Sue Dowe

I have a longstanding interest in medical and health sciences, and I became involved in consumer health advocacy because of previous complex health situations as both patient and carer. I have undergone treatment for breast cancer and I was a carer for my mother, who had chronic extensive peripheral venous disease and related health issues for many years. 

It becomes easier to accept previous difficult life events and outcomes if insights from these can be applied for the benefit of others.  

In 2022 I became a consumer representative with UTS CST/IMPACCT for a research project about wound management. This arose through my similar work with Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA), a cancer advocacy organisation.  

I find it rewarding that perspectives from my experiences have been sought by researchers working on projects to assist patients, their families and carers, and the community as a whole.

I am interested in innovations in palliative care and how patients can be persuaded to embrace its benefits to assist themselves, their carers and their families.

Effective research environments must always consider a range of informed viewpoints to attain the best outcomes – the collaborative approach at IMPACCT actively seeks practical lived experience from consumer representatives to enhance clinical care, quality of life and human dignity.