On behalf of the AIPN Executive, a warm welcome to the newest members of the committee, elected at our recent AGM.
Deb Costello (Secretary)
Senior Policy Officer, WA Road Safety Commission
Deborah Costello has 25 years experience working with a range of government, non-government and not-for-profit organisations. She has worked across the health, community care, aged care and injury prevention sectors gaining experience in areas such as management, partnership development, funding, contract negotiations, community engagement, policy development and analysis, strategic and business planning, program design management, implementation and evaluation. Deborah has been on numerous Board and Committees throughout her career and is the current Chair of the Australian Safe Communities Foundation Inc and is also a co-Chair of the Pan Pacific Safe Communities Foundation Inc.
Amy Peden
National Manager – Research and Policy; PhD Candidate, Royal Life Saving Society – Australia; CPHMVS, James Cook University
Amy Peden has extensive experience in the field of drowning prevention research, policy and practice. She commenced her employment in the National Office of the Royal Life Saving Society – Australia in 2007. In her current position as National Manager – Research and Policy she is responsible for a range of research projects including the production of the National Drowning Report annually, as well as maintaining the Royal Life Saving National Fatal Drowning Database, conducting research on a wide range of topics and advocating for the prevention of drowning in the media. She is currently undertaking a PhD into river drowning prevention with the College for Public Health, Medicine and Veterinary Sciences at James Cook University.
Marilyn Johnson
Senior Research Fellow with the Institute of Transport Studies, Department of Civil Engineering, Monash University
Marilyn is also the Research and Policy Manager at the Amy Gillett Foundation. Marilyn’s research expertise is in cycling including cyclist safety, cyclist-driver interactions and electric bike use in Australia.
Susan Adams
Staff Specialist, Head of Department, Paediatric Surgery
Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick
Susan Adams is a general Paediatric Surgeon who trained at Prince of Wales Children’s Hospital, Royal Alexandria Hospital for Children and Alder Hey Children’s Hospital Liverpool UK. She has an interest in childhood injury prevention, having been on the Kidsafe Council since 1996 and as a member of the NSW Child Death Review Team.
She is proud to be part of an innovative, skilled surgical team at Sydney Children’s Hospital where she now heads the Surgical Division. Susan also runs the Vascular Anomalies service, and has an active interest in ensuring paediatric surgical services reach those who need them close to where they live. Susan values collaborating with other researchers in the area of trauma and childhood injury prevention.
Barbara Brighton
Research Coordinator, Surf Life Saving Australia
Barbara Brighton is the Research Coordinator at Surf Life Saving Australia (SLSA) where she is responsible for generating the National Coastal Safety Report annually and coordinating various research projects. She completed her MSc degree in Marine Science at Long Island University in New York before moving to Australia. Some of the research she has been involved with at SLSA includes rip currents, personal protective equipment, rocky coast risk assessments and coastal drowning epidemiology.
Kathleen Clapham
Professor of Indigenous Health in the Australian Health Services Research Institute (AHSRI)
Kathleen Clapham is a Professor of Indigenous Health in the Australian Health Services Research Institute (AHSRI) at the University of Wollongong and an Honorary Professional Fellow at The George Institute for Global Health. Kathleen has a BA (Hons First Class) and PhD in Anthropology and has worked in higher education and research since 1985, specialising in Indigenous health research and education. Kathleen has conducted numerous program evaluations in addition to being chief investigator on several NHMRC and ARC funded and other studies. Her research interests include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, child health and wellbeing, injury prevention and safety promotion.
The new members join existing AIPN Executive Members:
Associate Professor Kerrianne Watt (President – currently on maternity leave)
Dr Alexia Lennon (Acting President)
Dr Lara Harvey (Treasurer)
Professor Rebecca Ivers
Associate Professor Kirsten Vallmuur
Dr Erica Davison
Dr Bridie Scott-Parker
Dr Scott Talpey
Sheree Bekker (Student Representative)
