Role
The Australian Government has committed $50 million from 2023-2024 under the MRFF to improve outcomes for people experiencing PASC. Funding is from the MRFF’s Emerging Priorities and Consumer-Driven Research initiative.
The EAP developed a PASC research plan that identifies short (1-2 years) and medium (3-4 years) term priorities that:
- generate evidence on the current and future impacts of PASC in Australia
- design and evaluate clinical pathways and models of care that address inequities in access and outcomes
- find new therapeutic approaches to preventing PASC and/or improving health outcomes for individuals with PASC.
Find out from EAP members about the urgent need for a sustainable plan in improving health outcomes for people living with long COVID.
Members
The EAP was independently chaired and included members with expertise or experience in PASC and/or other post-viral syndromes. At least one member was a consumer representative.It ceased in July 2023. The following information, including declarations of interest, was current until the EAP ceased.
|
Member |
Background and experience |
Declarations of interest |
|
Professor Gail Matthews (Chair) |
Professor Gail Matthews is an infectious diseases physician. She is Head of Infectious Diseases at St Vincent’s Hospital and Head of the Therapeutic Research and Vaccine Program at the Kirby Institute. |
Nil. |
|
Professor Andrew Lloyd |
Professor Andrew Lloyd is an experienced infectious diseases physician, and an academic leader in epidemiology, virology, and immunology. He is Director of the University of New South Wales Fatigue Clinic and Research Program. |
Nil. |
|
Professor Lena Sanci |
Professor Lena Sanci is Head of Department, Chair of General Practice and co-lead of the Children and Young People’s Research Stream at the University of Melbourne. She is Chair of the Victorian Practice Based Research Network and co-chair of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioner’s children and young people’s committee. |
Nil. |
|
Professor Jennifer Alison |
Professor Jennifer Alison is a physiotherapist and Professor of Respiratory Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney. She serves as Professor of Allied Health, Sydney Local Health District. Professor Alison also leads the Living Well with Chronic Disease and Disability Research Group and the Respiratory and Cardiac Rehabilitation and Management Research Group. |
Director of Janmist Pty Ltd. |
|
Associate Professor Deborah Askew |
Associate Professor Deborah Askew is a Principal Research Fellow, General Practice Clinical Unit, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland. She also serves as Research Director, Inala Indigenous Health Service, Queensland Health. |
Nil. |
|
Dr Elizabeth Deveny |
Dr Elizabeth Deveny is Chief Executive Officer of the Consumers Health Forum of Australia. |
Chair of the Australian Digital Health Agency. |
|
Professor Sallie Pearson |
Professor Sallie Pearson is a pharmacoepidemiologist and Professor of Health Systems and Theme Principal for Health Systems Research at the University of New South Wales. Professor Pearson is Director of the NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Medicines Intelligence. |
Nil. |
|
Professorial Research Fellow Martin Hensher |
Dr Martin Hensher is the Henry Baldwin Professorial Research Fellow in Health Systems Sustainability at the Menzies Institute for Medical Research. |
Board Director of Glenview Community Services Inc. |
|
Dr Samantha Chakraborty |
Dr Samantha Chakraborty is a Senior Research Fellow in Evidence Synthesis Qualitative and Implementation Methods, Cochrane Australia. She is also Methods Chair of the Primary and Chronic Care Panel of the Australian Guidelines for the Clinical Care of People with COVID-19 at the National Clinical Evidence Taskforce. |
Senior Research Fellow in the National Clinical Evidence Taskforce and Cochrane Australia. |
|
Declarations are accurate as of 15 June 2023. No conflicts of interest required action beyond ‘register’ as defined in the MRFF Declaration of Interest Policy Statement. |
||
Related committees and groups
The MRFF PASC Research Plan reported to the Minister for Health and Aged Care.
The Health and Medical Research Office provided secretariat support to the EAP.
Contact
Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) Research Plan Expert Advisory Panel contact
This expert advisory panel advised on research investments under the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) to improve outcomes for people experiencing Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC).