I am a registered pharmacist and the Head of the Discipline of Pharmacy at UWA. After qualifying I gained valuable experience as a practicing pharmacist and business owner, all while teaching at the undergraduate level. Later, I managed intern pharmacist training in Western Australia and played a role in the governance of the registration of pharmacists under the Australian National Health Practitioner Regulation Agency.

Over my career, I have developed a keen interest in the areas of professionalism and ethics. I am passionate about promoting equity and diversity in my teaching and research, striving to bring a deeper understanding of these important topics to my students. In pursuit of this, I completed a PhD researching the practice of community pharmacists, and I am currently supervising two PhD candidates. I am committed to advancing the field of pharmacy and contributing to the development of the next generation of pharmacists. In 2021, was awarded the Eric Kirk Memorial Award for outstanding leadership in pharmacy, and in 2022 I was awarded Fellowship of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia for significant advancement in the practice of pharmacy and outstanding contribution to the profession for an extended period of time.

As a passionate advocate for improving patient outcomes and community health, I have dedicated my research interests to supporting young pharmacists in achieving excellence in pharmacy practice. My objective is to create positive workplace cultures and mentor pharmacists to ensure they maintain high standards of practice, even under pressure.

My current research projects are diverse and demonstrate my commitment to improving pharmacy practice and patient outcomes. I am involved in the Depth of Field health humanities research project (funded through a Healthway Grant) that uses art, music, literature, and patient narratives to create a visual learning resource for health professions education which aims to teach healthcare professionals to listen for stories of strength and possibility. I am also part of a research team investigating pharmacists’ role in residential aged care.

I supervise a PhD candidate in her research project investigating the health literacy content of health professions curricula, barriers faced by patients and carers, and the co-design of a new curriculum for teaching health literacy to university-level health professions students.

My PhD candidate Deanna Mill has recently submitted her thesis researching professionalism in pharmacists.

I am also part of a research team developing guidelines for the quality reporting of simulated patient studies - a method of researching pharmacist practice, particularly in community pharmacy. The final guideline has been submitted for publication and is under review.

In summary, my research interests are focused on improving pharmacy practice and patient outcomes, and I am committed to using my research to create positive workplace cultures and mentor young pharmacists to achieve excellence. I am committed to improving patient outcomes and providing innovative learning resources for healthcare professionals.