Congratulations to Dr Mary Dahm, Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Communication in Health Care (ICH) at ANU, who has been awarded the ACT Health CHARM Rising Stars Award for Consumer Engagement Research.

Presented by Minister For Health Rachel Stephen-Smith during The Canberra Health Annual Research Meeting (CHARM) 2024, the award aims to recognise and showcase the achievements of developing Canberra health researchers and contribute to a positive research culture which supports and acknowledges progress and development in research capacity and capability.

With interdisciplinary expertise in qualitative and mixed methods approaches, Dr Dahm was acknowledged for her “exceptional leadership in consumer-engaged research which promotes inclusivity and transparency. Maria's resilience and strategic problem-solving skills have enabled impactful research dissemination."

Impactful research and activities that include grant-funded service projects, research publications, conference panels, workshops, webinars, community events, media features and more.

Dr Dahm said “Working with the consumer reference group has been a most rewarding experience. This award is really important for me because it recognises the importance of collaborating with health care consumers, fostering a culture of partnership and ensuring that their perspectives are equally represented and influence health service delivery and communication nationally and internationally.” 

“While I'm honoured by this award, it wouldn't be possible without the dedication of the consumer reference group. This is a testament to their tireless efforts."

Read more about the Consumer Reference Group here.