Associate Professor
Associate Professor Natalie Taylor
- PhD in Health Psychology (Graduated 2011, University of Leeds). Thesis: Promoting Physical Activity in University Staff and Students.
- MSc (2005). Thesis: Physical self-perceptions and sources of competence information in overweight/obese adolescents.
- BSc (1st Class Honours) (2004)
Medicine & Health
School of Population Health
As an implementation scientist, I develop, apply, and advance methods to support and study optimal ways to translate evidence into practice to improve care and outcomes for patients. I am the Director of Research in the School of Population Health at UNSW, developing and enacting a research strategy for the school with a team of multidisciplinary academics, clinicians, and professional staff.
My research includes designing and evaluating an evidence-based framework for the implementation of patient safety guidelines in the NHS, as well as an intervention and training package for the prevention of childhood obesity. I am currently overseeing, as the lead investigator, an MRFF Rapid Applied Research Translation project to integrate precision oncology into routine cancer care, and am the convenor for the new Implementation Science course which sits in the Master of Health Leadership and Management and Master of Public Health programs at UNSW.
I manage a team of three senior academic staff, and seven research and professional staff and PhD students, in addition to leading a range of initiatives to build capacity and presence of research within the school. Outside of my University role, duties extend to my role as Co-Chair of the NSW Cancer Conference (Sept 2022) and Chair of the SPHERE Implementation Science Platform Scientific Advisory Panel.
E-mail
- Publications
- Media
- Grants
- Awards
- Research Activities
- Engagement
- Teaching and Supervision
- Jenkins, M., et al. Taylor, N. (AI) Tackling Australia’s low screening participation to prevent bowel cancer morbidity and deaths. NHMRC Synergy Grant. $5,000,000 (2022-2027)
- Fardell J.E., Ellis S.J., Sansom-Daly U., Patterson, P., Chard, J., Bhadri, V., Docking, K., Wakefield, C.E., Koh, ES., Taylor, N., Cumming T., Cohen, J., Dhillon, H., Walwyn, T., Shaw, J., O’Reilly, J., Speers, N., Schilstra, C.E. BRIDGES-4AYA: An online information resource to bridge the gaps between treatment and education/ employment for Adolescent and Young Adults (AYAs) with cancer. Cancer Australia. $120,000 (2021-2024).
- Mazariego CG, Smith DP, Taylor N, Evans S, McIntosh M, White A, White F, Egger S. Assessing the population-based unmet supportive care needs of prostate cancer patients and partners: A mixed-methods approach to explore prevalence, barriers and facilitators. Prostate Cancer Foundation Australia - Priority Impact Research Award – Young Investigator. $140,000 (2021-2023)
- Patel M, Juraskova I, Smith D, Taylor N, Schofield P, Mazariego C, White A. Implementing Navigate in NSW: An implementation study of a decision-aid for men with prostate cancer. Research and Education Network. $25,000 (2021-2022)
- Wakefield C, McLoone J, Signorelli C, Cohn R, Walwyn T, Taylor N, Johnston K, Thornton-Benko E, Kellie S, Webber K. A new nurse-led intervention to re-engage childhood brain cancer survivors. Medical Research Future Fund. $1,941,576 (2020-2023)
- Ziegler D, Ekert P, Kavallaris M, O’Brien T, Cowley M, Wakefield C, Taylor N, Dawson SJ, Vittorio O, Davies R. Implementing novel therapeutic strategies for childhood brain cancer patients. Cancer Institute NSW. $3,750,000 (2020-2025)
- Sansom-Daly UM, Kelada L, Wakefield CE, Cohn RJ, McGill BC, Girgis A, Patterson P, Taylor N, Miller A, Beattie A, Schleicher N, Hanbury N. (2020). Partnering with community organisations to deliver online resilience programs for young people and parents after cancer treatment. E/MCR Seed Grant Funding awarded from the Sydney Partnership for Health, Enterprise and Research (SPHERE) Cancer Clinical Academic Group. $50,000 (2020).
