ARCH Executive

Professor Meg Morris

Professor Meg Morris is Director of the Academic and Research Collaborative in Health (ARCH) at La Trobe University, and Director of the Healthscope ARCH. She is a fellow of the Australian College of Physiotherapists with a special interest in preventing hospital falls, quality and safety, movement rehabilitation, and exercise for people living with chronic diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and stroke. Professor Morris leads a large NHMRC Partnership Grant, a major collaboration between La Trobe University, Healthscope, Holmesglen Institute and four other universities. She has over 300 publications, including four books, and is based at Healthscope’s Victorian Rehabilitation Centre.

Associate Professor Bev Copnell

Associate Professor Bev Copnell is Director of the Northern Health ARCH and Coordinator of the Northern Clinical School. She has a clinical background as a paediatric intensive care nurse and, for many years, has been actively involved in promoting paediatric nursing nationally and internationally. Her current research focuses on caring for families of acutely ill children, end-of-life care for infants and children in acute care settings, professional issues in nursing, educational preparation for nurses and evidence-based practice.

Professor Christine East

Professor Christine East is Director of the Mercy Health ARCH, and is a Professor of Nursing and Midwifery at Mercy Health and La Trobe University. She is a member of the Perinatal Society of Australia New Zealand (and a past president), the Australian College of Nursing, the Australian College of Midwifery and the External Review Group for World Health Organisation Recommendations (maternity). She has led randomised controlled trials of fetal monitoring during labour, is an investigator on the National Health and Medical Research Council's Stillbirth Centre of Excellence and an investigator on two project grants. She also conducts numerous systematic reviews. She has over 100 publications and is based at the Mercy Hospital for Women and Werribee Mercy Hospital.

Associate Professor Kristina Edvardsson

Associate Professor Kristina Edvardsson is Site coordinator of the Austin Health ARCH and Associate Professor in the School of Nursing and Midwifery, La Trobe University. Her expertise lies in large population-based studies and qualitative approaches, and she leads research in the areas of women’s and maternal and child health. She has international collaboration that spans low-, middle and high-income countries, is a collaborator of the Australian Longitudinal Study of Women’s Health (ALSWH) and the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD), and an Associate Editor of BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth. She has received numerous grants and awards for her research and is author of over 50 publications.

Professor Della Forster

Professor Della Forster is Director of the Women's ARCH, Director of the Midwifery and Maternity Services Research Unit at the Women’s, and a leading international researcher in maternal and infant care. Professor Forster has a joint appointment as the Professor of Midwifery and Maternity Services Research with the Judith Lumley Centre, La Trobe University and the Women’s, and extensive experience as a clinical midwife. She has broad experience in a range of methodologies and large projects including randomised controlled trials, descriptive studies, cohort studies, focus groups and evaluation projects. She specialises in maternity care, perinatal mental health and breastfeeding.

Dr Karen Lawrence

Dr Karen Lawrence is interim Director of the Royal Melbourne Hospital ARCH and Director of the Royal Melbourne Hospital Clinical School, in the School of Nursing and Midwifery at La Trobe University. As Clinical School Director, she leads and manages academic staff located at the Royal Melbourne Hospital Clinical School and oversees the resourcing of coursework delivery. Dr Lawrence is passionate about improving the quality of learning in the clinical environment. She is interested in student learning and engagement, teaching and curriculum development, and simulated learning.

Professor Brian Oldenburg

Professor Brian Oldenburg is the Director of Academic and Research Collaborative in Health (ARCH) with La Trobe University at the Alfred Hospital and has a joint position as Professor of Public Health and Implementation Science at La Trobe University and the Baker Heart & Diabetes Institute. He is also the Director of the NHMRC Centre for Research Excellence in Digital Technology to Transform Chronic Diseases, called Connected Health CRE.

Professor Oldenburg is a behavioural medicine and implementation scientist with an interest in the prevention and management of chronic diseases, with a particular focus on cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes. Brian’s research has also been instrumental in the development and evaluation of mobile health (M-health) interventions and new and emerging technology platforms for the prevention and self-management of chronic diseases. He is regarded as a global public health expert and he has extensive experience providing evidence-based advice to governmental and non-governmental organisation, both locally and internationally, including the World Health Organisation. He has undertaken trials in policy and healthcare settings, work organisations, schools and other community settingsin many different countries, most recently in Africa and Asia.

Professor Nicholas Taylor

Professor Nicholas Taylor is Director of the Eastern Health ARCH. He is also a Professor of Allied Health, a joint position between Eastern Health and La Trobe University. He leads the Allied Health Clinical Research Office at Eastern Health, which supports the research culture within the organisation. Professor Taylor specialises in improving rehabilitation outcomes. He has developed and evaluated exercise programs for people with health conditions, including fracture rehabilitation. Key projects include National Health and Medical Research Council-funded trials investigating the effects of an extra day of rehabilitation and reducing waiting times in community and outpatient services.