Researchers

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.

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 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 PhD scholarship, and we are grateful to the Catalano family for their generosity.