From Evidence to Impact: Launching CRE-AHEAD
Monash Business School’s Centre for Health Economics invites you to the online launch of AHEAD, a Centre of Research Excellence dedicated to advancing health equity for people with disabilities through collaborative, evidence-informed, and impactful research.
AHEAD brings together researchers, people with lived experience of disability, policy leaders, service providers, and community partners to develop solutions that address barriers to health and wellbeing.
During this special event, attendees will:
- Learn about AHEAD’s vision, mission, and research priorities.
- Hear from AHEAD’s stream leads as they introduce key research streams and planned areas of work.
- Explore examples of current and emerging projects that demonstrate AHEAD’s approach to co-designed, policy-relevant research.
- Listen to a guest presentation from a disability advocate, sharing perspectives on the importance of inclusive research and meaningful change.
- Connect with researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and community members committed to improving outcomes for people with disabilities.
Whether you are a researcher, practitioner, policymaker, advocate or community member, we invite you to join us as we launch CRE-AHEAD and begin a shared journey toward a more equitable future for people living with disabilities.
Speakers
Professor Dennis Petrie, Centre for Health Economics, Monash Business School
Prof Petrie is co-lead of the NHMRC-funded Centre of Research Excellence in Achieving Health Equity for All People with Disabilities (AHEAD). With extensive expertise in health policy, economic evaluation, and health and social care systems, his research focuses on improving outcomes for disadvantaged groups, particularly people with disabilities.
Prof Petrie collaborates closely with policymakers and researchers to generate evidence that informs policies aimed at reducing health and wellbeing disparities. His work seeks to improve the accessibility and quality of care for marginalised populations, with an emphasis on data-driven analysis and assessing the value for money of health and social care interventions.
Professor Helen Dickinson, Public Service Research Group, School of Business, University of New South Wales
Prof Dickinson’s expertise is in policy implementation and evaluation, with a particular interest in disability policies and programs. Prof Dickinson has published twenty books and more than one hundred peer-reviewed journal articles on these topics, and is also a frequent commentator within the mainstream media.
In 2015 Prof Dickinson was made a Victorian Fellow of the Institute of Public Administration Australia, and in 2019 awarded a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences. In 2021 she was named one of Apolitical’s 100 most influential academics in government. She has worked with a range of different levels of government, community organisations and private organisations in Australia, the UK, New Zealand and Europe, on research and consultancy program.
Professor Hannah Badland, Director, Social Equity Research Centre, RMIT University
Prof Badland’s vision is to create a more inclusive society, where everyone, regardless of their circumstances, can flourish. To do this, she investigates how the built environment is connected to health, wellbeing, and inequities in both adults and children internationally, with an interest in populations disadvantaged by the system and inadequate policies. Prof Badland has a PhD in public health, and has been employed in research intensive positions internationally, leading to more than 180 research articles and more than $24M in research funding. She is an Australian Research Council Future Fellow.
Associate Professor Zoe Aitken, Social Epidemiologist, University of Melbourne
A/Prof Aitken’s research focuses on describing and investigating the causes of disability health inequalities. She is particularly interested in estimating the impact of interventions to reduce health inequalities, producing policy-relevant evidence which can be translated into action. A/Prof Aitken has extensive experience working with linked population health data and has a keen interest in improving disability data.
El Gibbs, Consultant, Disability Futures
El Gibbs is a disabled person with more than fifteen years of experience in policy, strategy, and advocacy for the rights of people with disability. She works as a sought-after consultant in policy, communications, and strategy, is now with Disability Futures, and has held senior roles at various national disability representative organisations. In addition Ms Gibbs is an award-winning writer, and regularly publishes on NDIS and disability issues in leading publications. She is the co-chair of the NDIS Reform Advisory Committee, and a member of the Jobs and Skills Australia Ministerial Advisory Board.
James Taylor, Health Economist
Mr Taylor is a health economist passionate about using data and evidence to shape health policy and deliver better outcomes for patients and communities. He has worked across government, consulting, and academia, bringing diverse experience in economic modelling, policy evaluation, and health services research. His work spans chronic disease, pharmaceuticals, and health system design, with a focus on translating complex datasets and lived experience into clear insights for decision-makers. Mr Taylor is committed to ensuring that health policy is both evidence-based and responsive to the needs of communities.
Molly Saunders, Research Associate, University of New South Wales
In addition to her UNSW role, Ms Saunders is also a Visiting Fellow at the Department of Policy and Governance at the Crawford School of Public Policy. She researches the socio-cultural dimensions of gender and disability in public policy, with a particular interest in feminist disability theory and inclusive research methodologies.
Dr Karen Villanueva, Research Fellow, Social Equity Research Centre, RMIT University
In addition to her RMIT role, Dr Villanueva is also an Honorary Research Associate at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute. Her place‑based research examines how urban neighbourhoods shape children’s health and developmental outcomes, with a growing focus on people with disabilities.
De Villanueva has a track record in mixed‑methods research on child liveability (including big data and qualitative methods), and is involved in creating and applying built environment spatial indicators to investigate how supportive neighbourhood environments can enhance mental health and wellbeing for young Australians with disabilities. Her work aims to support disability‑inclusive, equitable urban planning and policy.
Host
This event is organised by the Centre for Health Economics at Monash Business School.
