Professor Di Eley

Professor

Academy for Medical Education
Faculty of Medicine

Overview

Professor Diann (Di) Eley is the Director of MD Student Research, Chair of the Medical Student Research Advisory Group, and the MD Director of Research Training in the Faculty of Medicine. She is also Chair of the UQ Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC B). Di became a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) in 2018.

Di’s research career began with a Master's of Science degree (MSc) in reproductive physiology at the University of Florida in 1978. She subsequently worked for nearly 20 years as a bench scientist in bio-medical laboratories in Kenya and the UK. In 2000, she began her academic career after receiving a PhD in health and exercise psychology at the University of Bristol. She moved to the School of Medicine at UQ in late 2003.

The primary focus of Di’s research is medical education, research training and rural health workforce. Her specific area of research interest deals with personality and its association with well-being, resilience and healthy mindsets. Di is responsible for the development and implementation of the Clinician-Scientist Track in the UQ Medical School which encourages student interest and experience in research, and facilitates medical students undertaking a Higher Degree by Research (MD-PhD, MD-MPhil) alongside their medical degree.

Di has been recognised for her leadership in several Faculty initiatives in medical education, and received the 2015 University of Queensland Award for Excellence in Leadership. [http://www.hr.uq.edu.au/recognition/uq-awards-excellence-2015-recipients]

Di has over 140 peer reviewed journal publications, and has led successful projects through research funding including ARC Linkage and Discovery grants as well as Office of Learning and Teaching (OLT) grants. Additionally she has received UQ and national awards for teaching excellence for programs that enhance learning.

  • 2019: Faculty of Medicine Excellence Awards for Leadership – Nomination
  • 2016: Faculty of Medicine Excellence Awards for Teaching and Learning – Nomination.
  • 2015: The University of Queensland Awards for Excellence in Teaching and Learning [https://www.uq.edu.au/news/article/2015/11/uq’s-outstanding-teachers-celebrated] [https://vimeo.com/149706002]
  • 2015: The University of Queensland Award for Excellence in Leadership [http://www.hr.uq.edu.au/recognition/uq-awards-excellence-2015-recipients]
  • 2014: Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences Senior Teaching Excellence Award
  • 2014: Dean’s Award for Innovation in Curriculum Development. School of Medicine
  • 2013: The University of Queensland - 'Commendation' for an Award for Teaching Excellence.
  • 2013: The University of Queensland Faculty of Health Sciences Award for Teaching Excellence.
  • 2006: National Carrick Award for Australian University Teaching – Programs that Enhance Learning: Innovation in curricula, learning and teaching.
  • 2006: The University of Queensland Award for Enhancement of Student Learning. Programs that Enhance Learning: Innovation in curricula, learning and teaching.
  • 2006: The University of Queensland Citations for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning.
  • 2005: The University of Queensland Awards for Enhancement of Student Learning

Research Interests

  • Medical education and research training
  • Clinician-Scientist training
  • Personality and behaviour around well being
  • Research ethics
  • Personality and career choice
  • Rural workforce training and education

Qualifications

  • Higher Education Academy, Higher Education Academy
  • Doctor of Philosophy, University of Bristol
  • Masters (Research) of Science, University of Florida
  • Bachelor of Science, Western Michigan University

Publications

View all Publications

Available Projects

  • The Training Tomorrow’s Doctors (TTD): Longitudinal Medical Education Study began in 2010 as an initiative of the then, UQ School of Medicine for the broad purpose of undertaking evidence based medical education evaluation and research with UQ medical students both retrospectively and prospectively. The project aims are to develop and maintain a longitudinal database of information academic and personal characteristics medical students that will be used to review the quality of and lead to improvements in the medical program delivered at UQ. The TTD study represents a suite of inter-related projects that will contribute to the Medical School's understanding of how medical students are selected and trained, how they progress through the medical course, and how they transition into professional clinical practice. The TTD also aims to contribute to the broader literature concerned with enhancing the mental well-being of medical students and junior doctors. The objective is to equip our students with the knowledge and self-awareness to help them to lead productive and healthy lives, and in doing so, be appropriate role models for their patients.

View all Available Projects

Publications

Featured Publications

Book

Book Chapter

Journal Article

Conference Publication

Other Outputs

Grants (Administered at UQ)

PhD and MPhil Supervision

Current Supervision

Completed Supervision

Possible Research Projects

Note for students: The possible research projects listed on this page may not be comprehensive or up to date. Always feel free to contact the staff for more information, and also with your own research ideas.

  • The Training Tomorrow’s Doctors (TTD): Longitudinal Medical Education Study began in 2010 as an initiative of the then, UQ School of Medicine for the broad purpose of undertaking evidence based medical education evaluation and research with UQ medical students both retrospectively and prospectively. The project aims are to develop and maintain a longitudinal database of information academic and personal characteristics medical students that will be used to review the quality of and lead to improvements in the medical program delivered at UQ. The TTD study represents a suite of inter-related projects that will contribute to the Medical School's understanding of how medical students are selected and trained, how they progress through the medical course, and how they transition into professional clinical practice. The TTD also aims to contribute to the broader literature concerned with enhancing the mental well-being of medical students and junior doctors. The objective is to equip our students with the knowledge and self-awareness to help them to lead productive and healthy lives, and in doing so, be appropriate role models for their patients.