2025 Strategic Innovation Program Recipients

AAG and the AAG Research Trust congratulates the following individuals on their successful applications for the 2025 Strategic Innovation Program.

 

Dr Saman Khalatbari-Soltani

University of Sydney

Dr Saman Khalatbari-Soltani is a Social Epidemiologist and Senior Lecturer at the Sydney School of Public Health and Prevention Research Collaboration; a Deputy Director of the International Longevity Centre – Australia (ILC-Australia); a member of the ILC Global Alliance and the Sydney Health Partners Geriatric Medicine Leadership Team; and Deputy Director of the Population Health Theme of the Medical Degree Program at the University of Sydney. Saman’s work focuses on healthy ageing inequities and advancing methods in social and life-course epidemiology. Her research has been published in leading journals (e.g. Nature Aging) and has informed national and international policy documents, including those from the WHO and the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing. She serves on the editorial boards of the International Journal of Epidemiology and the Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences.

Towards a Consensus-Based Housing Condition Framework for Healthy Ageing in Australia

This project aims to develop Australia’s first consensus-based framework that clearly identifies which housing conditions matter most to older people for healthy ageing. Although housing is widely recognised as a key factor in healthy ageing, no agreed guide currently exists. The consensus-based framework developed through this project will be Australia’s first of its kind, providing essential guidance to inform policy and practice, support healthier ageing at home, and lay a foundation for future research.

Award: $24,882

Dr Alice Pashley

Centre for Ageing Research and Translation, University of Canberra

Dr Alice Pashley is a Postdoctoral Fellow, Accredited Practising Dietitian and health services researcher with expertise in qualitative, implementation, and co-design approaches. Alice's research is focused on designing, implementing, and evaluating best-practice models of care in residential aged care for food, nutrition, and dining experiences, and allied health. Her research vision is to empower aged care providers to deliver high-quality, person-centred care by bridging the gap between research evidence, policy priorities, and everyday practice.

Enabling Meaningful Choice in Residential Aged Care Mealtimes: Toward Inclusive and Best-Practice Guidelines

In residential aged care, there is a growing emphasis on supporting human rights through quality care and service delivery. This is reflected in the new Strengthened Aged Care Standards, including a new standard dedicated to food and nutrition. This recognises the vital role food, nutrition, and mealtime experiences play in older people’s health, wellbeing, and quality of life. A key method to support human rights at mealtimes is by enabling choice, allowing individuals to decide what, when, where, and how they eat and drink. Although strong evidence shows that choice improves nutrition, autonomy, and quality of life, the concept of “choice” remains poorly defined in practice. This project aims to define what constitutes “acceptable choice” under Standard 6.3.2, “for each meal, individuals can exercise choice about what, when, where and how they eat and drink.”

Award: $24,970.32

Awarded in partnership with Dementia Australia Research Foundation (DARF)

 

Dr Carolyn Murray

University of South Australia

Dr Carolyn Murray is a registered occupational therapist and senior lecturer in teaching and research. Carolyn’s research focuses on understanding consumer experiences within health systems and is committed to enhancing the quality, sustainability, and impact of health, aged care, and social services to improve the lives of older adults. Her work includes the development and evaluation of group programs designed to foster social connectedness, self-worth, and meaningful engagement. She is a member of the Innovation, Implementation and Clinical Translation research concentration.

Regional Health professionals attitudes towards social prescription of concurrent art and wellness programs for people with dementia and their caregivers

This project focuses on health professionals’ perspectives about their capability and motivation toward social prescription. More specifically, the project aims to survey the needs and attitudes of health professionals in regional areas of South Australia toward both social prescription and the concept of concurrent art and wellness programs for people living with dementia and their caregivers. Through providing the health professional perspective, this project forms a pivotal part of a larger body of work that uses co-design with communities with a quality implementation framework.

Award: $24,886