Research Profile
Miss Rachel Clark
Telephone:+ 44 (0)29 208 79161
Extension:79161
Additional
contact info:
Address:Room 1.13, 1-3 Museum Place
Qualifications
I initially joined the School of Social Sciences in 2004 through working at Cardiff Institute of Society, Health and Ethics (CISHE) as a research assistant on a randomised controlled trial evaluating the Welsh Assembly Government’s Free Primary School Breakfasts Initiative. In 2005 I then went on to gain experience in health promotion working primarily within the fields of physical activity and nutrition. After a year working at Newport Local Health Board coordinating a Nutrition Project, I went on to work as a Health Promotion Specialist / Senior Health Promotion Specialist for the National Public Health Service in Rhondda Cynon Taff.
I returned to CISHE part-time in May 2007 as a Research Associate and Principal Investigator on a WORD funded research project ‘Developing Health Challenge Newport as a resource for the rigorous evaluation of community-based interventions’. I left the NPHS to work full-time at CISHE in January 2008, thus gaining experience in other areas and aspects of research.
I began my doctoral studies in October of this year and am spending the most part my first year based at the McCaughey Centre / VicHealth, Melbourne School of Population Health, University of Melbourne. I am working with a team of researchers heavily involved in Knowledge Translation and Exchange research within the ‘Cochrane Public Health Research Group’.
My earlier qualifications include:
- MSc Nutrition, Physical Activity and Public Health; University of Bristol; 2004
- BSc Psychology; University of Plymouth; 2001
Research Interests
- Knowledge translation and exchange
- Development, implementation and evaluation of complex interventions
- Evidence-based public health
- Evaluation methodologies
PhD Topic Area
Knowledge translation and exchange: Effectiveness of methods to increase the uptake of evidence for obesity prevention.
KTE is defined as “…a dynamic and iterative process that includes synthesis, dissemination, exchange and ethically sound application of knowledge to improve health, provide more effective health services and products and strengthen health care systems.”
Various methods for increasing the uptake of research evidence among decision makers have evolved over recent years. These include face-to-face exchange between researchers and decision makers (through regular or facilitated meetings), education sessions for decision makers, networks, capacity building activities, web-based information / electronic communication and multi-agency steering groups / committees. However, little is known about how effective these methods are in increasing the uptake of research evidence. Randomised controlled trials are currently being carried out in Australia and Canada to test the effectiveness of various KT methods within the context of local government.
My PhD research will explore the possibility of developing a tool (outcome measure) to measure the effectiveness of KTE strategies.