Our people
ACCORd: Project Lead
Professor Danielle Mazza (MD, MBBS, FRACGP, DRANZCOG, Grad Dip Women’s Health) Professor Mazza is Head of Department of General Practice at Monash University, where she leads a program of translational research focused on guideline development and implementation in general practice, women’s health, preventive care, and cancer. Professor Mazza is considered a clinical leader in guideline development and implementation in general practice. She previously led a government consultancy aimed at developing an implementation strategy for evidence-based, best practice clinical practice guidelines for general practice in Australia, and has been involved in the development and publication of several evidence-based guidelines. Professor Mazza is also the author of “Women’s health in general practice” (recently published in its second edition), a recommended text for the Royal Australian College of General Practitioner’s (RACGP’s) core curriculum, and used in exam setting for the FRACGP and AMC exams. |
ACCORd: Chief Investigators
Associate Professor Kirsten Black (MBBS, M.Med, FRANZCOG, MSRH, PhD, DDU) Associate Professor Black is an academic gynaecologist at the University of Sydney where she is the Joint Head of the Discipline of Obstetrics, Gynaecology, and Neonatology. In addition to clinical and teaching responsibilities, Associate Professor Black’s research interests are in the fields of sexual and reproductive health, benign gynaecology and medical education, with a particular focus on contraception and reproductive health. Associate Professor Black also represents RANZCOG on the Medical Devices Committee of Standards Australia, is an advisor to the Therapeutic Goods Association Medicines Committee, and is a Member of the Therapeutic Guidelines Working group on the 2013 Endocrinology Guidelines. | |
Professor Angela Taft (BA, Dip Ed, MPH, PhD) Professor Taft is Director of the Judith Lumley Centre (JLC; previously Mother and Child Health Research) at La Trobe University and an Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the Department of General Practice, The University of Melbourne. At the JLC, she leads a program of research in the prevention and reduction of unwanted pregnancy, and her study of the over-the-counter emergency contraceptive pill in Australia in 2010-2011 has resulted in the alteration of training and guidelines for pharmacists. Nationally and internationally Professor Taft is known for her expertise on intimate partner violence and its intersection with sexual and reproductive health. | |
Professor Jayne Lucke (BA (Hons), PhD) Professor Lucke is Director of the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society at La Trobe University. She has expertise in multidisciplinary research concerning sexual and reproductive health in Australia, including patterns of contraception use and specifically the use of long-acting reversible contraception among young women. A focus of her work has been on explaining barriers to sexual and reproductive health service access. | |
Dr Kevin McGeechan (MBiostat, PhD) Dr McGeechan is a Senior Lecturer in Biostatistics at the School of Public Health, University of Sydney. In addition to his academic position, Dr McGeechan acts as a consultant statistician for Family Planning NSW. Dr McGeechan has previously worked in a variety of private sector and government positions, which included five years analysing general practice data with the Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health (BEACH) study and then with the General Practice Research Network (GPRN). | |
Professor Marion Haas (BPhty, MPH, PhD) Professor Haas is a Professor of Health Economics and Deputy Director of the Centre for Health Economics Research and Evaluation (CHERE), University of Technology Sydney (UTS). Her research interests and expertise are in the design and implementation of clinical and population health research incorporating economic evaluations, including the cost effectiveness of health interventions, and understanding preferences and behaviours of providers and consumers in relation to health care. | |
Professor Jeffrey Peipert (MD, MPH, MHA) Professor Peipert is the Vice Chair of Clinical Research at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University. He is the Principal Investigator on the Contraceptive CHOICE Project, this being one of the largest contraceptive cohort studies ever performed in the US – ACCORd is modelled on the CHOICE project. Professor Peipert's background is in obstetrics and gynecology as well as epidemiology; he has made contributions to the fields of infectious diseases, family planning, women’s health, and public health/prevention. |
ACCORd Project Manager
Dr Cathy Watson (RN, BA, Post Grad Dip in Adv Ng, Masters of Nursing, PhD) Cathy Watson is a nurse practitioner with a wide experience and interest in women’s health. She completed her PhD at the Department of General Practice in the University of Melbourne where she undertook a randomised controlled trial in the area of women’s sexual health. Her enthusiasm for research in women’s reproductive health is well satisfied with involvement in ACCORd. |
Clinical Trial Coordinators
Catherine Savage (RN) Cath Savage is a registered nurse who has worked in both clinical and research settings for many years. She has experience in acute mental health, drug and alcohol counselling, aged care, and psychiatric and cardiac research. She has also spent a few years working in airline customer service for something a bit different! She is very interested in women's health and is really enjoying working on this exciting project with a great team of people. | |
Catriona Rowe (RN) Catriona Rowe is a registered nurse who joined Monash University in 2006. Since then, she has worked in a number of clinical and research settings, throughout the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences. Catriona has a strong interest in research, particularly in women’s and children’s health and its contribution to policy change and improved health outcomes for the community. |