Event Details
- Date:
- 16 September 2026 at 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
Description
Monash Business School’s Centre for Health Economics invites you to the online launch of AHEAD, a Centre of Research Excellence dedicated to advancing health equity for people with disabilities through collaborative, evidence-informed, and impactful research.
AHEAD brings together researchers, people with lived experience of disability, policy leaders, service providers, and community partners to develop solutions that address barriers to health and wellbeing.
During this special event, attendees will:
- Learn about AHEAD’s vision, mission, and research priorities.
- Hear from AHEAD’s stream leads as they introduce key research streams and planned areas of work.
- Explore examples of current and emerging projects that demonstrate AHEAD’s approach to co-designed, policy-relevant research.
- Listen to a guest presentation from a disability advocate, sharing perspectives on the importance of inclusive research and meaningful change.
- Connect with researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and community members committed to improving outcomes for people with disabilities.
Whether you are a researcher, practitioner, policymaker, advocate or community member, we invite you to join us as we launch CRE-AHEAD and begin a shared journey toward a more equitable future for people living with disabilities.
Speakers
Professor Dennis Petrie, Centre for Health Economics, Monash Business School
Prof Petrie is co-lead of the NHMRC-funded Centre of Research Excellence in Achieving Health Equity for All People with Disabilities (AHEAD). With extensive expertise in health policy, economic evaluation, and health and social care systems, his research focuses on improving outcomes for disadvantaged groups, particularly people with disabilities.
Prof Petrie collaborates closely with policymakers and researchers to generate evidence that informs policies aimed at reducing health and wellbeing disparities. His work seeks to improve the accessibility and quality of care for marginalised populations, with an emphasis on data-driven analysis and assessing the value for money of health and social care interventions.
Professor Helen Dickinson, Public Service Research Group, School of Business, University of New South Wales
Prof Dickinson’s expertise is in policy implementation and evaluation, with a particular interest in disability policies and programs. Prof Dickinson has published twenty books and more than one hundred peer-reviewed journal articles on these topics, and is also a frequent commentator within the mainstream media.
In 2015 Prof Dickinson was made a Victorian Fellow of the Institute of Public Administration Australia, and in 2019 awarded a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences. In 2021 she was named one of Apolitical’s 100 most influential academics in government. She has worked with a range of different levels of government, community organisations and private organisations in Australia, the UK, New Zealand and Europe, on research and consultancy program.
Professor Hannah Badland, Director, Social Equity Research Centre, RMIT University
Prof Badland’s vision is to create a more inclusive society, where everyone, regardless of their circumstances, can flourish. To do this, she investigates how the built environment is connected to health, wellbeing, and inequities in both adults and children internationally, with an interest in populations disadvantaged by the system and inadequate policies. Prof Badland has a PhD in public health, and has been employed in research intensive positions internationally, leading to more than 180 research articles and more than $24M in research funding. She is an Australian Research Council Future Fellow.
Associate Professor Zoe Aitken, Social Epidemiologist, University of Melbourne
A/Prof Aitken’s research focuses on describing and investigating the causes of disability health inequalities. She is particularly interested in estimating the impact of interventions to reduce health inequalities, producing policy-relevant evidence which can be translated into action. A/Prof Aitken has extensive experience working with linked population health data and has a keen interest in improving disability data.
El Gibbs, Consultant, Disability Futures
El Gibbs is a disabled person with more than fifteen years of experience in policy, strategy, and advocacy for the rights of people with disability. She works as a sought-after consultant in policy, communications, and strategy, is now with Disability Futures, and has held senior roles at various national disability representative organisations. In addition Ms Gibbs is an award-winning writer, and regularly publishes on NDIS and disability issues in leading publications. She is the co-chair of the NDIS Reform Advisory Committee, and a member of the Jobs and Skills Australia Ministerial Advisory Board.
James Taylor, Health Economist
Mr Taylor is a health economist passionate about using data and evidence to shape health policy and deliver better outcomes for patients and communities. He has worked across government, consulting, and academia, bringing diverse experience in economic modelling, policy evaluation, and health services research. His work spans chronic disease, pharmaceuticals, and health system design, with a focus on translating complex datasets and lived experience into clear insights for decision-makers. Mr Taylor is committed to ensuring that health policy is both evidence-based and responsive to the needs of communities.
Molly Saunders, Research Associate, University of New South Wales
In addition to her UNSW role, Ms Saunders is also a Visiting Fellow at the Department of Policy and Governance at the Crawford School of Public Policy. She researches the socio-cultural dimensions of gender and disability in public policy, with a particular interest in feminist disability theory and inclusive research methodologies.
Dr Karen Villanueva, Research Fellow, Social Equity Research Centre, RMIT University
In addition to her RMIT role, Dr Villanueva is also an Honorary Research Associate at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute. Her place‑based research examines how urban neighbourhoods shape children’s health and developmental outcomes, with a growing focus on people with disabilities.
De Villanueva has a track record in mixed‑methods research on child liveability (including big data and qualitative methods), and is involved in creating and applying built environment spatial indicators to investigate how supportive neighbourhood environments can enhance mental health and wellbeing for young Australians with disabilities. Her work aims to support disability‑inclusive, equitable urban planning and policy.
Host
This event is organised by the Centre for Health Economics at Monash Business School.