Professor Patsy Yates Project Director Acting Director Centre for Palliative Care Research and Education Director of Research, School of Nursing QUT RN, BA, DipAppSci, MSocSc, PhD Patsy is jointly appointed as Professor of Nursing at Queensland University of Technology, and Director for Queensland Health’s Centre for Palliative Care Research and Education, a statewide service that was established to enhance palliative care services in Queensland through education and research. As Director for the Centre, Patsy leads a range of programs focused on developing workforce capacity in palliative care, researching priority issues in palliative care, and strengthening the nexus between research, policy and practice.  Patsy has developed a program of research aimed at improving management of symptoms associated with advanced progressive disease, having undertaken studies evaluating non-pharmacological and behavioural interventions for people with cancer experiencing cancer pain, breathlessness, fatigue and nausea. She was National Chair for the Cancer Nurses Society of Australia, and has served as member of the Executive Committee and Council of the Clinical Oncological Society of Australia. She is currently a member of the Executive Committee for Palliative Care Australia, and of the Board of Directors for the International Society of Nurses in Cancer Care.
	Alison Farrington National Project Coordinator Alison has a Bachelor of Education and Diploma of Assessment and Training. Alison is a registered nurse with nursing experience in palliative care and aged care. For most of the last decade Alison has worked in health professional training and workforce development.
	Catriona Bisset Project Coordinator Catriona has worked in palliative care for the past 13 years, working in Melbourne and London as a community palliative care nurse.  Catriona has also managed several palliative care projects including a Gold Standards Framework Project in SE London (2005) and The Care of the Dying Pathway Project at the Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital (2007 - 2009).
	Professor Robyn Nash Director of Undergraduate Studies School of Nursing Robyn is the Assistant Dean, Teaching and Learning, Faculty of Health at Queensland University of Technology. Specifically she has a role in the areas of Policy and Strategic Issues, Curriculum Development, Quality assurance and she plays a role in the dissemination of up to date research on teaching and learning to all academic staff. Her research interests include pain management and clinical education.
	Prof. David Currow Professor of Palliative and Supportive Services Professor Currow has worked full time in palliative care for the last decade, clinically, administratively and academically. He is Chair of Palliative and Supportive Services at Flinders University and Director of Southern Adelaide Palliative Services. Nationally, he is President of Palliative Care Australia, chairman of the Palliative Care Group in Clinical Oncology Society of Australia and in the Medical and Scientific Committee of the Cancer Council of Australia. He has an active interest in service provision and currently holds grants for an evidence-based practice project in palliative care that includes specific focus on cancer and audit tools. He is also a Chief Investigator in the largest prospective randomised trial on palliative care service provision evaluating enhanced primary care of the Medical Benefits Scheme items and academic detailing, together these grants total $1.3 million. Educationally, curriculum development has been an important aspect of his work since taking the Chair at Flinders University for multidiscplinary postgraduate students.
	Ms Kim Devery Department of Palliative and Supportive Services Kim Devery works as a lecturer in the Department of Palliative and Supportive Services, Flinders University, Adelaide. The position involves teaching postgraduate students the various aspects of palliative care. Previously she has worked as a nurse, researcher and academic in palliative care. She was a registered nurse delivering palliative care services in inpatient and community settings in the late 1980’s to early 1990’s at the same time completing undergraduate studies in Social Sciences at the University of New South Wales. After completion of an Honours year she worked as a project officer on a number of multi-site research projects. She moved to Flinders University in 1998 to undertake postgraduate research.   Her research interests include patient self-reported questionnaires, prognosis, measurement of feelings and thoughts and the emotional literacy of the community of professional caregivers.
	Prof. Carol Grbich Dept. of Palliative Care and Supportive Services Professor Carol Grbich is a professor in the Department of Palliative Care, School of Medicine, Flinders University where she is involved in teaching, research and supervision of doctoral students. Previously she has worked at LaTrobe and Monash Universities. She is a specialist in research methods having published a number of texts including Qualitative Research in Health released in Australia and internationally. She teaches qualitative methods every year for ACSPRI (based at Australian National University) at campuses in NSW, ACT, VIC, QLD and WA.   Her main research interests are family care giving, clinical models of care, dementia and aged care, all in the context of palliative care.
	Ms Bev Turnbull School of Health Sciences Bev has been an academic in the School of Health Sciences Charles Darwin University since 1988. She has taught in many areas of nursing that encompass acute medicine and surgery including oncology, gynaecology, and health and physical assessment. She has extensive experience in curriculum development in both internal and external modes of delivery, and is currently developing a case based learning approach online in health and physical assessment for 2005. Bev is part of the team developing an Indigenous Palliative Care unit that is currently being developed in partnership with Flinders University. Her research interests include Women’s health, clinical and professional issues in midwifery and nursing, mentoring and scholarly productivity among nurse academics.
	Dr Geoff Mitchell, PhD MBBS, FRACGP, FAChPM Professor of Primary Care Research, University of Queensland   Geoff's main research interests are the role of General Practitioners in palliative care and cancer in general, and the care of complex conditions in general practice. He has published extensively in these areas. Current research includes a trial of an intervention to improve outcomes for caregivers with advanced cancer, discharge planning from hospital to home, and single patient trials in palliative care. He has research in other areas including chronic wound care. Publications include contributions to Therapeutic Guidelines Palliative Care and an edited a book entitled Palliative care: a patient centered-approach, published in January 2008. He maintains a clinical practice in Ipswich, Queensland.
	Dr Lorna Rosenwax Professor Lorna Rosenwax is the current Head, School of Occupational Therapy and Social Work at Curtin University in Perth, Western Australia.  Previous to this appointment she was the Sub Dean (Health Sciences) in the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Western Australia.  Her initial degree was in occupational therapy where she worked in an acute hospital setting, followed by many years in public health and population-based research and academia.    Professor Rosenwax has attracted over $1 million in research grants in recent years and has presented her findings at over 40 conferences in the past few years – many as an invited speaker.  Among her awards are the prestigious Jan Watt Prize for Excellence in Public Health Field Research as well as the Pioneers Award by the Australian Association of Occupational Therapists (WA).  Her current research interests are focussed on the last year of life and palliative care, as well disability access.
	Meg Hegarty BN, MPHC(Pall Care) Meg is a lecturer in the Department of Palliative & Supportive Services, Flinders University, Adelaide where she co-ordinates the post-graduate Palliative Care in Aged Care courses, the topics: Palliative Care in Aged Care Settings and Palliative Care for Indigenous Populations: Health, Culture & Society and teaches in Palliative Clinical Management, Communication at the End of Life, Spiritual & Cultural Aspects of Palliative Care and Death, Dying, Loss & Grief, an elective topic for the Graduate Medical Program.   Previously she worked as a Registered Nurse in Palliative Care, in clinical management and education positions. Her research involvement currently is in palliative care provision in acute care settings; the role and support of care workers in palliative care in community settings; and palliative care in Australian health care undergraduate curricula. Her further research interests lie in the interface of ageing and palliative care and the ways care of the human spirit is managed in palliative care.