Did you know the University of Queensland has a health and wellbeing research centre based right here in Springfield?
The UQ Centre for Community Health and Wellbeing – led by Professor Lauren Ball – is located at the Springfield Tower office building on Sinnathamby Boulevard.
Professor Ball established the Centre in January this year. It is hosted by the UQ School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences in partnership with Springfield City Group.
Her vision is for all Australians to be supported by a health care system that allows them to reach their full potential in life.
To that end, the Centre’s goal is to creatively blend research excellence, leadership, and strategy to empower influential thought leaders.
Lauren and her team are engaged in a variety of research projects out of their Springfield offices that will have genuine benefits for individuals, families, and society – not just in Springfield but across Australia.
As part of this goal, Lauren will begin contributing to our magazine a monthly digest, covering some of the most important and cutting-edge health topics and issues faced by the community.
Additionally, a QR code directing our readers to an important health survey will be regularly linked. This will be displayed both in print and online.
The information is being provided with help from Knowledge Translation and Impact Manager Clare Van Dorssen and other experts at the Community Health and Wellbeing centre.
The Greater Springfield Times is proud to share their work.
Collaboration and impact
Professor Lauren Ball is an accomplished research leader, capable of building multidisciplinary teams that develop innovative solutions to complex problems.
Her work spans general practice, community care, aged care, allied health, workforce development, digital health, and population health.
“I have a clinical background as an Advanced Accredited Practising Dietitian and Exercise Physiologist, which has provided me with an understanding of the way health professionals and their services enable health and wellbeing in people, groups, and communities,” Lauren said.
Lauren has received a national award for excellence in PhD supervision and several awards for research excellence.
“I am a collaborative, ambitious worker with a strong ability to bring people together and generate large-scale research endeavours that have maximum impact for health and wellbeing.”
The professor’s resume includes two fellowships with the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) – the main statutory authority of the Australian Government responsible for medical research.
Well-known locally, particularly as a regular contributor for research news commentary and analysis website The Conversation, Professor Ball has an international reputation for improving the health of communities by translating knowledge into real life scenarios.
For more information about the Centre and Professor Lauren Ball, respectively, visit the Twitter profiles @UQCCHW and @ProfLaurenBall.
