Work in progress seminar - TRACKERR: Rapid Team response to a community crisis (COVID-19)

Presented by Professor John Hopper, Dr Sue Malta, Ms Jess Tyler, Dr Lucas Ferreira

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed societies globally.  However, its potential short-, medium- and long-term consequences are still to be investigated and understood. Twins Research Australia, a nationwide registry of twins and triplets and their families, developed the Twins Research Australia COVID-19 Knowledge, Experience, Reaction & Resilience (TRACKERR)study to capture a holistic view of how Australians are dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic by collecting data on physical, mental, and social health. The study aims to shed light on differences between individuals and families, such as those influenced by age, gender, and the quality of close relationships, through the experiences of twins and triplets.  The research will provide evidence directly applicable to the population as a whole.

This WIP with a difference will outline the unfolding of the TRACKERR project – from identifying the need to survey twins and their families about how the social restrictions were impacting them, through to bringing collaborators together, rapid ethics approval, participant recruitment, and analysis, to production of the first report.  Four team members will provide their perspectives of this process, to illustrate TRA’s rapid response to this extraordinary community crisis.

Zoom: https://unimelb.zoom.us/j/81519163470?pwd=bmlpdXNPdmtEVU9ZQTRCOS80Z2h3Zz09