Senior researcher profile
Welcome Kim
Manna Institute’s membership has been boosted with the addition of senior UNE researcher Professor Kim Usher, who brings a wealth of experience, scholarship and expertise.
A mental health nurse of some 35+ years, Kim is passionate about the subject. This has inspired a vast body of well-cited research, primarily within rural and remote communities. Kim’s latest work has explored mental health issues associated with disasters and trauma, but she has also studied the experiences of nurses and first responders, victims of domestic violence and those who have experienced substance abuse.
“I have also spent a lot of time working collaboratively with Indigenous communities in the past decade – in Quirindi, Coledale, Toomelah, Moree, Tingha and Inverell – to enhance their mental health,” Kim said. “These people have become very important to me and I am dedicated to championing their health in the future.”
At a time in Manna’s evolution when we are seeking to more actively contribute to leadership and training of the next generation of mental health researchers, Kim has much to share. She has extensive expertise in submitting and securing large grants, is on the College of Experts for the Australian Research Council, and is an experienced assessor of DECRA and Discovery grant applications.
However, it is her reputation for going “above and beyond” to support and mentor HDR students – she has supervised almost 50 PhD students, alone – that sets Kim apart.
“I am of the opinion that when you take a PhD student on, you commit yourself to them for the next three or four years of their life,” she said. “I take that commitment very seriously. It’s not only important that they complete their PhD; they also need to be prepared for life after the PhD. That means helping them meet key people, and involving them in grant writing and research opportunities. I regard them as family and take joy from seeing them publish their first paper or secure their first grant.”
In the past, Kim’s research has informed the World Health Organisation, through its Asia-Pacific Disaster Network; the International Council of Nursing; and AusAID projects and education in the Asia-Pacific region, which earned Kim an AM.
“Now, I am focusing on how disasters impact the mental health of some of the more vulnerable groups in our rural areas, where we know that overall health outcomes are poorer,” she said. “I want to bring that to the attention of those who can make a difference and help ensure that people have access to the services they need.”
Kim sees her involvement in Manna as a valuable opportunity to expand her network. “As a researcher, you can sometimes feel like you are working on an island. Manna brings opportunities to connect with people with other or similar areas of interest, methodologies, connections or community engagement, and to hear about what they are doing.
“I have had a very privileged career and life. Now I want to offer whatever help I can to see other people with potential succeed.”
Outside work, Kim finds pleasure in breeding and showing Red Poll cattle and is into all kinds of “arty stuff”, including felting. “I enjoy being involved in creative things,” she said. “And our art-based bushfire project has shown that sitting around and painting over coffee allows people to share stories, and that’s good for our mental health.”