Background

Steph is a PhD candidate at the Burnet Institute and University of Melbourne. Her PhD is looking at how chlamydia management can be strengthened in primary care to reduce the risk of reproductive complications and disease transmission. Steph is also a public health physician through the Australasian Faculty of Public Health Medicine, and has particular interests in communicable disease epidemiology, disease prevention and the social determinants of health.

Qualifications

• 2023: Fellow, Australasian Faculty of Public Health Medicine, Royal Australasian College of Physicians
• 2019: Master of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, James Cook University
• 2018: Emergency Medicine Certificate, Australasian College for Emergency Medicine
• 2014: Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery, Deakin University
• 2010: Bachelor of Biomedicine, University of Melbourne

Awards

• 2023: Burnet Institute Domestic Travel Award
• Rural Australian Medical Undergraduate Scholarship (RAMUS)

Positions

• 2022 – present: PhD candidate
• 2020 – present: Senior Research Officer
• 2018: Senior Resident Medical Officer, Central Australia Health Services
• 2015 - 2017: Hospital Medical Officer, Alfred Health

Reports + Policy Briefs

2021 (8)

• The Optimise Study:- Impacts of the COVID-19 response on culturally and linguistically diverse communities. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT) Saich F, Heath K, Altermatt A, Menon V, Munari S, Merner B, Hill S, Shearer F, Gibbs L, Coelho A, Fletcher-Lartey S, Stoové M, Gibney K, Hellard M. The Optimise Study. December, 2021.
• COVID-19 testing and vaccination. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT) Saich F, Heath K, Altermatt A, Munari S, Merner B, Hill S, Stoové M, Gibney K, Hellard M. The Optimise Study. October, 2021. 
• The Optimise Study: Vaccination knowledge, attitudes and beliefs. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT) Saich F, Kwong E, Heath K, Altermatt A, Munari S. Merner B, Hill S, Stoové M, Griffiths D, Collie A, Lim M, Eddy S, Meagher N, McDougall C, Marinkovic Chavez K, Carpenter L, Fletcher-Lartey S, Price D, Gibbs L, Shearer F, Power R, Cheong M, Caddy C, Pedrana A, Gibney K, Hellard M. The Optimise Study. August, 2021.
• The Optimise Study: Impact of government restrictions on risk mitigation strategies. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT) Saich F, Kwong E, Heath K, Altermatt A, Munari S. Merner B, Hill S, Power R, Cheong M, Caddy C, Griffiths D, Collie A, Stoové M, Pedrana A, Gibney K, Hellard M. The Optimise Study. July, 2021.
• The Optimise Study: The impact of COVID-19 on income and finances. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT) Saich F, Kwong E, Heath K, Altermatt A, Munari S. Merner B, Hill S, Griffiths D, Collie A, Stoové M, Pedrana A, Gibney K, Hellard M. The Optimise Study. June, 2021. 
• The Optimise Study: Gendered differences in coping and responding to COVID-19. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT) Saich F, Kwong E, Heath K, Altermatt A, Munari S. Merner B, Hill S, Stoové M, Pedrana A, Gibney K, Hellard M. The Optimise Study. May, 2021.
• The Optimise Study: Social networks and mixing patterns. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT) Saich F, Heath K, Altermatt A, Munari S, Merner B, Hill S, Lusher D, Radhitio Sadewo G, Wang P, Pedrana A, Gibney K, Hellard M. The Optimise Study. April, 2021.
• The Optimise Study: Vaccine preparedness. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT) Saich F, Heath K, Altermatt A, Merner B, Hill S, Pedrana A, Munari S, Horyniak D, Walker S, Wallace J, Block K, Gibbs L, Gibney K, Hellard M. The Optimise Study. March, 2021.