Congratulations to the 2021 Dr Renée Sheedy Scholarship recipients
Barwon Health’s Allied Health Directorate is honoured to award the Dr Renée Sheedy Scholarship in 2021, to two allied health clinician-researchers in memory of Dr Renée Sheedy.
Renée was a senior neurological physiotherapist and worked at Barwon Health from 2006 until 2014. She was a passionate clinician and researcher, and through her Professional Doctorate Renée was investigating physical activity levels during early recovery from stroke. She was awarded her Doctorate posthumously by La Trobe University in 2015.
The scholarship fund was established in 2017 to honour the contribution Renée made to Barwon Health as a clinician-researcher and to encourage and support allied health clinicians to undertake research-relevant professional development activities. At the first Allied Health Forum in 2021, two very worthy candidates were awarded the Dr Renée Sheedy Scholarship: Laura Morrison and Dr Robert Pereira. Both Laura and Robert had the privilege of working with Renée and felt particularly honoured to be awarded the scholarship.
Laura Morrison is a speech pathologist both leading and actively involved in multiple allied health research projects at Barwon Health. Laura is leading research into oral health practice for inpatients at Barwon Health. The scholarship funds will contribute to the fees for Laura to attend a qualitative research methods short course at Monash University.
Dr Robert Pereira is PhD-qualified occupational therapist who has led multiple research projects at Barwon Health. Robert is passionate about supporting optimal consumer partnership in healthcare and in research. He has recently led a project in which consumers were co-researchers. The scholarship funds will pay for Robert’s registration for Occupational Therapy Australia’s National Conference and Exhibition, where he will present the findings of his team’s co-produced research into the experiences of care coordination for consumers with complex needs.
Renée’s son, Harry, presented the scholarships to Laura and Robert. Renée’s husband, Dan, and parents, Sandra and Jim were also at the forum and were pleased to see the scholarship awarded to two deserving allied health clinician-researchers, in honour of Renée.