Our People

Elizabeth is a PhD-qualified Health Economist using her economic evaluation and implementation science expertise to find better ways to fund, organise and deliver health services. As leader of the health services research program, she guides a broad range of mixed-methods research and leads team strategy, budgeting and partnerships. Elizabeth has skills and experience in health policy and planning, ensuring the research she leads is useful and relevant for health consumers, clinicians and the health system. Elizabeth’s research and consultancy partnerships have created positive change for health services across Australia and internationally.  

Caroline Grogan is a Research Fellow in the Health Services Research Team, at Wesley Research Institute. Caroline is a qualitative researcher with a PhD from QUT, Faculty of Health, School of Public Health and Social Work. Her PhD focused on the micro-processes involved in implementing Dementia Friendly Community principles locally in Queensland. She has over 10 years’ experience in community services and community development programs, specialising in co-design, person-centered dementia and aged care. Caroline’s current research interests include phenomenology (lived experience) and participatory research methods towards research translation. She is passionate about supporting the well-being and autonomy of people living with dementia and their families. She aims to use research to inform policy and improve services. Caroline’s research champions innovative methods and processes to actively include the voice of consumers in health services research. 

Belinda is a Senior Research Assistant in the Health Services Research Team at Wesley Research Institute. Belinda has dual Bachelor Degrees in Social Science (Development) and Arts (Public Policy and International Relations) and a Master in Public Health. Belinda has a strong public health policy and research background. Belinda has worked on State and Federal Government’s strategic initiatives stemming from the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety in both the Aged Care and Disability sectors. She has also worked on research strategies that have focused on Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities’ access to and capacity building within health care systems. Belinda aims to use her knowledge and experience in public health research, policy design and policy implementation to ensure that evidence-based policies and  research that address real-world challenges and informs decision-making.

Shayma is a Research Fellow in the Health Services Research Team at Wesley Research Institute. Shayma has a research background in health economics and implementation science. Having recently completed her PhD, Shayma’s doctoral research explored how digital health systems could help mitigate patient non-attendance at scheduled outpatient healthcare appointments.

Shayma brings a diverse skill set to her role, including project management, quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis, and the preparation of ethics and governance applications for health services research. Her work is driven by a passion for contributing to research that fosters effective, efficient, and equitable healthcare. In addition to her research background, Shayma has extensive experience in graphic design. She is passionate about helping translate complex research findings into accessible graphics, making important information easily understandable for a wider audience.

Caitlin is a Senior Research Assistant within the Health Services Research team at Wesley Research Institute. She has a breadth of experience,  having spent 16 years working in various roles within hospitals and health care, including implementing and running of COVID-19 drive-through swabbing clinics, hotel quarantine, vaccination clinics,  as well as staff recruitment and training. Caitlin began transitioning into research when she joined as the Research Governance Officer for the Queensland Ambulance Service. Caitlin is currently undertaking her Bachelor in Paramedic Science/Health Science at the University of Sunshine Coast. Her research interests span mental health, particularly focusing on first responders, as well as child and adolescent mental health, pre-hospital care and preventative healthcare. 

Kelly commenced her PhD at Charles Darwin University within the Health Services Research Team at Wesley Research Institute in 2025, combining her biomedical and health services research experience to examine factors which lead to hard-to-heal or chronic wounds. Her proposed research aims to investigate the pathophysiology and microbiology of delayed wound healing, the disparate health outcomes for people with chronic wounds living in rural and remote areas, and explore opportunities to make effective changes to chronic wound care, thereby improving treatment, outcomes and quality of life for those affected.

Kelly McGrath is a health services and biomedical researcher with a background in tertiary education and over 25 years of experience in the health sector. In 2021, Kelly was appointed to implement and evaluate a new model of mental health care in the rural and remote Isaac region of Central Queensland and has contributed to Wesley Research Institute’s Virtual Hospital and Healthcare Research Program. Currently focusing on health services and implementation research, Kelly’s previous research focused on discovery biology. Her research has directly impacted private virtual hospital design, access to mental health services, mental health service operations, and development of new knowledge regarding the etiology of Parkinson’s Disease and several types of cancer.

The Catalano Family Foundation supports Kelly McGrath’s Ph.D. scholarship, and we are grateful to the Catalano family for their generosity.