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Our Team

The ARIIA team is made up of highly-skilled, aged care specialists, with practical experience, knowledge, and expertise in translational research, good practice, and evidence-based innovation. We also have access to extensive resources and networks across industry, government, business, and academia.

photo of ariia team

 

Dr Rebecca Bilton
Program and Research Director
Dr Rebecca Bilton
Program and Research Director

PhD

Dr Rebecca Bilton, Program and Research Director has oversight of the ARIIA workforce capacity and capability programs and research consultancies to support the sector with evidence-based approaches to implement innovation and technology that improve aged care and services. She brings expertise in developing and delivering collaborative research partnerships; supporting workforce capability building; delivering research consultancies; undertaking strong sector-wide engagement; and the management of large local, state-wide and national projects in the aged care sector.

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Reuben Jacob
Chief Executive Officer
Reuben Jacob
Chief Executive Officer

Reuben works closely with the ARIIA staff, Board, partners and stakeholders to deliver on our mission to grow the capability of the aged care sector in order to improve care through innovation. He brings expertise and experience in strategy, executive management, business development, stakeholder engagement, commercialisation, operations and research working in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors.

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Layla Plummer
Administration Co-ordinator and Company Secretary
Layla Plummer
Administration Co-ordinator and Company Secretary

Layla Plummer is the Administration Co-ordinator and Company Secretary. She brings extensive administration experience from working in a range of industries, with a particular interest in project management and business improvement. As the Company Secretary she manages and supports the business of the ARIIA Board.

ARIIA Team

Dr Amanda Adams
Research Fellow
Dr Amanda Adams
Research Fellow

PhD

Amanda is a Research Fellow at ARIIA’s Knowledge and Implementation Hub (KIH) with a background in designing user-friendly digital resources for both the community and members of the palliative and aged care workforce. Her research interest focuses on interaction design and the evaluation of user experience, with the aim of developing user-friendly information tailored to the diverse needs and capabilities of the aged care workforce.

Olivia Baird
Manager, Marketing & Communications
Olivia Baird
Manager, Marketing & Communications

BA(WritCreatComm), AdvDip(GrDes)

As the Manager, Marketing & Communications, Olivia is responsible for managing communication of ARIIA’s exciting projects, activities, partnerships, events and success stories. With a decade of marketing experience and a background in graphic design and communications, Olivia works with ARIIA team members to collect, create and share ARIIA stories while building an engaged online community.

Dr Nicky Baker
Research Fellow
Dr Nicky Baker
Research Fellow

PhD

Nicky is a Research Fellow in ARIIA’s Workforce Capability and Capacity team. Her role links research to practice for innovative projects, implementation and evaluation frameworks. With over 20 years’ clinical and management experience in Health and Aged Care, Nicky’s research interests are evidence-informed service delivery, inter-agency collaboration and co-design. Nicky is passionate about person centredness for living and ageing well.

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Dr Clare Bradley
Senior Research Fellow
Dr Clare Bradley
Senior Research Fellow

PhD

Dr Clare Bradley is a Senior Research Fellow in the Workforce Capability and Capacity team, contributing to ARIIA’s Innovator Training Program and Innovator Network. With over 20 years’ expertise in health and aged care services research, Clare’s role is focused on developing collaborative research partnerships and highly practical research translation projects in the aged care sector to improve care.

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Andrea Cosentino
Innovation Manager, Aged Care Partnering Program
Andrea Cosentino
Innovation Manager, Aged Care Partnering Program

MA (Disability Studies), Combined BA (Hons) Gerontology and Health Studies

Andrea has over 25 years’ experience working in gerontology across the aged care, academic, local government, and not-for-profit sectors. Whether collecting and analysing data, leading multidisciplinary teams, developing strategies, policies, and procedures, or networking and developing partnerships, working with older adults and those who support them is her passion.

