2023 Research Awards recipients

OTA’s Research Awards acknowledge a member’s contribution towards the advancement of the research base of occupational therapy in four categories: Early Career Researcher, Mid-Career Researcher, Clinical Researcher and Research Team. We were pleased to announce the 2023 Research Awards recipients at OTAUS2023. Congratulations to Jessica Hill, KittyRose Foley, Carolyn Dun, and Lynette Mackenzie along with the University of Sydney occupational therapy, general practice and primary care research team.

Mid-Career Researcher: Kitty-Rose Foley

Dr Kitty-Rose Foley is a senior lecturer in Occupational Therapy at Southern Cross University. She completed a PhD at the Telethon Kids Institute in 2014, investigating post-school adult life for people with Down syndrome. A postdoctoral research fellowship at UNSW led to development of the Australian Longitudinal Study of Autism in Adulthood. At SCU, Dr Foley is committed to equipping the next generation of OTs with knowledge and enthusiasm about clinical practice and research, as well as continuing her research program focusing on improving health, participation and wellbeing of autistic adults and people with other intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Clinical Researcher: Carolyn Dun

Carolyn Dun is the Chief Occupational Therapist and Drive Safe Program Lead at Northern Area Mental Health Service. She is a passionate clinical researcher eager to grow the evidence in group work, sensory modulation interventions, and safe driving to benefit consumers and their supporters. She has led research on driving in mental health to build understanding of how many consumers are driving and the reasons for referral, and outcomes of occupational therapy driver assessments. Carolyn has explored experiences of driver assessors within a public mental health service, clinician awareness of consumer’s driving status, and their confidence in providing education and assessing fitness to drive.

Early Career Researcher: Jessica Hill

Dr Hill is a paediatric OT and lecturer in Occupational Therapy at the University of Queensland. Following graduation in 2013, she gained additional training in animal assisted therapy in 2015, leading to her completing a PhD at the University of Queensland in 2021 where she researched the efficacy of canine-assisted occupational therapy with autistic children. Since completion of her PhD, Dr Hill has continued her research into the impact of humananimal interaction to human and animal health and wellbeing, with her work receiving national and international recognition.

Research Team: Professor Lynette Mackenzie and the University of Sydney occupational therapy, general practice and primary care research team

Professor Mackenzie leads research teams exploring allied health and OT clinical practice. Her goal is to extend and transform research in ageing, falls prevention, the long-term effects of cancer treatment, return to work following disability, and developing new models of service delivery in primary care by health professionals.

The OTs on this research team include Emeritus Professor Lindy Clemson, Associate Professor Margaret McGrath, Dr Meryl Lovarini, Dr Sanet duToit, Dr Muhammad Romli (Malaysia), Dr Anne McIntyre (UK),

Dr Mackenzi Pergolotti (US), Lei Wang (China), Joanne Lewis, Kelsey Marshall, Jodie Schroder, Michelle Singh, Cresta Markovic, Nicole Buckland, Husna Anuddin (Malaysia), Ann-Marie Beavis, Dianne Irving, Thomas Price, and Claire O’Connor.