Welcome to Associate Professor Nicole Rankin as Head, Evaluation and Implementation Science Unit, Centre For Health Policy

Please join us in welcoming Nicole Rankin as Associate Professor in Evaluation and Implementation Science, who will take up the position as Unit Head for the Evaluation and Implementation Science Unit (Centre for Health Policy, The University of Melbourne) commencing February 28, 2022.

Associate Professor Rankin is an implementation scientist who will join us from the University of Sydney where she is Director of the Implementation Science Program at Sydney Health Partners.

Nicole completed a PhD in Behavioural Science in Relation to Medicine at the University of Newcastle in 2000 and has experience working across government cancer agencies (National Breast Cancer Centre, 2001-2003, Cancer Institute NSW, 2004-2006), cancer charities (Cancer Council NSW 2017-2019) and academia (2006-2009; 2012-ongoing). She was awarded an International fellowship in the Mentored Training in Dissemination and Implementation Research in Cancer (MT-DIRC), Washington University in St Louis, USA (2016-2018) and in 2020 was the recipient of the Lesley J. Fleming Churchill Fellowship (Health and Medicine category).

A major focus of Nicole's research interests is lung cancer; her research portfolio in this context extends from screening, early detection, and management through multidisciplinary care through to palliation and survivorship. Nicole is also a media spokesperson for the Lung Foundation Australia. A/Prof Rankin’s committee membership includes the Expert Management Group for Breast Screen Australia (Commonwealth appointment) and scientific committee member for Primary Care Collaborative Cancer Clinical Trials Group (PC4) Scientific Committee. She is co-chair of INSPIRE, the Psycho-Oncology Co-operative Research Group (PoCoG) Special Interest Group in Implementation Science. She is Associate Editor of Implementation Science Communications journal.

A/Prof Rankin’s research interests also extend to other cancers and psychosocial aspects of disease management and the science of research translation, including how evidence can be more rapidly translated into clinical practice, and how to improve patient and health service outcomes. This expertise is applied across a portfolio of research projects, teaching and mentoring of clinician-researchers in implementation methodologies and leading communities of practice. Nicole is passionate about empowering the Australian community to directly benefit from research and ensuring its translation into positive health outcomes.

Professor Adam Elshaug, Director of the Centre for Health Policy, stated “Associate Professor Rankin is widely regarded as an emerging world leader in EIS theory, methods and practice. The selection panel for this international recruitment were enthusiastic about the Nicole joining The University of Melbourne and fostering a Community of Practice in Implementation Science across the University and its partners”.