How can research remain responsive to community priorities while also producing meaningful and timely outcomes for the people and organisations involved?
In this TASA Thursday session, Michelle Fitts will discuss a disability research case study focused on the needs and priorities of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women who have experienced traumatic brain injury as a result of family violence.
The research explores how feedback loops and knowledge translation can be embedded throughout the research process to respond to community concerns, cultural considerations, service-provider needs and complex safety factors.
Michelle will reflect on the practical and conceptual approaches used to increase the relevance of research for communities and other knowledge users, strengthen data collection, and address the often lengthy delays between research production and the translation of findings into meaningful practice.
The session will be of particular interest to researchers working in disability, Indigenous health and wellbeing, family violence, regional and remote communities, knowledge translation, and community-engaged research.
Event Details:
Date: Thursday 24th September 2026
Time: 12:30pm - 13:30pm (AEDT)
Format: Zoom Webinar
Webinar
Cost: complimentary
Your Speakers
Michelle Fitts
Michelle is an ARC DECRA Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Culture and Society, Western Sydney University. She lives and works in Mparntwe Alice Springs. She started her career in alcohol research in Queensland in 2010. Since 2015, she has committed her research energy to disability, with a focus on rehabilitation and recovery needs after traumatic brain injury. Michelle and her colleagues are currently working on a multi-sited urban, regional and remote project that aims to understand the strengths and gaps in service design and delivery for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women who live with traumatic brain injury from violence. Michelle is also an Adjunct Senior Research Fellow at Menzies School of Health Research, La Trobe University and James Cook University.