)
Funding Schemes: Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Partnership Grants 2022 THROUGH Northern Ontario School of Medicine
Total Funding: $92,000.00
Capacity building and strengthening resilience in the correctional setting to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disaster (con_14378)
Grant: Competitive Grant (Category 2: Other Public Sector)
Funding Schemes: Queensland Floods Flexible Funding Grant
Total Funding: $99,142.00
Reducing the impact of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) in seasonal workers working in regional Queensland (4-H3C9CYJ) (4-H3C9CZ2)
Grant: Government Tender (Category 1: Aust Competitive Grant)
Funding Schemes: Blood Borne Viruses (BBV) and Sexually Transmissible Infections (STI) Research Program
Total Funding: $433,996.00
Enhancing students’ service-learning experiences by ensuring innovative outbound programs have positive social impact
Grant: Scholarly project (Internal L&T Grant)
Funding Schemes: CQU Learning and Teaching Research and Development Grants 2020
Total Funding: N/A
Practically Preparing for the Unimaginable
Grant: Competitive Grant (Category 2: Other Public Sector)
Funding Schemes: DRFA Category C - Special Disaster Assistance Recovery Grants for Small Business
Total Funding: $98,366.87
Patient Experiences and Perceptions of the new MR-Linac treatment machine in Radiation Oncology
Grant: Contract Research (Category 2: Other Public Sector)
Funding Schemes: Study, Education and Research Trust - TSV Hospital and Health Serivce (THHC)
Total Funding: N/A
Preparing for the unimaginable: Guidelines for organisational response and staff support before, during and after disaster
Grant: Competitive Grant (Category 2: Other Public Sector)
Funding Schemes: FNQ & NQ Monsoon Trough Category C FFG Program Round 2
Total Funding: $73,084.00
An intervention to improve attitudes and intent for working with older persons in Nursing and Allied Health students
Grant: Scholarly project (Internal L&T Grant)
Funding Schemes: CQU internal Scholarship of Learning and Teaching Grants 2019
Total Funding: N/A
Research Supervision
Accreditation
I am currently accredited for supervision in the following:
- 3904 Specialist Studies in Education
- 4505 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, society and community
- 4203 Health services and systems
- 4206 Public health
Current Capacity
Current Supervision
Complete Supervision
Research Interests
Curriculum and Pedagogy - Medicine, Nursing and Health Curriculum and Pedagogy
Health services and systems - Health systems
Health services and systems - Implementation science and evaluation
Health services and systems - Rural and remote health services
Public health - Health equity
Public health - Social determinants of health
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and wellbeing - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and wellbeing not elsewhere classified
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and wellbeing - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health promotion
Public Health and Health Services - Health Promotion
