DrRenee Fiolet

Dr Renee Fiolet is an early-career researcher with a strong background in equity-driven research, trauma and violence research, and co-production/co-design methods. Renee is a registered nurse who primarily worked in primary care before turning to a teaching roles in nursing at Deakin University. Because of her passion for equity-focused approaches to health care and education, Renee uses genuine community engagement and participatory methods to underpin the majority of her work. Renee has published over 35 peer-reviewed journal articles (many as first-author), co-authored six book chapters, delivered over 40 conference presentations, developed several other research translation activities (such as online courses and resources, opinion pieces and community reports) and attracted over twenty-three million in funding.

Her nursing background drives her passion for improving equity and access in health care, and adopting a trauma-and violence-informed approach to care and in research. Renee works within the Health Voices Victoria team at deakin University as a research partner, and advocates strongly for enhancing the voices of those with lived-experience of poor health outcomes and injustice, particularly for First Nations peoples. Renee also works with the Equitable Cancer Outcomes across Rural and Remote Australia (ECORRA) team who are passionate about improving cancer screening and care for those Australians who experience issues with accessibility.

She deeply believes in decolonising teaching and research approaches and using methods that will lead to strong engagement. Through qualitative research methods, she endeavours to improve the circumstances of people who have lived experiences of racial, socioeconomic, gender and other disadvantages by co-creating solutions to address the barriers they face.

With a focus on trauma and violence, Renee is interested in determining how to provide support to research colleagues working in similar sensitive areas, and she has recently led the development of co-designed resources to enhance support for Australian researchers. Her role as President of the Nursing Network on Violence Against Women International (NNVAWI) positions her to be well connected with other trauma and violence researchers across the globe. Renee has secured partnership funding to officially launch the Australian Advocacy for Safe and Ethical Research in Sensitive Contexts Network (AASERT) and co-facilitates the Trauma-aware education and research Community of Practice. She is one of the Deakin Trauma Aware Collective (DTAC) leading members, and actively attempts to make her workplace a safer space for all.

Renee also has a strong interest in developing the research capacity of clincian researchers, First Nations peoples, and nurses in primary care settings.