Our Team
Professor Ritin Fernandez – Director RN; PhD
Doctor Ritin Fernandez is the Professor of Nursing at the School of Nursing, University of Wollongong and St George Hospital and the Director of the Centre for Evidence based Initiatives in Health Care - a collaborating Centre of the Joanna Briggs Institute. Her teaching and research interests have focused on evidence based practice, randomised controlled trials, patient safety, chronic disease management, cardiovascular disease and health in culturally and linguistically diverse communities. Ritin has extensive experience in systematic reviews and meta-analysis having published numerous reviews in the Cochrane Library and the Joanna Briggs database. Since 2000 Ritin has obtained over $1,000,000 in grants including NHMRC Project grants. Ritin has published over 100 peer reviewed journal articles and is currently co-supervising eight Research Higher Degree students.
Heidi Green RN, BN, MPH
Heidi Green is a Clinical Nurse Consultant at the Centre for Research in Nursing and Health. Heidi was awarded a Master of Public Health (with distinction) in 2009 from the University of Wollongong. Heidi has extensive nursing experience and since 2011 she has been employed in research roles, including hepatology research nurse, HIV and hepatology clinical trials and research and policy officer for the Federal Government. Her research interests focus on public health, health inequalities, culturally and linguistically diverse communities, minority populations groups, social determinants of health and communicable diseases. She has produced six peer-reviewed journal articles and presented her work at both national and international conferences. She has been a peer reviewer for many Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA) conferences and has peer reviewed journal articles. Heidi is an active member of the PHAA and a PhD candidate at University of Wollongong.
Nqobile Sikhosana-RN, MSC (Critical care), BSCN, BS, DipEd
Nqobile Sikhosana is nurse researcher at the Centre for Research in Nursing and Health at St George Hospital - a collaborative centre of the Joanna Briggs Institute. He also holds the position of research assistant at Western Sydney University. He has studied and worked in Zimbabwe and the UK. His academic merit spans those countries alongside his professional experiences of working within a variety of international healthcare settings. He has extensive clinical experience within surgical, critical care and emergency departments across the UK and Australia. His research interests focus on palliative care, marginalised and vulnerable population groups, critical care and evidence based practice. Nqobile has also been involved in and coordinated inter-university systematic review projects. He is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Tasmania.
Stami Trakis BAppSc (MRS), MPhil (Research)
Stami is a Senior Radiation Therapist working at the St George Hospital - Cancer Care Centre. Stami has over 20 years’ experience in all aspects of Radiotherapy and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Radiation Therapy (MRS). The diversity of this profession and Stami’s passion of various research work involving record keeping, statistical analysis, interpreting of data has resulted in her completion of a Masters of Philosophy. Whilst undertaking her Masters of Philosophy she completed and published a journal on Emotional Intelligence among Radiation Therapist. Currently Stami is working clinically as a Radiation Therapist as well as undertaking various research work contributing to the improvement of patient outcomes.
Sofia Russo
Sofia Russo gained extensive administrative support experience following several years working for the NHS in London, including Risk Management, Health and Safety, Clinical Governance, Corporate and Legal Affairs and Research and Development. Since returning from England, she has continued her interest in the acute care setting providing assistance to the Nursing Research team and enjoys collaborating with researchers with their projects including creating Survey Monkey surveys and data extraction.