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Sabina Clapham is a healthcare clinician and leader specialising in palliative care outcomes, quality improvement, and education. As Director of the Palliative Care Outcomes Collaboration (PCOC) and Coordinating Investigator for the National Palliative Care Coordination (NPCC) Project, she has led the national implementation of patient outcome measures, enhancing the quality, sustainability and impact of palliative care services across Australia.

Currently pursuing a PhD at the University of ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½, Sabina’s research focuses on defining health service capabilities in palliative care. Her work has attracted $12.5 million in research funding, with outputs including eight peer-reviewed publications, over 1,000 non-traditional outputs, seven conference presentations, and six keynote addresses across five countries. Sabina’s outcome measurement protocols are implemented in more than 200 Australian palliative care services, benefiting 65,000 patients annually. 

P: (02) 4239 2372
E: sabina_clapham@uow.edu.au

Ally joined the PCOC team in 2025 as an Improvement Facilitator for South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania, bringing with her over 15 years of clinical experience.

Ally holds a Bachelor of Science (Population Health) and a Bachelor of Nursing. Since graduating, Ally has worked as a Registered nurse in critical care, Generalist Community and Palliative Care settings.

Ally progressed into health leadership and management roles within NSW Health, where she currently works as the Nurse Unit Manager for a Generalist Nursing and Community Palliative care team for the local health district.

P: (02) 4239 3769
E: allison_barnaba@uow.edu.au

Animut received his PhD in Public Health from the University of Technology Sydney in 2023 and joined NPCC at the University of ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ in 2024. Before joining this role, Animut gained significant experience as a casual academic and research assistant in the School of Public Health at UTS.

Additionally, he served as a full-time lecturer at Debre Markos University in Ethiopia. Animut has a profound interest in employing advanced statistical analysis across various health domains, including palliative care, infectious diseases, child malnutrition, chronic diseases, neonatal health, and maternal health.

P: (02) 4239 2026
E: animut_ayalew@uow.edu.au

Dr. Poudel holds a PhD in Pharmacy from the University of Queensland (UQ) and has over 15 years of experience in pharmacy education, research, and practice across Nepal, Canada, and Australia. A recognized expert in aging, pharmacotherapy for frail older adults, and palliative care, he specializes in developing research-driven learning environments that foster academic excellence and innovation

His research has influenced policy changes and earned academic recognition. Beyond academia, he has served on university committees, engaged in community outreach programs, and reviewed for leading journals and funding bodies.  He has also supervised PhD and Master's candidates in both academic and industrial settings at multiple institutions and levels of responsibility.

P: (02) 4239 2146
E: arjun_poudel@uow.edu.au

Dr Jack Thepsourinthone joined the team as a Research Specialist in 2025 and holds a PhD in Health Science, a Master of Research, and a Bachelor of Psychology. They have extensive expertise in designing, conducting, and analysing research within the public health sector, examining various social determinants of health among minority and marginalised populations (e.g., LGBTQIA+, POC, ageing). Their academic outputs include numerous peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations, and explore topics including mental health, quality of life, and access to health services.

P: (02) 4239 3723
E: jack_thepsourinthone@uow.edu.au

Jesse joined the PCOC team in July 2024 and graduated with a Bachelor of Mathematics (Honours) in 2019, majoring in Applied Statistics. Since then, he has worked as a Biometrician in the agricultural sector before becoming a Performance Analyst for NSW Health. He has held multiple mathematics, statistics and data science teaching roles and has diverse experience with public health sector data and analytics.

P. (02) 4239 3493
E: jesse_rand@uow.edu.au

Keryn joined the NPCC project in February 2025 and has a background in Physiotherapy, working throughout the Illawarra and Sydney Health Districts through 1983-2000, mainly in neurological rehabilitation. She completed a Master of Public Health (2005) and PhD (2010) at UOW and has worked on a casual or part-time basis as a researcher at UOW since 2006, as well as working as a Physiotherapist in Aged Care (2016-2019). She has managed or been a co-investigator in a wide range of mixed method research projects over the past 16 years, as well as extensive teaching expertise through working for the Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences/Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½. She is interested in the use of mixed method research methodologies, particularly in evaluation, and working with vulnerable populations to improve health and wellbeing.

