Our Team

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.

Sabrina is the Administration and Project Coordinator with over 5 years’ experience in the not-for-profit sector, including home and community aged care and residential services as an Aged Care Coordinator. Sabrina is passionate about contributing to the ongoing research and innovation in the aged care space to help support older people and improve their quality of life.

PHD

Stephanie Champion is a Research Fellow and Facilitator for ARIIA's Workforce Capability Development Programs. Her research interests involve finding digital solutions to improve health and wellness for older population, deliver personalised care and support healthy ageing for independently living older Australians. Currently, Stephanie is working to evaluate the impact of the Workforce Capability Development Programs on Innovators and their organisations.

Victoria is a Research Fellow in ARIIA’s Workforce capability and Capacity team.  A social gerontologist, Victoria has undertaken research on areas including housing, in-home care provision for older people, the aged care workforce, community wellbeing for older people, and end of life care, seeking to optimise outcomes for older people in the context of choice, independence, housing security, participation in community life and wellbeing. Victoria has also worked in the government and not for profit sectors and combines her experiences to support the aged care sector to grow and to adapt, adopt and apply evidence to their context through regularly facilitating co-design workshops that develop translational research projects. 

As as an Administration Officer, my experience in the aged care industry spans 25 plus years in residential aged care, including customer service, finance and office administration. I look forward to bringing my knowledge and skills to the ARIIA team.

PhD

Janine is a Research Fellow in the Knowledge and Implementation Hub (KIH) and a research methodologist and health service researcher with extensive experience in evidence generation and synthesis, particularly in clinical guidelines and different types of reviews. She is applying these skills in producing evidence-based information for the aged-care sector.

MHlthAdmin, BPhysio

Liana is the Senior Manager, Industry and Engagement 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.

BSc(Jurisprudence), BSc(Hons), PhD

Dr. Alexandra Farrall is a post-doctoral Research Fellow in the Workforce Capability and Capacity team. Bringing to the team her extensive experience in multi-centre, multi-disciplined collaborative health and clinical research both nationally and internationally, she is contributing to the development and delivery of research and consultancy projects for ARIIA with aged care sector partners. This includes contribution to the national MRFF Multidisciplinary Primary Care Research, Policy and Advocacy Consortium for future-focused models of multidisciplinary team-based primary care delivery in Australia. 

As an administration officer, Faye comes with 20 years worth of experience in customer service and office administration, dealing with a diverse range of organisations. Faye is passionate about providing support to ARIIA’s team members, helping streamline office operations and contributing to ARIIA’s mission to provide positive transformations in aged care.

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.

Hannah brings a breadth of knowledge and experience to her role as Projects and Stakeholder Manager for the Aged Care Collaborative initiative. She has extensive experience in workshop facilitation, digital transformation and project administration in the public sector. More recently, she has led innovation programs, working with companies in areas including medtech, human resources and AI. She is passionate about embedding human-centred design, program design and social impact through innovation.

PhD, MClin Epi and BPharm

Dr  Jodie Hillen is a Senior Research Fellow for the Aged Care Collaborative (ACC) Flagship Program. Her role supports the implementation and evaluation of the Program with a focus on data informed quality of care.

Jodie has over 20 years’ experience working as a clinician and researcher in the Australian health care sector. Jodie is experienced in extracting and analysing health-related data to inform quality of care across a range of health sectors including aged care. 

The outcomes of her research seek to deepen our understanding of the strengths and limitations of healthcare systems to inform safety and quality of health care and health policy.

MSc (Distinction)

Renee Jaine is supporting the rollout of ARIIA’s Flagship 1 project, to enhance role clarity, communication and career pathways in the aged care sector. She is a behavioural scientist and a former management consultant, with expertise in qualitative research and insights, human-centred design, facilitation, change projects, and evaluation. Renee is also a qualified individual and team coach, and she’s passionate about helping people to thrive – at work and beyond. 

BA (MarCom)

Jasmine is the Marketing and Communications Officer, with over 7 years’ experience across aged care, palliative and end-of-life care, home improvements, finance, and real estate. She brings a wealth of experience in graphic design, content creation, social media, website management, and is passionate about creating engaging communications. 