- Debono D, Travaglia J, Robertson H, Saunders C, Biggs J, Carnemolla P, Taylor N, Phillips J, Luckett T, Svejkar D. Embedding evaluation as part of core business: A customised, co-designed evaluation framework to improve outcomes for people with disabilities, their families and carers. Onemda Project Grant. $ 245,000 (2019-2020).
- Best S, Gaff C, Taylor N, Brown H. Genomics frameworks: translating research into clinical care. Ministry of Health contract. $30,000 (2019).
- Taylor N. Conference and Professional Development Grant. Translational Cancer Research Network. $2,500 (2019).
- Williams R, Tucker K, Wakefield C, Taylor N. CONTACT: CONsultation via Telehealth to Access Cancer geneTic counselling. Translational Cancer Research Network. $77,800 (2018-2020).
- Taylor N. CCNSW PhD Scholarship for a process evaluation of a randomised controlled trial of an implementation science intervention in hereditary cancer. $100,000 (2018-2021)
- Taylor N. CCNSW PhD Scholarship in translating genomics into clinical practice for hereditary cancers. $100,000 (2018-2021)
- Braithwaite J. et al. Taylor N. (AI) Centre for Research Excellence in Implementation Science in Oncology (CRE-ISO). NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence Grant. $2,495,783 (2018-2022)
- Meiser B, James P, Kaur R, Dawkins H, Taylor N, Hossack L, Macrae F, Spurdle A, Scott C, Pachter N. A qualitative study to explore patient attitudes and system enablers to establishing a national genomics registry of inherited cancer predisposition. CCNSW Strategic Research Partnership Grant. $219,021.00 (2018-2019).
- Westbrook J, Braithwaite J, Day R, Middleton S, Scott D, Rapport F, Mitchell R, Baysari M, Li L, Taylor N. Creating a culture of safety and respect: a controlled, mixed methods study of the effectiveness of a behavioural accountability intervention to reduce unprofessional behaviours. NHMRC Partnership Project Grant. $875,978.40. (2018-2022).
- Taylor N, Tucker K, Macrae F, Gill A, Pachter N, Parkinson B, Solomon M, Shaw T, Kench J. Hide and seek with hereditary cancer: Improving detection of colorectal cancer patients with a high risk of Lynch syndrome. Cancer Australia. $579,140. (2017-2022).
- Taylor N. Translating evidence into practice for hereditary cancer. Cancer Institute NSW Career Development Fellowship. $598,251. (2017-2022).
- Taylor N., Gaff C, & Braithwaite J. (2016) Implementation of Genomic Sequencing into Clinical Practice. Australian Genomics Health Alliance ($240,000)
- Taylor N, Braithwaite J, Chin D, Williams R, & Debono D. (2015). Achieving behaviour change for the prevention and management of Lynch Syndrome. TCRN Cancer Challenge of the Year. ($100,000)
- Paul C, Dadich A, Wiggers J, Meiser B, Taylor N, et al. (2014) Implementing smoking cessation support for cancer patients in NSW: A feasibility study. Cancer Institute NSW. ($122,000)
- Grange A, Lawton R, Taylor N, et al. (2014) A new portable, non-invasive device to test naso-gastric tube placement. Regional Innovation Fund, UK ($88,162)
- Easthall C, Bhattacharya D, Taylor N. (2014). Is IMAB-Q suitable for identifying medication adherence barriers in routine community pharmacy practice? Pharmacy Research UK ($139,543)
- Georgiou A, Westbrook J, Taylor N, Clay-Williams R, Baysari M, et al. (2014). Evaluating the implementation of a national telehealth service. Healthdirect Australia ($330,000)
- Taylor N. (2011). Patient and public perspectives on mobilising an online self-reported physical activity questionnaire in practice. University of Leeds ($2,000)
- Taylor N, Long J, Debono D, et al. (2016). Excellence in Translational Cancer Research. NSW Premier’s Awards for Outstanding Cancer Research. ($20,000).
