Lynne Parkinson

Biography

I am an internationally prominent population health gerontologist; focused on chronic disease in an ageing population. My major research interests include: 1) musculoskeletal health as people age; encompassing epidemiological, health services and quality use of medicines research; and 2) optimising aged care practice, with projects on improving sub-acute care, reducing depression and social isolation for aged care clients, and optimising regional health care delivery. My career trajectory includes a base degree in psychology, a pharmaco-epidemiology focused doctoral degree in medicine, an early postdoctoral career in community wide health promotion evaluation, and five years in health care service middle management. I made a mid-career move into gerontology research after a decade in translational health promotion research, and demonstrated a strong leadership trajectory in ageing research, including: appointed Australian Association of Gerontology Fellow, 2009; appointed Editor in Chief Australasian Journal on Ageing, 2009; Member organising and scientific committees NSW Rural Ageing conferences, 2004, 2006, 2011; and Convener National Emerging Researchers in Ageing conference, 2010. I have over 25 years’ experience as a population health researcher. I am a member of JO & JR Wicking Trust Strategic Review Panel, convened to provide JO & JR Wicking Trust with advice about how best to fund ageing and dementia projects. I sit on grant review panels for the Australian government, and review international competitive grants. I am currently a Professorial Research Fellow at CQUniversity, Rockhampton. I supervise doctoral, masters and honours students within diverse topics in ageing research: cost of illness in arthritis; dimensions of pain in arthritis; digital health literacy in older people; cognitive constructs in chronic pain; reducing preventable hospitalisations in residential aged care; interventions for social isolation in older people. I provide continence health promotion expertise to the Australian Government; and research expertise to the Victorian Department of Health, on health promotion and prevention programs for primary prevention of musculoskeletal conditions. I have a strong commitment to and track record in Quality Use of Medicines, and have made a significant contribution at the national level to monitoring and implementation of National Medicines Policy through membership of relevant national committees: PHARM Committee (2003-2008); and National Prescribing Service Community Quality Use of Medicines Management Committee (2003-2006). My main research strengths are: substantial experience in using linked longitudinal data to assess prevalence and impact of chronic disease; very strong methodological skills, with a focus on best practice and data quality, across quantitative, qualitative and mixed methodologies; expertise in development and validation of health measures; and exceptional experience in community based research translation.

Research Interest

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES