Dr Biswajit Banik

Research Fellow Manna Institute

Federation University

Biswajit is a medical doctor and public health academic who works as a lecturer at the Institute of Health and Wellbeing (IHW), Federation University Australia. He teaches Bachelor of Nursing and Master of Public Health programs as lead course coordinator and supervises HDR students. His research interests include health systems and equity; mental health; sexual health; men’s health; adolescent health; communicable and noncommunicable disease; and Aboriginal health using mixed methods.

Biswajit began his career as a medical practitioner and has worked in both private and public health sectors and for international agencies including Marie Stopes, the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) and Asian Development Bank (ADB). With the ADB, this involved partnering with a large health management and consulting agency in Bangladesh, Nepal, India and the UK.

Biswajit is trained in quantitative and qualitative methodologies, has experience in epidemiological study design and has worked on sensitive topics such as sexual health, mental health, and rural and regional health involving priority populations. He is a lead investigator for a project exploring the mental health and wellbeing of young African migrants in Australia, in collaboration with the Afri-Aus Centre in Melbourne. He is also a co-investigator of two teaching and learning projects – the Technological Readiness Project, and Extended Learning Cycle Theory and Knowledge Types into Work Integrated Learning Project, multidisciplinary research that involves investigators from all three Federation University Australia institutes.

Biswajit is engaged in the mentoring and research program of the Western Alliance Research Capability Building Program, Barwon Health, Victoria, called STaRR: Supporting Translation of Research In Rural And Regional Settings. During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-2021, he mentored Department of Health and Human Services staff.

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Associate Professor Eric Brymer

Research Fellow Manna Institute

Southern Cross University

Eric is a behavioural scientist who specialises in researching the reciprocal nature of health and wellbeing from nature-based experiences. His expertise in qualitative and mixed methods research design has also spanned learning, performance and outcomes of interactions in extreme environments.

Eric holds a PhD in Psychology and Education, with a special interest in learning, exercise, environmental, and outdoor and adventure psychology. He also has a Master’s degree in Applied Sport and Exercise Psychology, postgraduate degrees in Education and Business, and holds research positions in health, exercise and outdoor studies at Queensland University of Technology, Leeds Beckett University, UK, and the University of Cumbria, UK.

Eric advises governments and institutional departments, and collaborates with teams around the world. He was invited on to the UK Government’s strategic research panel chaired by Natural England, which influences strategic policy to engage and connect people with the natural environment in order to deliver health, wellbeing, learning and social benefits as well as direct benefits for the natural environment.

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Dr Cassy Dittman

Research Fellow Manna Institute

Head of Course (Undergraduate Psychology)/Lecturer (Psychology), School of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences, Central Queensland University

Dr Cassy Dittman is the Head of Course (Undergraduate Psychology) and a Lecturer in Psychology in the School of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences at Central Queensland University. She is also an Honorary Research Fellow at the Parenting and Family Support Centre at The University of Queensland.

Dr Dittman is a registered psychologist researching in the field of developmental psychology. Her research focuses on the impact of parenting and parent-child relationships on child and adolescent development and wellbeing. She has particular expertise in the field of evidence-based parenting programs and their capacity to promote mental health and wellbeing in children and parents. Dr Dittman’s research has had real-world impact in its evaluation of innovative ways to improve the reach and accessibility of evidence-based parenting programs by investigating the benefits of online programs and brief, targeted parenting support, as well as applying parenting programs in different contexts, such as junior sport and early childhood education.

Dr Dittman has co-developed two blended modality programs, the Positive Early Childhood Education (PECE) program and Play Well Triple P, which are now disseminated to parents and professionals through Triple P International. Her recent research includes positive parenting in junior sport (in partnership with the NRL), the influence of parent-adolescent relationships in the mental health of adolescents and emerging adults, and the development of adolescent-specific measures of adjustment, parenting, and the parent-adolescent relationship.

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Professor Tracy Kolbe-Alexander

Research Fellow Manna Institute

Prof Health and Medical Sciences, University of Southern Queensland

Tracy is Associate Head of School – Research in the School of Health and Medical Science at the University of Southern Queensland and an Honorary Associate Professor at the University of Cape Town (South Africa). Her research has focused on the role of physical activity and other health-seeking behaviours on health and wellbeing.

Using various strategies and approaches, Tracy has developed, implemented and measured the effectiveness of health promotion programs in different settings (community, schools and workplaces). She serves on the International Society of Physical Activity and Health’s (ISPAH) Education Committee, is part of the Asia-Pacific Society for Physical Activity’s Advocacy committee, and is a Senior Associate Editor for the Journal of Physical Activity and Health.

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Dr Mia Schaumberg

Research Fellow Manna Institute

Senior Lecturer, School of Health and Behavioural Sciences, The University of the Sunshine Coast

Mia is a Senior Lecturer in Physiology and Program Coordinator for Biomedical Science at the University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC). She is a Group Leader at the Sunshine Coast Health Institute, where her research extends from laboratory studies through to community implementation, with a strong focus on rural and regional health and wellbeing in older people. Her research group Active Ageing Research investigates the mechanisms and potential biomarkers underpinning the benefits of exercise and other lifestyle interventions for improving cognition and reducing dementia risk in those at greatest risk of dementia, including women, socially isolated people, and those with pre-existing chronic conditions. She has also collaborated with local government, aged care providers, industry and clinicians.

Mia’s expertise is recognised nationally and internationally through editorial board roles with leading journals in metabolism and physiology, invited grant review for scientific foundations, and a growing network of collaborators around the world. She founded the UniSC Early and Mid-Career Academic Network, where she leads the delivery of professional development and mentorship programs and works closely with executive leaders at UniSC and the Regional Universities Network to improve opportunities for emerging academics.

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Dr Anwaar Ulhaq

Research Fellow Manna Institute

Charles Sturt University

Anwaar is a Senior Lecturer in Computer Science and Deputy Leader of Machine Vision and Digital Health Research in the School of Computing, Mathematics and Engineering at Charles Sturt University. He holds a PhD (Artificial Intelligence) from Monash University.

Previously, Anwaar has been a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Sustainable Industries and Liveable Cities at Victoria University. He has extensive teaching and research experience from Victoria University, Swinburne University of Technology and Central Queensland University. He was named the most productive CSU researcher in 2021, received the Faculty Research Award in 2021 and Teaching Excellence Award in 2019.

Anwaar has published more than 60 research outcomes in reputed journals and at conferences. He is an artificial intelligence enthusiast and his research interests include the use of AI to solve mental health problems in regional populations.

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Associate Professor Sarah Wayland

Research Fellow Manna Institute

Senior Lecturer, Social work, University of New England

Sarah is a Social Work academic researcher who has devoted much of her career to exploring the lived experience of suicide and having a family member or friend go missing. Her role in the Manna Institute will be focussed on the emerging health workforce, and ensuring more regional voices in their health research.

Her landmark work in developing frameworks to enhance communities of practice to better respond to trauma, distress and complex mental health has been evidenced by more than 40 peer reviewed publications. Its unique knowledge translation focus allows for the workforce to readily access research outcomes.

The primary aim of the expertise she brings to the institute is to focus on developing a research toolkit that demonstrates how to collect data and stories to authentically present lived and learnt experience of mental health. The goal is to extend understanding of suicide prevention needs in regional Australia and to further strengthen the mental health workforce by understanding the unique issues it faces in the regions.

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