- Taylor N. (2014). Bradford Institute for Health Research Annual Research Visit Award. Invited speaker for ABC for Patient Safety Workshop, June. ($4,000).
- Taylor N, Lawton R, Mon-Williams M, & Wright J. (2013). PhD awards for improvement science. Health Foundation ($530,000)
- Taylor N. (2012). Bradford Institute for Health Research Annual Research Visit Award. ($2,000)
As CIA I lead a Cancer Australia and Cancer Institute NSW funded randomised controlled trial of two implementation approaches to improve referral practices in cancer genetics in seven hospitals across NSW, Vic and WA. I also lead the implementation component to two grant funded projects implementing novel interventions in cancer care (Wakefield C, et al. A new nurse-led intervention to re-engage childhood brain cancer survivors. Medical Research Future Fund. 2020-2023; Ziegler D, et al. Implementing novel therapeutic strategies for childhood brain cancer patients. Cancer Institute NSW. 2020-2025). I currently contribute implementation and behaviour change expertise to several Category 1 funded project in areas as diverse as genomics, unprofessional workplace behaviour, and bowel cancer screening.
Implementation science engagement and service
- Faculty Member for the Training in Implementation and Dissemination Research in Health course (University of Newcastle; 2020, 2021)
- Invited to provide expert feedback for the Intervention Population Ontology research project as part of the Human Behaviour-Change Project (2018).
- Invited member to the University of Newcastle Centre for Evidence and Implementation: Think Tank on Optimisation and Adaptation of Interventions - Progressing the field of implementation science in public health: providing best-practice guidance (2018).
- Invited speaker at the Lynch Syndrome Australia conference (2015-18) PC4 implementation science grant reviewer (2020-)
- Implementation science and consumer involvement advisor at Translational Cancer Research Network (2018), CCNSW consumer in research workshop (2017-2018)
- Invited mentor to Post-doctoral Career Pathway Workshops (2019, 2020)
Media
- Interviewed by the Cancer Institute NSW about ‘Reducing barriers, improving referrals for Lynch Syndrome Diagnosis’. Translational Cancer Research Network (TCRN) Nexus Newsletter (2019)
- Guest speaker at CINSW Women in Science (2018) and Fellows events (2017-19)
- Invited speaker at CCNSW POSH Breakfast fundraiser (2017)
Innovation and impact
- 2012-2016: worked with Leeds Teaching Hospitals and Enteral UK to develop and manufacture a nasogastric tubes safety pack
- 2013-2016: Steering group member for the development of new technology to safely check the position of nasogastric tubes (funded).
- A/Prof Taylor’s work led to a reduction in the misinterpretation of X-rays for nasogastric tube placement and indicated estimated savings of £2.56million across 34 UK hospitals
- A/Prof. Taylor led the development of a training package for the implementation of clinical guidelines, rolled out to over 1000 NHS staff by the Yorkshire and Humber Academic Health Science Network (UK)
My Research Supervision
I currently supervise four PhD student projects with an implementation science focus:
- Nada Hamad: Equity of Access to and Quality of Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation in Australasia
- Chloe Jennett: The impact of individual and environmental factors on participation in the Renewed Australian National Cervical Screening Program.
- Rebecca Purvis: Development of an Evidence-based Implementation Strategy for the Translation of Polygenic Risk Scores into Clinical Cancer Genetics Practice
In 2022, I will be supervising two PhD Candidates, who will be conducting implementation research as part of grant projects:
- Joseph Elias: A new nurse-led intervention to re-engage childhood brain cancer survivors
- TBC: Implementing novel therapeutic strategies for childhood brain cancer patients
My Teaching
Through my role with the School of Population Health at UNSW Sydney, I am sharing optimal implementation approaches with students, building more capacity for effective and efficient evidence translation in health.
I am the course convenor for Implementation Science (PHCM9791).