As Manager of Capability Programs at ARIIA, Tara leads the development and delivery of initiatives that build the capability of the aged care workforce. With over 10 years of experience in the sector, she brings expertise in business operations, workforce coordination and person-centred care. Tara is passionate about supporting aged care professionals to implement practical, scalable solutions that improve service quality and workforce sustainability across diverse care settings.

Justyna Pollok is a Research Fellow in the Knowledge and Implementation Hub with expertise in medical science, evidence synthesis, and behavioural research. Her work focuses on developing consumer-informed solutions that respond to the challenges of aged care and support innovation across the sector. She aims to contribute to better care experiences and outcomes for older people by translating evidence into practice and supporting the design of care systems through effective knowledge translation. Informed by her PhD research in chronic illness, mental health, and Aboriginal health, Justyna is guided by an evidence-based approach and the belief that quality care honours the values, dignity, and lived experience of each person. 

In her role, Clara coordinates the delivery of ARIIA’s Workforce Capability Development Programs. She holds a PhD in medical science and brings a decade of experience in higher education and biomedical research. With a passion for research implementation and translation, Clara is dedicated to maintaining the high-quality delivery of ARIIA’s programs and is excited to contribute her expertise in supporting innovation within the aged care sector.

Dr Hardy is the Senior Research Fellow, Knowledge and Implementation Hub, specialising in translating evidence into practical solutions that improve services and outcomes. With experience in implementation science, co-design, and program evaluation, she brings a systems perspective and collaborative approach to support meaningful, evidence-informed change in aged care that is grounded in the needs of older people and those who support them. She has held leadership roles in academic and aged care service settings to co-produce relevant, actionable research.

Paul is a qualified Information Specialist and Research Associate at ARIIA with over 20 years’ experience in adult social care and aged care across the UK and Australia. He specialises in research methods and search methodology, with expertise in translating complex evidence into sector-ready knowledge products and web resources. His work spans workforce retention, training, digital transformation, seldom-heard groups and policy, underpinned by his ability to research across diverse topics and deliver responsive, evidence-based solutions for providers and commercial clients.

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 Innovation Capability Program and Leading Innovation For Transformation programs.

Irene is the Digital Content and Learning Designer for ARIIA and brings over 20 years of experience in digital content management of websites and social media platforms from local and state government. She is also an accomplished photographer and artist.

BMgmt (Mktg)

Anne is a marketing and communications professional, specialising in strategy, project portfolio planning, campaign management, stakeholder engagement, and the customer journey. She is also a qualified Project Manager. Anne developed her skills across a range of industries including energy, education, health promotion, sustainable transport and aged care. She is passionate about the care provided to older people, especially those with dementia.

BSocSc (Psych)

Holly’s experience spans human resources, operations management, change implementation and marketing communications, and she holds a degree in psychology. Holly is passionate about supporting individuals, leaders and organisations to think differently about challenges, create thriving work environments, and implement future-focused solutions that have real impact. As Senior Manager, Strategic Projects Holly works closely with the ARIIA Executive Team to deliver large-scale projects that advance ARIIA’s mission and vision.

Jacqueline has 14 years' experience in healthy ageing and sustainability with tertiary qualifications in Gerontology, Project Management and Design. She blends healthy ageing knowledge, innovation, and project management to drive impactful change. Entrepreneurial, efficient, and people-focused, Jacqueline turn ideas into action—optimising systems, engaging stakeholders, and building strong, motivated teams. 

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.

BPharm (Hons), GradCertPharmPrac, PhD

Dr Vivien Tong is a Research Fellow in the Knowledge and Implementation Hub team. Vivien’s expertise and professional strengths are centred on consumer involvement, health literacy, user testing, health communication, and information design. Bringing experience gained from diverse client-commissioned and investigator-initiated projects, Vivien is passionate about facilitating meaningful information exchange, dynamic engagement and effective communication with intended audiences and end users. 

BSCS, MSIT

As the IT Manager, Eric oversees activities related to the ongoing operation and development of ARIIA’s platforms and applications. With over 25 years of IT experience in the education, finance, and health sectors, Eric collaborates with stakeholders, external providers, and internal workstreams to support ARIIA’s initiatives across digital ecosystems.

Antonia is a Digital Content Officer specialising in content collection, creation, project management and systems coordination. She draws on her experience in the creative arts to build and manage teams of collaborators. In this way, consumers and stakeholders are delivered engaging and informative content.