Dr Ryder, who specialises in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health, will be one of 670 people set to work from the $255 million Flinders Health and Medical Research Building (HMRB) when it opens in mid-2024.
The Senior Lecturer in Public Health and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health is also a member of the Health and Medical Research Institute (FHMRI) at Flinders University which brings together research experts to improve health, prevent disease and combat health inequalities.
Dr Ryder says having health and medical researchers in one place will be a significant milepost for the Institute.
“It’s a huge and exciting milestone for FHMRI being able to bring together the best and brightest in one location to improve health and wellbeing outcomes of the communities which the Flinders College of Medicine and Public Health serves,” she says.
Located just 50m from Flinders Medical Centre and Flinders Private Hospital, the HMRB will accommodate staff from Flinders’ College of Medicine and Public Health and Nursing and Health Sciences.
Among the world-class research to unfold at the HMRB will be the Australian Traumatic Brain Injury National Data project, which Dr Courtney Ryder is currently working on.
Supported by the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) administered by the NHMRC, the project aims to identify the key determinants of outcomes for patients with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury across Australia.
Dr Ryder is working to ensure outcomes of the project include a clear understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s recovery outcomes, effective care and treatments and reduced barriers.
Traumatic brain injury is a major cause of death and disability for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia, with head injury rates among the population much higher than non-Indigenous people.