P: (02) 4221 5214
E: keryn_johnson@uow.edu.au

Kylie joined the Australasian Health Outcomes Consortium (AHOC), specifically the PCOC team, in April 2023.  Kylie has worked in the palliative care sector for 32 years and developed extensive skills and knowledge in this space.  Kylie has a Bachelor of Nursing, Graduate Diploma in Palliative care, Diploma in Dementia Care, Graduate Certificate in Consumer and Community engagement and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD). Kylie started her career as a palliative care nurse at Caritas Christi Hospice in Melbourne and then moved into the community and worked with Eastern palliative care (EPC) for 24 years. Kylie was the Manager of Nursing and Medical services at EPC for most of this time and part of the senior management team. Kylie is a committee member of the Palliative Care Nurses Australia (PCNA).

P: (02) 4239 2043
E: kylie_draper@uow.edu.au

Le-Tisha brings diverse experience into her role as an Improvement Facilitator having worked across a range of population and public health roles. Graduating with a Master of Science (Nutrition and Dietetics), Le-Tisha brings skills in assessment, analysis and group facilitation and is committed to the promotion and provision of evidence-based practice. Her most recent experience is in national cancer control, having contributed to a range of initiatives aimed at improving the experiences and outcomes for people affected by lung cancer in Australia. She is passionate about knowledge translation and advancing positive outcomes for all Australians through data-informed action. 

P: (02) 4239 3817
E: le-tisha_kable@uow.edu.au

Lily Tuivaga joined the PCOC team in August 2024, and graduated with a Bachelor of Communication (Social and Political Sciences) and Bachelor of Creative Intelligence and Innovation in 2019 at the University of Technology, Sydney. She has since completed a Cert. IV in Floristry at TAFE NSW, and has worked as a senior florist for several years throughout Sydney and the Illawarra. Over time, Lily has acquired many years of diverse experience in event coordinating, floral design and administration. 

P: (02) 4239 3521
E: lily_tuivaga@uow.edu.au

Linda joined AHOC at UOW in 2009 after extensive experience working in aged and community care program management in both the Commonwealth Government and community sectors. In AHOC, Linda has provided administrative and project support to the Palliative Care Outcomes Collaboration (PCOC), the Centre for Health Research Illawarra Shoalhaven Population (CHRISP) and the electronic Persistent Pain Outcomes Collaboration (ePPOC). Linda joined the National Palliative Care Coordination (NPCC) project in November 2024.

P: (02) 4221 5092
E: linda_foskett@uow.edu.au

Nicola joined the PCOC team in November 2024.  Nicola brings over 12 years of specialised experience in clinical trial ethics and governance processes, with particular expertise in oncology research. Her multifaceted career encompasses team leadership, business development, project management, and significant contributions to research ethics through her voluntary service on the Monash University Animal Ethics Committee. As a consumer volunteer in oncology research, she brought valuable perspective to the intersection of clinical trials and patient needs.

Drawing on her qualifications in Business, Project Management, and Health Sciences, Nicola demonstrates a comprehensive understanding of both the strategic and practical aspects of clinical research. Her commitment to health equity and ethical research practices is reflected in her varied roles across the healthcare research landscape.

P. (02) 4239 3573
E: nicola_howell@uow.edu.au

Dr Pippa Burns is an experienced mixed methods researcher with a background in public health.

Pippa has a strong foundation in both practice and research, having had the opportunity to work in health, academic and non-profit settings. She has managed multiple research projects, including Project DARE (Dementia, Art, Research and Education). Pippa is passionate about using evidence-based practice to improve patient outcomes. Her research interests are in the social determinants of health, health literacy, social prescribing, and knowledge translation.

P: (02) 4239 2089
E: pippa_burns@uow.edu.au

Robyn joined the PCOC team in July 2026. She is a mixed methods researcher with an interest in the quality of use of medications, health literacy, shared decision making and person-centred care for older adults. She completed her PhD in 2021 and has published a number of peer review articles, conference presentations and resources. Robyn has extensive experience as a lecturer in Public Health at the University of ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ with a focus on the social and political determinants of health and public health policy.

Sankalpa joined the Palliative Care Outcomes Collaboration (PCOC) team in October 2025. He holds a Master of Philosophy in Statistics (2025), along with a Bachelors degree in Civil Engineering. He has both industry and teaching experience in data science and statistics.

At PCOC, he is responsible for quantitative data analysis to support national reporting, developing interactive Shiny dashboards, improving data pipelines and automating processes. He also contributes to data quality, user documentation, and aggregates data based on requests from clinicians, both within PCOC and from facilities across Australia.

P: (02) 4239 2122
E: mukundadura_fonseka@uow.edu.au

Stacey has qualifications in psychology and palliative care. She has worked previously in a regional palliative care team as the psychosocial support coordinator and various community health roles. More recently Stacey was the Healthy Ageing and Palliative Care Manager with Murrumbidgee Primary Health Network, where she developed a PCOC model of care for general practice, in collaboration with the PCOC team. Stacey joined the PCOC team as the National Education Lead in 2023 and is now undertaking the role of Project Manager for the National Palliative Care Coordination (NPCC) project. Stacey is particularly interested in improving access to timely, quality palliative care for all Australians.

