Deputy Directors
Dr Heather Shepherd
BA(Hons) Dip(HE) (Adult Nursing) RGN PhD
Deputy Director of CeMPED (Medicine)
I have been working with CeMPED since 2003 and have been involved in a number of projects aimed at increasing patient involvement in their cancer consultations through the use of interventions such as decision aids, question prompt lists and audio-recordings. My PhD investigated the attitudes of Australian cancer doctors to shared decision-making and patient involvement in reaching treatment decisions. My background lies in critical care nursing and communication studies with my motivation being to improve patient care and experience through information sharing and quality communication between health professionals and patients, and between the members of the multidisciplinary team.
Contact information
Centre for Medical Psychology & Evidence-based Decision-making
Blackburn Building (D06)
University of Sydney NSW 2006
Phone: +61 2 9036 5419
Fax: +61 2 9036 5420
Email: heathers@med.usyd.edu.au
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Dr Ilona Juraskova
BA(Hons), MPsych(Clin), PhD
Deputy Director of CeMPED (Psychology)
During the past 10 years, I have pursued my interest in the discipline of Psycho-Oncology. My Ph.D. thesis focused on psychosexual adjustment in women treated for gynaecological cancer and I continue working on a number of projects in this area. My post-doctoral work has focused on the area of doctor-patient communication, particularly the effectiveness of strategies to improve the process of informed consent to cancer clinical trials. In 2008, I was awarded the Cancer Institute NSW Early Career Development Fellowship, to develop a research program focusing on improving the quality of informed consent of women considering treatment options for ovarian cancer, via the use of decision aids. I'm also a lecturer in Health Psychology at the School of Psychology, University of Sydney and supervise Honours, Masters and PhD students, which I find a rewarding and enjoyable experience.
Contact information
Centre for Medical Psychology & Evidence-based Decision-making
Brennan MacCallum Building (A18)
University of Sydney NSW 2006
Phone: +61 2 9036 5275
Fax: +61 2 9036 5292
Email: ilonaj@psych.usyd.edu.au
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Dr Kirsten McCaffery
BSc Hons, PhD
Deputy Director of CeMPED (Public Health)
My research interests include psychosocial aspects of screening, decision making and health literacy. My research uses mixed methods with a particular focus on informed choice; evaluation of psychosocial outcomes in screening programs, developing decision aids for use in screening decisions and cancer screening in low socio-economic, low literacy and ethnic minority groups. My previous work has focused on colorectal cancer screening and cervical screening. More recent work examines the psychosocial aspects of HPV testing within cervical screening and the development of a decision aid for colorectal cancer screening for adults with low literacy and has recently expanded to include HPV vaccination. I am currently chief investigator (CIA) on two major research projects: (1) A research trial of HPV DNA testing versus conventional management for women with minor atypia on Pap smear: psychosocial and quality of life outcomes. (2) Development and evaluation by RCT of a literacy sensitive decision aid for colorectal cancer screening using FOBT among adults with low education and literacy. In 2006 I was awarded an NHMRC Early Career Fellowship and I am part of the Screening and Test Evaluation Program, an NHMRC program grant with Professors Les Irwig, Jonathan Craig, Glenn Salkeld and Associate Professor Petra Macaskill which is in its 2nd round of program grant funding.
Contact information
Centre for Medical Psychology & Evidence-based Decision-making
School of Public Health, Edward Ford Building (A27)
University of Sydney NSW 2006
Phone: +61 2 9351 7220
Fax: +61 2 9351 5049
Email: kirstenm@health.usyd.edu.au
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Dr Melanie Price
RN RM BSc (Hons) PhD (Psych Med)
Deputy Director of CeMPED
Since completing my Honours degree in Psychology in 1993, I have been working and studying in the area of psycho-oncology. The focus of my PhD was the role of psychosocial factors (life event stress, depression, coping, social support) in the diagnosis of breast cancer and I have continues working in this area. Since 2001, I have been involved in a large prospective Australasian study of psychosocial factors in the development of breast cancer in women from high-risk breast cancer families in collaboration with the Kathleen Cunningham Consortium for Research into Familial Breast Cancer (kConFab). This study is ongoing will continue for at least 10 years. My other primary area of interest is the role of psychosocial factors in the outcome of cancer. I am currently involved in a study of Quality of Life, psychological distress and unmet needs in women with ovarian cancer and their partners. This project is being conducted in collaboration with the Australian Ovarian Cancer Study. The outcomes measures include both physical and psychological morbidity. Of special interest, is the supportive care needs of not only patients, but of family caregivers, with current studies including carers of women with ovarian cancer, bereaved cancer carers and carers of patients with brain tumours. Other interests include quality of life, life event stress and depression, communicating risk information and communication skills training.
Contact information
Centre for Medical Psychology & Evidence-based Decision-making
Brennan MacCallum Building (A18)
University of Sydney NSW 2006
Phone: +61 2 9351 3916
Fax: +61 2 9036 5292
Email: melaniep@psych.usyd.edu.au
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