Professor Angela Dawson. Photo: Andy Roberts
The UTS Research Institute for Innovative Solutions for Wellbeing and Health (INSIGHT) is an emerging flagship research collaboration within the Faculty of Health.
Associate Dean (Research), Professor Angela Dawson, says that the new Institute will draw on existing capabilities and explore areas of emerging research.
“INSIGHT is not a medical research institute in the classic sense. We’ve got a strong focus on wellbeing, and taking multi- and transdisciplinary approaches to solve wicked problems in health,” she says.
“We’re becoming a convening space for change in health and wellbeing. Researchers can come together – regardless of what faculty or school or research centre they work in – to form collaboratives that address problems and generate new knowledge to benefit our communities.”
Work has already begun with the convening of the UTS Ageing Research Collaborative forming a model for how the different centre collaboratives could operate. Next will be digital health.
To begin, INSIGHT will focus on six key research themes: ageing, aged care and dementia; women’s and children’s health; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health; global health; palliative care and chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes; and disability and mental health.
“As we grow, we’re looking to extend our collaborations and engagements well beyond UTS,” Professor Dawson says.
“We’re continuing to explore existing relationships with local universities – we already do a lot of work with USyd and UNSW researchers and the Sydney Partnership for Health, Education, Research and Enterprise (SPHERE). And we have growing networks of international academic institutions.”
“We’re working very hard to realise new partnerships with industry in the broadest sense. That includes health professionals in the public and private sector and especially in the not-for-profit space.”
Researchers can come together – regardless of what faculty or school or research centre they work in – to form collaboratives that address problems and generate new knowledge.
The Institute will also leverage the substantial existing capabilities within the Faculty of Health.
“We want to bring people into INSIGHT to keep building our methodological expertise. Bio-statistics, data science, health economics, clinical trials and implementation science are all key areas where we have leadership within existing research centres such as IMPACCT and CHERE,” Professor Dawson says.
At INSIGHT, they are also exploring some emerging areas of research such as the multifaceted heath impacts of climate change particularly around mitigation and disaster resilience.
“We’re looking at how we can mobilise researchers around the university to work in this space, especially given the huge amount of funding becoming available to address these issues.”
INSIGHT will officially launch in the coming months, and as the Institute’s agenda develops they will welcome in new members and associate members to work in their research collaboratives.
If you have research interests in any related areas, email Angela Dawson to discuss how you can get involved.
