Current Honours students
Eleyne Spencer
Clinical/ research experience:
I'm a paramedic with Ambulance Victoria, working regionally in South Gippsland. I completed my Bachelor's in Paramedicine in 2019, building upon my prior Bachelor's in Biomedical Science. Throughout both degrees I engaged in research programs which sparked my interest in academic research. Before deciding to continue with further research studies I opted to gain some operational experience as a paramedic. This time working on the road has allowed me to identify areas that could benefit from change, and find areas I'm personally passionate about. My Honours research project will focus on ambulance ramping, a prevalent global issue. Through my research I aim to identify and evaluate strategies used to reduce ramping, assessing their efficacy and limitations. Furthermore, I hope to address knowledge gaps in the literature and ultimately advocate for practical changes to improve ambulance ramping.
Matthew Douglas
Clinical/ research experience:
Matthew is a Graduate Paramedic commencing clinical practice with a state-based ambulance service in May 2025.
Completing his Bachelor of Paramedicine in early 2025, Matthew discovered a passion for research during his undergraduate studies and through his honours project aims to research how the public interacts with and perceives ambulances without their lights and sirens activated.
Matthew’s previous professional experience includes work as a call taker and dispatcher for the Ambulance Control Centre.
Harriet Stevens
Clinical/ research experience:
With over a decade of clinical experience, and a current role in undergraduate education, I now hope to contribute to the paramedic profession through research.
Existing research has shown implicit biases can have a significant impact on patient outcomes. My research will be looking at the effects of providing debiasing education on clinical decision-making in the prehospital setting.
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MacKenzie Ross
Clinical/ research experience:
I am a paramedic for Ambulance Victoria, working in a remote rural town in western Victoria. I am interested in paramedic well-being, including physical, mental, and social health, specifically in regional areas.
My research topic aims to look at the effects of an ‘on-call’ roster (where paramedics are required to be ready to respond 24 hours a day over multiple days) on paramedic well-being. This roster is predominantly used in remote rural areas to ensure 24-hour emergency coverage.
I hope the results will illuminate areas where this unique roster negatively impacts paramedic well-being, allowing us to create solutions to minimise these impacts.
Brenton West
Clinical/ research experience:
After recently graduating from Monash University with a bachelor of paramedicine in 2024, Brenton has begun the honours degree with aims to expand the education of future paramedics.
Previously Brenton has obtained a Bachelor of Health Science (Podiatry) and Graduate Certificate in Clinical Education both from Charles Sturt University and has experience in the Podiatric clinical fields. He has previously published research on peripheral neuropathy and holistic care.
Abby Chern
Clinical/ research experience:
Abby is a 2024 graduate paramedic from Queensland. Currently, she works as a private paramedic for a national event company, delivering emergency medical care and operational support across diverse prehospital settings. Additionally, Abby serves as a surgical facilitator at the QUT Medical Engineering Research Facility, where she contributes to surgical workshops and research initiatives across various specialties—with a particular interest in trauma and plastics.
Abby is also pursuing an honours degree in a pioneering study that aims to redefine digital health within the prehospital environment, in collaboration with the Australasian College of Paramedicine and the Australian Digital Health Agency. She hopes that this research could instigate further investigation, influence policy and advance the paramedic profession. She has been awarded the prestigious Ric (Frederic) Bouvier Scholarship for industry leaders to support her on this journey. Passionate about advancing both her academic and clinical career, Abby aspires to pursue higher education and one day establish herself as a prehospital emergency care and retrieval specialist.
Katrina Kapsis
Clinical/ research experience:
After 20 years in nursing, Katrina recently completed her Graduate Diploma in Paramedicine, sparking her interest in research. She is passionate about improving patient outcomes by ensuring guideline and protocol changes are driven by evidence-based data. With a background in chronic disease management and a keen interest in respiratory conditions, Katrina’s Honours research focuses on paramedic confidence and competence in assessing asthma severity, incorporating a scoping review and a planned survey to explore its impact on clinical decision-making and patient care.
Louis Cooke
Clinical/ research experience:
Louis is a registered paramedic, graduating from Victoria University in 2024, with a keen interest in qualitative research focusing on domestic and family violence in the out-of-hospital setting. Louis’ honours project aims to investigate the clinical practice guidelines of jurisdictional ambulance services in Australia and New Zealand, as well as determine victim-survivors experiences and expectations of paramedics in the pre-hospital domestic and family violence setting.