P: (02) 4239 4632
E: stacey.heer@uow.edu.au

View information about the National Palliative Care Coordination (NPCC) project

Sue Heald joined the Australasian Health Outcomes Consortium (AHOC) in August 2022 as the Senior Administrative Officer, providing support to the PCOC team in both the Sydney and ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ offices. Sue has completed a Diploma of Business (Human Resources) and a Diploma in Management at TAFE NSW – Illawarra Institute.  Sue has extensive administrative experience having worked for a variety of Registered Training Organisations over many years, most recently as a Clinical Placement Officer (WSU Online) in the School of Nursing & Midwifery at Western Sydney.

P: (02) 4239 4393
E: sue_heald@uow.edu.au

Dr Thomas Futcher is a Data Analyst at the Palliative Care Outcomes Collaboration (PCOC), and he is responsible for producing the biannual reports using SAS, SQL, and R. He collaborates with Improvement Facilitators to ensure data accuracy and correctness of outcome measures. These reports are distributed to services across Australia for the purpose of helping healthcare providers better understand patients’ needs. Dr Futcher is currently in the process of updating the reports services receive from being static to interactive using R Shiny.

P. (02) 4239 3215
E: thomas_futcher@uow.edu.au

Professor Andrew Bonney has over 30 years of experience as a general practitioner on the South Coast of NSW. He is Roberta Williams Chair of General Practice and Associate Head of School Research Strategy in the Graduate School of Medicine at the University of ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½. Andrew's goal is to foster quality, equity and sustainability in primary care through education and research, with a focus on regional and rural Australia.

As an occupational therapist with 25 years clinical experience, Deidre has an in depth understanding of the public health system and the value and importance of clinical research that informs practical patient care. Her clinical and research focus is in palliative care and she has a particular interest in ways to optimise function at the end of life. Deidre's research interests focus on factors that optimise function for people with advanced disease and ways to measure meaningful clinical gains in this area. Deidre examines this from patient, caregiver, and health professional perspectives to obtain a broad understanding of the clinical issues.

Professor Judy Mullan (PhD, GAICD, FSHPA, BA, BPharm) is a nationally and internationally recognised leader in health services research, with a career spanning over three decades in pharmacy, academia, and translational health research. At the University of ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ (UOW) her leadership roles include Associate Head of School, Graduate School of Medicine ( since 2020) and Deputy Director for the new Heath Innovations Research Entity (>200 research members; since 2023). Her research focuses on the quality use of medicines, chronic disease management, health literacy, and patient education—areas in which she has made significant contributions through over 135 peer-reviewed publications and more than 150 national and international conference presentations.

Professor Katherine Clark (MBBS MMed (pain) PhD FRACP, FAChPM) is a Chief Investigator and palliative care physician. Katy holds an Honorary appointment with the University of ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½. Katy has worked as a clinician, manager, teacher and researcher in palliative care. Professor Clark is the inaugural Clinical Director for Palliative Care (Northern Sydney Local Health District Cancer and Palliative Care Network (NSLHD). She accepted this position as part of NSLHD’s commitment to developing palliative care services with the aim of ensuring all residents of northern Sydney have reliable access to evidence-based palliative care based on their clinical needs.

Professor Kirsten Auret joined the PCOC program as PCOC's Chief Investigator for WA, NT and SA in February 2021. Professor Auret is a palliative care and general physician with an academic appointment in the Rural Clinical School in the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Western Australia. Her research interests cover advance care planning and palliative care especially in rural areas and has collaborations and publications with Australian and international universities.

Distinguished Professor Yates is a PCOC Chief Investigator and holds an Honorary Professorial Fellow appointment with the University of ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½. Distinguished Professor Yates (PhD, RN, FACN, FAAN) is jointly appointed as Executive Dean, Faculty of Health at Queensland University of Technology, Lead Researcher for the Cancer Nursing Professorial Precinct at Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, and Director for Queensland Health’s statewide Centre for Palliative Care Research and Education (CPCRE). Distinguished Professor Yates has over 30 years of experience in research, education and clinical practice in cancer and palliative care. Distinguished Professor Yates is a past-President of PCA and is President of the International Society of Nurses in Cancer Care. In the 2020 Queen's Birthday List, she was honoured with a Member (AM) in the General Division of the Order of Australia.