2025 Excellence in Research
Associate Professor Ravani Duggan
Associate Professor Ravani Duggan is a PhD-qualified Registered Nurse and Registered Midwife whose expertise and leadership drive meaningful change in healthcare. She has held a joint appointment as an Associate Professor at Curtin University, School of Nursing (teaching and research academic) and as a research consultant with the Sir Charles Gairdner Osborne Park Health Care Group (SCGOPHCG) since July 2020. By leveraging her extensive research expertise, deep knowledge, and expansive networks, she contributes to the advancement of nursing and midwifery practice and the well-being of patients and their families. As the leader of a demand-driven research collaboration between SCGOPHCG and Curtin University, she focuses on retaining and empowering mature-age nurses and midwives, fostering healthy, inclusive workplaces where staff feel valued and supported. Recognising the critical link between staff well-being and organisational success, her work aids a well-supported healthcare workforce, which is pivotal to ensuring optimal, safe care and excellent patient outcomes. Through her joint appointment, she generates evidence-based insights to support staff, enhance care delivery and build research capacity among nurses and midwives within the organisation.
Ravani has used her role, position, knowledge and expertise to ensure the voice of nurses and midwives are heard. Both professions are pivotal in providing health care and it is evident that we need to focus on our workforce to ensure we can provide safe, connected and effective patient care and that our workforce well-being is a priority. Ravani has established Menopause Ambassador roles at SCGOPHCG and Curtin University and lead panel discussions on the impact of menopause on a highly feminized workforce at multiple healthcare sites. As a result, she has received national recognition in advocacy for menopause in the workplace, culminating in an invitation to provide evidence at a federal Senate enquiry in 2024. Ravani wrote an article which was published by the Australian College Nursing titled Menopause in the Workplace – a call to action. This highlighted the importance of supporting our workforce in this transition. Retaining nursing expertise that novice nurses take years to gain is critical in delivery of safe, quality care. Leveraging older nurses and midwives’ knowledge and skills supports succession planning and provision of optimal clinical care. Ravani is a trailblazer, and it is great to have the established partnership between Sir SCGOPHCG and Curtin University where we can collaborate and truly make a difference.
Ravani has had a long career at Curtin, she has been the deputy head of school and has a great leadership style. She is currently a Provost Fellow, in recognition of her research expertise. Her visionary leadership and focus on wanting to make a difference for our future workforce and generations to come is truly inspiring and deserves recognition.
Dr Rosemary Saunders
Dr Rosemary Saunders is a highly respected nurse researcher with a joint appointment at Edith Cowan University’s School of Nursing and Midwifery and Hollywood Private Hospital and is uniquely positioned to bridge the gap between academia and clinical practice. She exemplifies the qualities of mentorship, collaboration, and a deep commitment to advancing the nursing profession through high-quality research that improves patient outcomes.
Rosemary is an exemplary role model, inspiring both academics and clinical nurses to engage in research that directly improves patient care. She plays an important and focal role in advancing nursing practice through research leadership. She has established a research program that is truly embedded in the clinical environment to ensure maximum impact on patient care. Rosemary’s passion and commitment to grow nurse led research within a multidisciplinary team had led to the successful establishment of a strong research program with a focus on improving the safety and quality of older adult care in hospital settings. Rosemary has developed substantive research collaborations with aged care, hospitals, and national research groups. She been awarded over $9 million research funding as chief investigator/co-chief investigator. Rosemary strives for excellence in her conduct and is an exemplary mentor for nursing academics, HDR students, registered nurses and industry colleagues. She was nominated for the Outstanding Research Mentor Vice-Chancellor’s Staff Excellence Awards 2025.She is a valued colleague who is trusted and respected by her peers across clinical and academic environments.
Rosemary’s passion for research is evident in her unwavering commitment to improving patient care through evidence-based practice. She is dedicated to translating research into tangible improvements in healthcare, ensuring that research findings are implemented effectively in clinical settings. Her ability to align research with practical nursing challenges has led to improved patient outcomes, enhanced clinical decision-making, and increased engagement in research among bedside nurses. Rosemary’s enthusiasm for research is infectious—she motivates others not only to value research but to see its potential as a driver of change in patient care. Her leadership ensures that research is not just an academic pursuit but a tool for delivering safer, higher-quality healthcare.
Dr Rosemary Saunders has an extensive research portfolio, with over 50 published papers in top peer reviewed journals and collaborations with 150 co-authors. Her research network spans Western Australia and beyond, with 20% of her publications co-authored with international colleagues—a testament to the high regard in which she is held. Her impact is further reflected in her H-index of 11, demonstrating the influence and reach of her contributions to the field.
Dr Vicki Patton
Dr. Vicki Patton is the Adjunct Professor of Acute Care Research, a joint appointment between Royal Perth Bentley Group (RPBG) of the East Metropolitan Health Service (EMHS) and Curtin University.
Vicki’s responsibilities through the development and implementation of a nursing and midwifery research strategy are to enhance the research capability of nurses and midwives across RPBG and bridge the divide between academia and clinical practice. Vicki leads a small team of research nurse educators and in the past 2 years has completed or has in progress over 12 research projects and several quality improvement projects across a wide range of areas of clinical practice exposing and introducing dozens of nurses to research and quality improvement. Vicki has generated research funding opportunities and in addition to supporting and encouraging novice nursing and midwifery researchers she mentors and facilitates more than 10 PHD students across nursing, allied health and medicine.
Vicki’s passion and ability to make a difference is demonstrated by her willingness and ability to drive all aspects of nursing care and research. You will see her teaching wound and ostomy practices for a third world country, advising on international practices in colorectal disease, reviewing a paper for a continence journal and mentoring PhD and master’s students all in any given week. In addition, she will be looking for opportunities to support a novice researcher interested in pressure injuries for theatre patients or support the Nurse Unit Manager in our Intensive Care Unit how to address morale and culture with a best practice approach. Throughout all those conversations and interactions Vicki is doing it with enthusiasm and making everyone feel valued regardless of role, first research project or 100th.
Some of Vicki’s academic achievements over the past 5 years that demonstrating her ability to make a difference include 2 editorial board appointments, editor in chief of journal,1 international expert committee/1 national/ 2 health services, successful grants (individually as part of research collaborations) totalling more than 1.1 million dollars, 2 educational publications, 1 book chapter, 12 publications and 7 invitations to speak at national and international conferences.
Vicki’s ability to manage both her own academic career as well as support, mentor, encourage and find new opportunities for research at both university and hospital level is a testament to her ability to drive change and go above and beyond, something both parties of this collaboration are extremely proud of. Vicki is a joyous, curious and considerate researcher and nurse. She is an authentic and extremely accomplished researcher, with a visible passion to improve patient care, staff experience and explore new ways of delivering evidence-based care.
