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 that affect the management of 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.
She is no stranger to Wesley Research Institute. 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, Isaac Navicare 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 access to mental health services. She has developed new knowledge about the etiology of Parkinson’s Disease and several types of cancer and has been an integral part of the Virtual Hospital and Healthcare Research Program at WRI.
Almost half a million Australians live with chronic wounds that are slow to heal. These include leg and foot ulcers, skin tears, and pressure sores. Kelly McGrath will join the Health Services Research team at WRI to investigate ways to innovate health service delivery, which will improve the lives of those with chronic wounds and bring the benefits of chronic wound science to patients. The team will work with consumers, carers, nurses and other healthcare practitioners to design practical systems to deliver chronic wound care to those who need it. Kelly’s PhD studies will be supervised by Associate Professor Elizabeth Martin, Dr Olivia Fisher, and Dr Anuj Sehgal.
“Undertaking my PhD at Wesley Research Institute is an incredible opportunity. Here, I’m embedded in a real-world research program learning from industry professionals who are health economists, implementation scientists and immunologists, making it a truly multidisciplinary research program”, says Kelly.
Because of the existing partnerships between Wesley Research Institute, hospitals, my supervisors and other organisations, my research has a high potential for substantial impacts, translating knowledge to improvements in outcomes for consumers and patients
Kelly McGrath
The Catalano Family Foundation supports Kelly McGrath’s PhD scholarship, and we are grateful to the Catalano family for their generosity.
Learn more about the Chronic Wounds Research Program at WRI.