Liana Donleavy
Program Manager, Aged Care Partnering Program
Liana Donleavy
Program Manager, Aged Care Partnering Program

Liana is the Program Manager, Aged Care Partnering Program with over 16 years’ experience across home care, community and residential services as a manager and Physiotherapist, leading teams within not for profit, government and private organisations across a range of government-funded and private services. Her aim is to improve the lives of older people and ensure the sustainability of the sector.

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Julie Goodburn
Content Developer and Workshop Facilitator
Julie Goodburn
Content Developer and Workshop Facilitator

GCertEd., GDipSocSc, Dip TAE, Dip Pos Psych, BN

Julie is a Content Developer and Workshop Facilitator at ARIIA. Her role involves designing, developing and the delivery of learning programs to meet the capacity building and learning needs of the aged care workforce. Julie has extensive experience as an educator in Aged and Disability support, and has designed & developed learning resources for the vocational sector and aged care industry. She is passionate about developing capacity in all aged care staff to work innovatively to ensure high quality evidence-based care is delivered and evaluated.

Dr Claire Gough
Research Fellow
Dr Claire Gough
Research Fellow

PhD

Claire is an experienced physiotherapist with a background in musculoskeletal and neurological rehabilitation. She has a passion for working with older people and combining progressive technologies to promote independence and community participation. Claire is driven to improve the care and quality of life of older people and has a Postdoctoral research fellowship with ARIIA’s Knowledge and Implementation Hub.

Dr Meg Polacsek
Senior Research Fellow
Dr Meg Polacsek
Senior Research Fellow

PhD

Meg is a Senior Research Fellow in ARIIA’s Workforce Capacity and Capability team. She has extensive experience in research, project management, communications and advocacy in academic, public health and service provider settings. However, it is her early experience as a personal carer in residential and community aged care that most strongly informs her efforts to improve the experience of ageing and aged care.

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Paul Ross
Librarian
Paul Ross
Librarian

Paul is an Information Specialist within the Knowledge and Implementation Hub (KIH) and has professional skills in research, information and aged care, both in Australian and the UK. He is driven by the desire to enable individuals a voice in service delivery and has co-designed numerous programmes with older people. 

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Jane Rymell
Administration Officer
Jane Rymell
Administration Officer

As the Administration Officer in Workforce Capability and Capacity, Jane brings over 10 years’ experience in administration within an Aged Care Home supported by experience in Home & Community Care and a Diploma of Community Services. Jane supports the Workforce Capability and Capacity team to deliver projects including the Innovator Training Program.

Holly Sparrow
Manager, Strategic Projects
Holly Sparrow
Manager, Strategic Projects

In her role as Manager, Strategic Projects, Holly supports the Workforce Capability and Capacity workstream to deliver ARIIA’s Innovator Training Program and Innovator Network. Holly brings to her role extensive experience in administration, operations and human resource management, with a particular interest in optimising efficiencies, organisational engagement, and inclusivity.

Jo Tan
Innovation Manager, Aged Care Partnering Program
Jo Tan
Innovation Manager, Aged Care Partnering Program

GradCertHlth Admin, BAppSci (Physio)

Jo has extensive experience in aged care, having worked 25+ years in acute and primary care, veterans care, community, home, and residential aged care in both metropolitan and rural areas. Jo is an APA titled Gerontological Physiotherapist, holds a Graduate Certificate in Health Care Management, and has worked with aged care stakeholders to improve aged care as part of the National Aged Care Alliance. Jo has experience in research co-design, consulting and has been the Chair of the National Australian Physiotherapy Association Gerontology group, coordinating and presenting professional development programs.

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Eric Yang
Digital Content Officer
Eric Yang
Digital Content Officer

BSCS, MSIT

As the digital content officer for ARIIA, Eric works closely with researchers and the marketing team to bring the best user online experience through web technologies and systems. His expertise includes project management, website design, search engine optimisation, web accessibility, interactive content creation and data reporting. He likes to use his data analysis skills to find answers and solve issues. Eric has worked in Information technology, finance and education sectors.

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