Travel story: Megan Bater
Megan Bater from the Robinson Research Institute’s Perinatal Health and Child Development Research Group attended the Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand (PSANZ) Conference in Canberra in April 2017.
Megan presented her research on Parent concerns for child development amongst preterm graduates of neonatal care in Australia.
This is what Megan had to say about her experience:
What was a highlight of the conference?
Meeting Dr Karli Treyvaud from the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) was a highlight. Her work in the area of psychological burden of very preterm birth for children and parents, and research into preventative education and support programs explores similar themes to my research and is highly relevant to my work. The day after we met, I was both nervous and excited to see Karli in the audience during my oral presentation.
Did you meet any researchers or collaborators of significance? Why are they important to your work?
Meeting with Professor Peter Anderson, my external supervisor based in Melbourne, was incredibly valuable to my work. His expertise and research record in the field of early intervention for very preterm infants is significant. We were able to gain new clarity and structure, resolving a number of questions relating to the direction and scope of the research project, and agreeing upon work to be done over coming weeks.
How will the experience support you and your research going forward?
Being accepted for a poster and an oral presentation at PSANZ this year provides me with the opportunity to demonstrate research outputs from my study. This is important as it supports the ongoing development of my early research career. It will play a key part in demonstrating my ability to undertake research at a doctoral level when I apply to upgrade from a Master of Philosophy to a PhD at the University of Adelaide in July this year.
What was the most exciting thing you learned/experienced at the Conference?
The most exciting thing I learnt at the conference was that whilst many presenters spoke of consumer collaboration in research, and of early interventions to support health, development and behaviour outcomes following preterm birth, no-one is exploring the role of parent developmental literacy upon these outcomes. This is brilliant as it means I still have a niche area of research that is yet to be explored.
What was the most interesting or unexpected moment of your travel?
I did a brief tour of Parliament House on the Sunday afternoon after IMPACT and before PSANZ began. In viewing the portraits of Australia’s past Prime Ministers, I was surprised and disappointed not to find one of Julia Gillard! It was the most unexpected moment of my travel.