Commuting to work on the top of a double decker bus was a “very novel” experience for Mater Research Occupational Therapy PhD student Aleysha Martin, who recently returned from a five-week industry placement at the Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT) in London.

Aleysha, who is now completing the placement virtually for the next five weeks back home in Brisbane, is looking into the Top 10 Priorities for Occupational Therapy Research, which were set in 2020 via a priority setting partnership with the James Lind Alliance.

“Because of COVID, a lot of focus had shifted away from the research priorities, so my job with the RCOT was reviewing where they are and helping to refocus the research agenda,” Aleysha said.

“It’s really given me the opportunity to practice my research skills and, most importantly, make connections with other people in the Occupational Therapy field in the UK. Having the opportunity to meet people who work for the RCOT, particularly those with similar research interests to me, has been so worthwhile.

“It was also nice to gain an understanding of what is being done in the field in the UK, and how that compares to what we are doing in Australia.”

Upon completion, she will have the opportunity to present her work to the RCOT and will be supported to publish her work.

Before heading back to Australia, Aleysha also spent time in Belgium presenting at the 23rd International Conference on Integrated Care in Antwerp.

“The conference was such a wonderful experience. It ran for three days, and my presentation, Transdisciplinary is the new multidisciplinary: why and how can healthcare workers and managers make the shift? was on day two.  

“The conference was a great opportunity to connect with likeminded people about integrated care, consumer engagement, lived experience, how to work together better as healthcare teams. My transdisciplinary research is about working better together, and I think it was really well received.”

Aleysha said she is incredibly lucky to have had the support of Maree Lalor and Ray Kopeshke in the Mater Occupational Therapy leadership team to undertake the placement, as well as support from her PhD principal supervisor Dr Liisa Laakso and PhD advisory team.

“This international opportunity has been a highlight of my PhD and isn’t something that I thought was possible when I first started.”

Aleysha hopes to finish her PhD within the next year and is now looking into future collaborations with fellow researchers and clinicians who are interested in her work.

“I love working at Mater, so if there was an opportunity for me to continue here doing clinical research that would be amazing.”

Aleysha was recently successful in winning the Stroke Foundation Quality Improvement Award. As part of this award, she will receive mentoring to submit an abstract, as well an invitation to the Stroke 2023 Conference in Melbourne in August.

For more information about Mater Research’s Allied Health Research Program, click here.