Background

Freya joined Burnet Institute in March 2020 as Lead Policy Officer with EC Australia. Her role is to support EC Australia to translate knowledge into policy and advocate for health system changes to achieve elimination of hepatitis C. Prior to joining Burnet Institute, Freya worked at the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine, and Carers NSW.

Positions

• Current: Lead Policy Officer, EC Australia, Burnet Institute
• 2019-2020: Policy Officer, Australasian College for Emergency Medicine
• 2016-2019: Policy and Development Officer, Carers NSW
• 2016: Intern, World Health Organization
• 2016: Intern, Aboriginal Health Council of Western Australia
• 2013-2014: Research Assistant, George Institute for Global Health

Qualifications

• 2015: Master of Research (Anthropology), Macquarie University, Australia
• 2013: Bachelor of Health, Macquarie University, Australia

Projects (2)

Current (2)

• 

  EC Australia: Eliminate Hepatitis C Australia Partnership

• 

  Hepatitis C brief reports

Publications (24)

2023 (1)

• Estimating the proportion of Victorians infected with COVID-19 during the Omicron BA.1 epidemic wave of January 2022 in Australia.
  Altermatt A, Heath K, Saich F, Wilkinson AL, Scott N, Sacks-Davis R, Young K, Stoové M, Gibney KB, Hellard M
  Aust N Z J Public Health. 2023 Jan; 47(1):100007

2022 (9)

• The Optimise Study: COVID-19 vaccine intention, and adherence to isolation and quarantine recommendations. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT)
  Jin D, Saich F, Heath K, Altermatt A, Wilkinson A, Merner B, Ryan R, Pedrana A, Stoové M, Gibney K, Hellard M
  Burnet Institute Optimise Study. 2022 Sep; Report 17(Sep):1-15
• The Optimise Study: COVID-19 related worry, acceptability of prevention measures and confidence in Government. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT)
  Jin D, Saich F, Heath K, Altermatt A, Merner B, Ryan R, Lusher D, Wang P, Pedrana A, Stoové M, Gibney K, Hellard M
  Optimise Study. 2022 Aug; Report 16(Aug):1-15
• The Optimise Study: A rapid survey examining frequency, impacts of long COVID and associated concerns. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT)
  Hellard M, Gibney K, Stoové M, Chavez KM, Wilkinson A, Heath K, Altermatt A, Young K, Nguyen T, Gibbs L, Osborne D, Jin D, Saich F
  Optimise Study. 2022 Aug; Special Report(Aug):1-13
• The Optimise Study: A rapid survey examining the influence of potential cessation of the Victorian pandemic declaration. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT)
  Hellard M, Gibney K, Stoové M, Wilkinson A, Heath K, Altermatt A, Young K, Nguyen T, Jin D, Saich F
  Optimise Study. 2022 Jun; Special Report(Jun):1-10
• The Optimise Study: COVID-19 testing, test positivity and contacts over time. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT)
  Saich F, Jin D, Heath K, Altermatt A, Merner B, Wilkinson A, Hill S, Stoové M, Gibney K, Hellard M
  Optimise Study. 2022 May; Report 15(May):1-13
• The Optimise Study: A rapid survey examining concerns about children returning to school in 2022. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT)
  Hellard M, Gibney K, Hill S, Merner B, Heath K, Altermatt A, Jin D, Young K, Thomas A, Nguyen T, Wilkinson A, Saich F
  Optimise Study. 2022 Apr; Special Report(April):1-11
• The Optimise Study: Summer 2021-2022 Snapshot. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT)
  Hellard M, Gibney K, Stoové M, Young K, Altermatt A, Heath K, Thomas A, Nguyen T, Wilkinson A, Merner B, Hill S, Saich F, Jin D
  Optimise Study. 2022 Apr; Special Report(Apr):1-20
• The Optimise Study: COVID-19 worry and perceptions about infection and potential severity. (PUBLiC HEALTH REPORT)
  Saich F, Tse WC, Heath K, Altermatt A, Merner B, Hill S, Jin D, Stoové M, Gibney K, Hellard M
  Optimise Study. 2022 Mar; Report 14(Mar):1-10
• Intent to Be Vaccinated against COVID-19 in Victoria, Australia.
  Heath K, Altermatt A, Saich F, Pedrana A, Fletcher-Lartey S, Bowring AL, Stoové M, Danchin M, Kaufman J, Gibney KB, Hellard M
  Vaccines (Basel). 2022 Jan; 10(2)

2021 (12)

• 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
  Optimise Study. 2021 Dec; Report 13(Dec):1-12
• COVID-19 testing in schools and attitudes and concerns about the current state of the pandemic. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT)
  Saich F, Heath K, Altermatt A, Thomas A, Nguyen T, Wilinson A, Merner B, Hill S, Fletcher-Lartey S, Gibbs L, Gibbs L, Shearer F, Stoové M, Gibney K, Hellard M
  Optimise Study. 2021 Nov; Report 12(Nov):1-13
• 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
  Optimise Study. 2021 Oct; Report 11(Mar):1-11
• The Optimise Study: Information access and communication about COVID-19. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT)
  Saich F, Kwong E, Heath K, Altermatt A, Munari S, Merner B, Hill S, Stoové M, Wilson A, Caddy C, Lim M, Vogel J, Power R, Coghlan B, Cheong M, Bradfield Z, Homer C, Pedrana A, Gibney K, Hellard M
  Optimise Study. 2021 Sep; Report 10:1-13
• 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
  Optimise Study. 2021 Aug; Report 9:1-15
• 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
  Optimise Study. 2021 Jul; Report 8:1-12
• The Optimise Study: The impact of COVID19 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
  Optimise Study. 2021 Jun; Report 7:1-9
• "It's time!": A qualitative exploration of the acceptability of hepatitis C notification systems to help eliminate hepatitis C.
  Walker S, Wallace J, Latham N, Saich F, Pedrana A, Hellard M, Treloar C, Marukutira T, Higgs P, Doyle J, Stoové M
  Int J Drug Policy. 2021 May; 97:103280
• 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
  Optimise Study. 2021 May; Report 6:1-10
• 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. 2021 Apr; Report 5:1-12
• 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
  Optimise Study. 2021 Mar; Report 4:1-8
• The Optimise Study: COVID-19 testing and strategies to improve testing uptake. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT)
  Saich F, Heath K, Altermatt A, Davis A, Pedrana A
  Optimise Study. 2021 Feb; Report 3(Feb):1-10

2018 (1)

• Caring for a family member or friend with dementia at the end of life: A scoping review and implications for palliative care practice.
  Timothy R Broady, Freya Saich, Tom Hinton
  Palliat Med. 2018 Mar; 32(3):643-656

2015 (1)

• Feasibility and acceptability of orientation and mobility instructors delivering the LiFE fall prevention program to older people with vision impairments,
  Keay, L., Saich, F., Clemson, L Lisa Keay, Freya Saich, Lindy Clemson, Lisa Middlemiss, Jacqueline Johnson, Haley Tumanik, Jessica Taylor, Joanne Munro, Ewa Borkowski, Frances Tinsley
  Int J Orient Mobil. 2015 Jan; 7(1):22-33

News Articles (1)

2021 (1)

• Elderly Australians and people living with chronic illness still limiting social interactions