Dr. Robyn Preston
BA(DevSt) (Hons), PGCertDisasRefugHlth, GCertEd, MHealthSc(HealthProm), PhDSenior Lecturer - Public Health
School of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences
Centre for Indigenous Health Equity Research, Appleton Institute
B2 - 2.03
I am a public health-focused social scientist specialising in qualitative (ethnography, PAR, case study) and mixed methods research. I have three interlinked research areas: 1) Access to health and community services for prioritised communities (First Nations; refugees; regional, rural and remote peoples); 2) Rural Home-based Aged Care; and 3) Socially Accountable Health Professional Institutions. I also have an emerging research interest in community partnerships and capacity building for emergency and disaster events. The development of these research areas is also linked to my teaching, service and engagement.
My teaching focuses on engaging future health professionals in how to work in partnership with the their communities. I specialise in health promotion, community engagement, community assets and needs assessments, evaluation and research methods.
I am a health promotion and community development practitioner with international and Australian experience. My service roles combine my local interest in health promotion/public health and national and international focus on socially accountable health professions education and health services development. I am recognised internationally for my expertise in socially accountable health professions education and locally for connecting community groups and health promotion professionals with the university.
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, I currently supervise of two PhD students:
- 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 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 - Present 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
- Socially accountable health professional institutions
- Community and health sector partnerships, particularly in rural and remote home-based Aged-care
- Research, teaching and service leaning partnerships between community and social service organisations and universities
- Adaptive capacity and community resilience
- Qualitative Research Methods
- Health Promotion
- Monitoring and Evaluation
- Project and program planning for community and health services
Industry Reports
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)
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 Scheme: Queensland Floods Flexible Funding Grant
Total Funding: $94,042.00
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 Scheme: Queensland Floods Flexible Funding Grant
Total Funding: $94,042.00
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 Scheme: 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 Scheme: CQU Learning and Teaching Research and Development Grants 2020
Total Funding: $0.00
Practically Preparing for the Unimaginable
Grant: Competitive Grant (Category 2: Other Public Sector)
Funding Scheme: DRFA Category C - Special Disaster Assistance Recovery Grants for Small Business
Total Funding: $98,367.00
Patient Experiences and Perceptions of the new MR-Linac treatment machine in Radiation Oncology
Grant: Contract Research (Category 2: Other Public Sector)
Funding Scheme: Study, Education and Research Trust - TSV Hospital and Health Serivce (THHC)
Total Funding: $0.00
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 Scheme: FNQ & NQ Monsoon Trough Category C FFG Program Round 2
Total Funding: $73,084.00
Accreditation
I am currently accredited for supervision in the following:
- 3904 Specialist Studies in Education
- 4401 Anthropology
- 4505 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, society and community
- 4203 Health services and systems
- 4206 Public health
Current Capacity
Current Supervision
Curriculum and Pedagogy - Medicine, Nursing and Health Curriculum and Pedagogy
Health services and systems - Health systems
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
