Seven Monash Health employees awarded Emerging Researcher Fellowships in 2026
- Research
- 3 min read
The fellows come from across the organisation, reflecting the breadth of research activity taking place across Monash Health’s clinical workforce.
Congratulations to our 2026 Emerging Researcher Fellows:
- Alisa Robertson – Registrar, Infectious Diseases
- Kirsten O’Gorman – Clinical Lead Physiotherapist (Grade 4) Gerontology Stream, Physiotherapy
- Guoxi (Tim) Yang – Clinical Nurse Specialist, Nephrology
- Kristina Sabado – Clinical Nurse Specialist (Research Nurse), Cardiac Emergency
- Oshara De Silva – Senior Dietitian, Nutrition and Dietetics
- Hongyi (Ruth) Liu – Medical Practitioner, Department of Medicine
- Sen-Pao Chang -Medical Laboratory Scientist, Haematology
‘The 2026 cohort is one of the strongest we’ve seen. What stood out wasn’t just the quality of the research questions, but the genuine passion these clinicians bring to improving care for their patients. The fellowship exists to turn that passion into something tangible, and this group is a perfect example of why that investment matters,’ said Associate Professor Tam Nguyen, Director of Research.
The selection panel, led by Associate Professor Nguyen, assessed applications against Monash Health’s Strategic Accelerators: Joy Beyond the Hospital, Tomorrow’s Care Today, and Joy in Work. The panel was struck by how closely the submitted projects reflected these priorities in practice.
Among the 2026 cohort, Clinical Lead Physiotherapist Kirsten O’Gorman will investigate how physical function tests can predict falls in older adults after discharge in her project, From Hospital to Home: Predicting Falls in Older Adults Using Physical Function Tests.
Clinical Nurse Specialist Kristina Sabado’s project, titled Early Recognition of Acute Coronary Syndrome in Monash Health Emergency Departments: Co-design and Pilot Implementation of a Consumer-Driven Digital Screening Tool, takes a co-design approach to improving cardiac care in emergency settings, developing a patient-facing digital screening tool to help identify acute coronary syndrome earlier.
Investing in early-career researchers
The fellowship was established with the primary purpose of investing in early-career researchers with significant potential, providing the support needed to advance their professional growth.
It focuses on encouraging Monash Health employees to undertake translational research projects and is designed to serve as a preparatory step towards pursuing a PhD.
Each of the 2026 fellows will receive financial support to either backfill some of their usual duties or increase their time fraction, giving them the dedicated capacity to carry out their projects over a 12-month period.
They will also be paired with experienced Monash Health staff who will supervise them throughout.
The fellowship is particularly suited to staff who have a research idea but have not yet had the opportunity or structural support to pursue it.
For clinicians, nurses, allied health professionals and scientists who want to move from practice into inquiry, it offers a genuine roadmap.
To find out more about the 2026 fellows and their projects, visit the Emerging Researcher Fellowships page.
Staff can also hear directly from past fellows about their experiences at the dedicated Emerging Researcher Fellowship session during Research and Innovation Week, running from 7 to 11 September.
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