Helping patients take a more active role in their healthcare is the focus of research that has earned Assistant Professor Alexandra Davidson one of Bond University’s top research honours.
Dr Davidson received the Early Career Research Excellence Award at the 2026 Vice Chancellor’s Research Awards, recognising work spanning patient involvement, chronic disease, frailty and primary care.
“What I explored in my PhD was how patients could play a more active role and become a true partner in their own healthcare, rather than just be seen as a recipient,” she said.
Dr Davidson, from Bond’s Institute of Evidence-Based Healthcare (IEBH), is now working with 10 consumer advocates of different ages and health conditions to develop a patient education program that builds the skills, confidence and knowledge people need to become more involved in their care.
She has also redesigned a handbook to help GPs make greater use of non-drug treatments for acute and chronic illnesses and developed a program to help people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease better manage their condition.
Dr Davidson is also a chief investigator on a $3 million federally funded project developing practical tools to help GPs and nurses assess, prevent and treat frailty.
She was among four Bond researchers recognised during the University’s Research Week.
IEBH Director Professor Julie Redfern AM received the Research Excellence Award for her work in cardiovascular disease prevention, digital health and improving care for people with chronic disease.
Her research is influencing healthcare policy, clinical practice and service delivery in Australia and internationally.
Associate Professor Nikki Milne received the Research Supervision Award for her work developing the next generation of health researchers.
As director of Bond’s Research Collaborative for Women and Children’s Health and Sport, she supports candidates working across paediatric health, youth sport, female athlete health and health professional education.
The PhD award winner was Dr Isaac Tonkin.