Quality of life

Dr Lisa Martin

Dr Lisa Martin is a Senior Researcher at the Foundation. She has worked in burns research since 2009, following a career in critical care and emergency nursing, cardiology research, and clinical trials.

She has a Master of Public Health and is involved in burn prevention and product safety across Australia and New Zealand. Her PhD explored psychological recovery after burn, and she recently secured support from the Raine Foundation to continue this work.

She is currently working with patients to create new and innovative resources for patients, to help them manage the challenges of their burn injury. Her primary role with the Fiona Wood Foundation is to lead burn research in the Stan Perron Centre of Excellence for Childhood Burns at Perth Children’s Hospital.

Connect with Lisa | lisa.martin3@health.wa.gov.au

Dr Treya Long - Research Assistant 

Treya is an Exercise Physiologist, whose Doctoral studies investigated exercise as a medicine in oncology. Now a valued member of the paediatric burns research team she brings her skills into the burn care environment. Her focus are physical outcomes after burn injury and you will find her in the burns clinic collecting information on strength and physical function to investigate how these are impacted by burn injuries.

Tanesha Dimanopoulos - Research Assistant

Tanesha, our valued research assistant, has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, considerable experience in medical administration and a passion for the health and research sector. Joining our team in 2020, she has quickly established herself as an approachable, able and adept member of the research team. You will find her in the ward or in clinic coordinating the clinical part of the Biobank project.

Victoria Shoesmith - Research Assistant

Victoria has a background in nursing, health education, research, recruitment and patient care and is inspired by the aim of improving patient outcomes after burn.  She also joined the team in 2020 and we appreciate her genuine and easy-going manner which ensures she quickly connects with patients, parents and families.  You will find her in the ward or in clinic coordinating the clinical part of the Impact project.

Nutan Chaudhari - Research Assistant

Nutan has recently completed her PhD which investigated the use of a new treatment for burn scarring.  She is now part of the PCH research team coordinating and supporting Tanesha by liaising between the patient end of the Biobank study at Perth Children’s Hospital and the technical end at the University of Western Australia.  She is also project officer for the BRANZ registry, and you will find her at both Perth Children’s Hospital and Fiona Stanley Hospital coordinating this data.

The team all work closely with each other, supporting and helping with all projects to ensure a seamless and efficient research effort at Perth Children’s Hospital. We are immensely proud of each and everyone, who all work incredibly hard in their roles here at the Fiona Wood Foundation.

Amira Allaham - PhD Candidate

Amira is a PhD student at the University of Western Australia studying the effect of burn injuries on the brain and mental health. Previous studies have shown an increase in the rate of mental health issues including depression and anxiety following burn injuries. This increase is likely associated with the inflammatory response accompanying burns. 

Amira is comparing the PedsQL (Quality of life survey) of paediatric burn patients, diabetic patients and normal population and drawing correlations between the injury parameters and the survey.

Nichola Foster

Nichola Foster is a PhD student at The University of Notre Dame. Her PhD project explores a rare yet devastating complication of Burn injury called Heterotopic Ossification (HO).  The study series aims to describe the prevalence of traumatic HO and identify common clinical risk factors associated with HO formation. This research will foster the development of novel diagnostic technologies and prophylactic interventions to prevent and/or ameliorate this devastating complication after trauma. Collaborating with Burns Centres in Victoria and NSW, her project involves the analysis of blood and tissue samples from known HO sufferers to identify the cellular and molecular events that are specific to HO formation following burn trauma.

• Outcomes/Impact study - Collection of physical and psychosocial outcome measures in outpatient scar clinics as an assessment of recovery.

• Biobank study.

• Biomarker study.

• Update and inform the evidence based protocol for management of patients with face burns in relation to silicon based gels with the view of improving patient outcomes & minimising hospital costs.

• Burns, mental health & circadian rhythm.

• More than Skin Deep - Online education module to support patients and families psychosocial wellbeing.

• Burn Registry of Australia and New Zealand

• Optimal Recovery after Burn (ORB) project (with thanks to The Raine Foundation)