Future research in youth mental health is in safe hands with these early career researchers confirmed as the recipients of the Embrace 2023 Research Awards.
Embrace will fund PhD presentations on the national and global stages and professional development after the four award winners were announced today.
The Kids Research Institute Australia and UWA PhD candidate Zoe Waters will present research and share findings at seminars in Ireland and Manchester, before attending the Annual Congress of Schizophrenia International Research Society in Florence in early 2024.
“I’ll be meeting with service providers in Manchester to give a seminar on stigma and psychosis, which is really important. I’ll be doing the same in Dublin with the Stigma and Mental Illness Lab that is just emerging – they are so excited to collaborate. I’ve already sent them the measures I have developed,” Zoe said.
I applied for this award as it was a fantastic opportunity to win some much-needed support to do important work to improve the mental health and wellbeing of young people, not just in WA but globally.
The Kids Research Institute Australia research assistant and UWA PhD student Pulan Bai will present her PhD research at the International Society of Physical Health in Paris.
Pulan’s study is the first of its kind to cluster pre-school children into groups to investigate the physical environment characteristics that promote physical activity and social and emotional development within different domains in their neighbourhoods.
“Receiving the Embrace Research Award gives me the opportunity to present my research at an international level. This will increase the visibility of my work and will help build the capacity required to become an impactful researcher,” Pulan said.
Early career researcher Zara Boulton will undergo professional development at the Comprehensive Systematic Review Training Program at the Joanne Briggs Institute in Adelaide, where they are based.
“The skills gained from this professional development opportunity will provide me with the skills needed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis study exploring the mental health and wellbeing of trans children and young people,” they said.
Finally, Claudia Ong will present her PhD research at the International Society for Autism Research in Melbourne in mid-2024.
“Attending and presenting at the INSAR conference offers a valuable platform for me to connect with and learn from various stakeholders, including members of the autism community and leading experts in this field. This provides opportunities for potential collaborations in the future,” Claudia said.
Embrace is supported by principal partner Rio Tinto.
PhD candidates Zoe Waters and Pulan Bai.
Adelaide-based early career researcher Zara Boulton.
CliniKids researcher and PhD student Claudia Ong.