01 May 2026
Health Translation Queensland (HTQ) is proud to present and congratulate the inaugural cohort of its Mentorship and Training Program 2026 and the HTQ-sponsored TRI Translation Fellows.
In total, 15 outstanding participants have been selected from HTQ’s 6 health service partners – Children’s Health Queensland, Metro North Health, Metro South Health, Gold Coast Health, West Moreton Health and Mater – to build their knowledge, confidence and networks needed to translate research into real-world health impact.
13 of those participants form the inaugural cohort of the Mentorship and Training Program starting on 12 May 2026. 2 participants have been awarded a HTQ-sponsored Fellowship to participate in TRI’s Translation Pathways Program.
The Mentorship and Training Program was co-designed with HTQ’s health service partners and clinician-researchers to strengthen research capability through targeted training, cross-disciplinary networking, personalised mentoring and tailored coaching support.
HTQ’s Program Lead Dr Helen Breathnach, said the response to the inaugural program demonstrated the depth of research talent across the partnership and demand for clinician-researcher development opportunities.
“The calibre of applications from clinician-researchers across the HTQ partnership was exceptionally high. It was clear from every application that our health services are investing in talented professionals who are committed to improving care through research and translation.”
Dr Breathnach said all applicants were endorsed by the Directors of Research within their respective organisations, highlighting strong sector-wide commitment.
“Every applicant received endorsement from their Director of Research, reinforcing the strong organisational support for professional development opportunities for clinician-researchers and clear alignment with workforce development priorities across our partner health services.”
From May to December 2026, the 13 participants in the Mentorship and Training Program will take part in 6 targeted education sessions delivered online and in person at the Herston Health Precinct, covering topics such as implementation science and outcomes; intellectual property and innovation; research management; designing for translation and impact; leadership, strategy and planning; and developing an independent research career.
A revised program design also introduces enhanced individualised support through bespoke 1:1 coaching delivered by Bright Arena.
Dr Breathnach said the program’s distinctive structure was intentionally designed to maximise benefit for participants and the broader research ecosystem.
“A key design feature of the program is the intentional integration of mentors into education sessions, creating shared learning experiences and strengthening mentor–mentee relationships. Combined with bespoke one-to-one coaching and a peer-learning network connecting participants with the TRI Translation Fellowship cohort, participants will receive both strategic guidance and personalised development support throughout their journey.”
HTQ also acknowledged the many senior leaders and experts who contributed to the selection process.
“I would like to sincerely thank the review panel members drawn from across the HTQ partnership for their time, expertise and commitment to selecting this inaugural cohort," said Tammy Sovenyhazi, HTQ’s new Interim Executive Director.
“Thanks also go to Dougal Edwards from Bright Arena as well as Directors of Research and Clinical Research Fellows for their expertise shared during the co-design of the program.
“Their thoughtful input has helped ensure a strong and diverse group of future clinician-research leaders,” she said.
Mentorship and Training Program participants are:
The TRI Translation Fellowship recipients sponsored by HTQ are:
HTQ warmly congratulates all selected participants and wishes them well during their program and beyond on their research journey.
For full details, please visit the relevant program pages:
Questions? Email us at research@healthtranslationqld.org.au.
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Health Translation Queensland acknowledges the Traditional Owners and their custodianship of the lands on which we live, work, and play. We pay our respects to their Ancestors and their Descendants, who continue cultural and spiritual connections to Country. We recognise their valuable contributions to Australian and global society.
