
Overview
Background
Professor Diann (Di) Eley is the Director of MD Student Research and Chair of the UQ Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC B). Di became a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) in 2018.
Di is an active member of several professional associations. This includes the Board of Directors of IAMSE (International Association of Medical Science Educators) and Chair of the IAMSE Ambassador Program. As a member of AMEE (Association of Medical Education in Europe), she has served on the AMEE Research Committee since 2017. A longstanding member of ANZAHPE (Australian and New Zealand Association for Health Professional Educators) she served on the Board of Directors and as journal liaison officer for seven years.
Di’s research career began with a Master's of Science degree (MSc) in reproductive physiology at the University of Florida in 1978. She subsequently worked for over 20 years as a bench scientist in bio-medical laboratories in the USA, Kenya and the UK. In 2000, she began her academic career after receiving a PhD in health and exercise psychology at the University of Bristol. She moved to the School of Medicine at UQ in late 2003.
The primary focus of Di’s research is medical education, research training and rural health workforce. Her specific area of research interest deals with personality and its association with well-being and healthy mindsets. Di is responsible for the development and implementation of the Clinician-Scientist Track in the UQ Medical School which encourages student interest and experience in research, and facilitates medical students undertaking a Higher Degree by Research (MD-PhD, MD-MPhil) alongside their medical degree.
Di has been recognised for her leadership in several Faculty initiatives in medical education, and received the 2015 University of Queensland Award for Excellence in Leadership. [http://www.hr.uq.edu.au/recognition/uq-awards-excellence-2015-recipients]
Di has over 150 peer reviewed journal publications, and has led successful projects through research funding including ARC Linkage and Discovery grants as well as Office of Learning and Teaching (OLT) grants. Additionally she has received UQ and national awards for teaching excellence for programs that enhance learning.
- 2019: Faculty of Medicine Excellence Awards for Leadership – Nomination
- 2016: Faculty of Medicine Excellence Awards for Teaching and Learning – Nomination.
- 2015: The University of Queensland Awards for Excellence in Teaching and Learning [https://www.uq.edu.au/news/article/2015/11/uq’s-outstanding-teachers-celebrated] [https://vimeo.com/149706002]
- 2015: The University of Queensland Award for Excellence in Leadership [http://www.hr.uq.edu.au/recognition/uq-awards-excellence-2015-recipients]
- 2014: Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences Senior Teaching Excellence Award
- 2014: Dean’s Award for Innovation in Curriculum Development. School of Medicine
- 2013: The University of Queensland - 'Commendation' for an Award for Teaching Excellence.
- 2013: The University of Queensland Faculty of Health Sciences Award for Teaching Excellence.
- 2006: National Carrick Award for Australian University Teaching – Programs that Enhance Learning: Innovation in curricula, learning and teaching.
- 2006: The University of Queensland Award for Enhancement of Student Learning. Programs that Enhance Learning: Innovation in curricula, learning and teaching.
- 2006: The University of Queensland Citations for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning.
- 2005: The University of Queensland Awards for Enhancement of Student Learning
Availability
- Professor Di Eley is:
- Available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Science, Western Michigan University
- Masters (Research) of Science, University of Florida
- Doctor of Philosophy, University of Bristol
- Higher Education Academy, Higher Education Academy
Research interests
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Medical education and research training
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Clinician-Scientist training
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Personality and behaviour around well being
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Research ethics
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Personality and career choice
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Rural workforce training and education
Works
Search Professor Di Eley’s works on UQ eSpace
Featured
2015
Journal Article
Determinants of rural practice: positive interaction between rural background and rural undergraduate training
Kondalsamy-Chennakesavan, Srinivas, Eley, Diann S., Ranmuthugala, Geetha, Chater, Alan B., Toombs, Maree R., Darshan, Deepak and Nicholson, Geoffrey C. (2015). Determinants of rural practice: positive interaction between rural background and rural undergraduate training. Medical Journal Australia, 202 (1), 41-46. doi: 10.5694/mja14.00236
Featured
2015
Journal Article
Exploring resilience in rural GP registrars – implications for training
Walters, Lucie, Laurence, Caroline O., Dollard, Joanne, Elliott, Taryn and Eley, Diann S. (2015). Exploring resilience in rural GP registrars – implications for training. BMC Medical Education, 15 (1) 110, Art. No.: 110-Art. No.: 110. doi: 10.1186/s12909-015-0399-x
Featured
2014
Journal Article
Removing interview for medical school selection is associated with gender bias among enrolled students
Wilkinson, David, Casey, Mavourneen G. and Eley, Diann S. (2014). Removing interview for medical school selection is associated with gender bias among enrolled students. Medical Journal of Australia, 200 (2), 96-99. doi: 10.5694/mja13.10103
Featured
2014
Journal Article
Where does medical education stand in nurturing the 3 Rs in medical students: responsibility, resilience and resolve?
Eley, Diann S. and Stallman, Helen (2014). Where does medical education stand in nurturing the 3 Rs in medical students: responsibility, resilience and resolve?. Medical Teacher, 36 (10), 835-837. doi: 10.3109/0142159X.2014.917159
Featured
2013
Journal Article
The relationship between resilience and personality traits in doctors: implications for enhancing well being.
Eley, Diann S., Cloninger, C. Robert, Walters, Lucie, Laurence, Caroline, Synnott, Robyn and Wilkinson, David (2013). The relationship between resilience and personality traits in doctors: implications for enhancing well being.. PeerJ, 1 (e216) 216, 1-16. doi: 10.7717/peerj.216
Featured
2012
Journal Article
Additional perspectives on transforming science into medicine
Eley, Diann S. and Wilkinson, David (2012). Additional perspectives on transforming science into medicine. Academic Medicine, 87 (10), 1310-1310. doi: 10.1097/ACM.0b013e3182670326
Featured
2012
Journal Article
Management of professional boundaries in rural practice
Brooks, Kathleen D., Eley, Diann S., Pratt, Rebekah and Zink, Therese (2012). Management of professional boundaries in rural practice. Academic Medicine, 87 (8), 1091-1095. doi: 10.1097/ACM.0b013e31825ccbc8
Featured
2012
Journal Article
Why did I become a nurse? Personal traits and reasons for entering nursing
Eley, Diann, Eley, Rob, Bertello, Marisa and Rogers-Clark, Cath (2012). Why did I become a nurse? Personal traits and reasons for entering nursing. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 68 (7), 1546-1555. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2648.2012.05955.x
Featured
2010
Journal Article
Junior doctors' perceptions of their preparedness for hospital work: Support for the rural clinical school model as a key to better preparation
Eley, Diann S. (2010). Junior doctors' perceptions of their preparedness for hospital work: Support for the rural clinical school model as a key to better preparation. Medical Journal of Australia, 192 (2), 109-110. doi: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2010.tb03436.x
2025
Journal Article
What would i do if i was an emergency physician? A tool to generate discussion
Eley, Rob, Eley, Diann and Greentree, Charley (2025). What would i do if i was an emergency physician? A tool to generate discussion. Medical Science Educator. doi: 10.1007/s40670-025-02282-2
2025
Journal Article
Exploring the unique value of clinician scientist roles to the health services in which they are employed: a scoping review
Buttrum, Peter, Butler, Prudence, Young, Adrienne, Eley, Diann and O’Leary, Shaun (2025). Exploring the unique value of clinician scientist roles to the health services in which they are employed: a scoping review. Australian Health Review, 49 (2). doi: 10.1071/ah24231
2024
Journal Article
Oral health students' perceptions of the learning environment in Australia and New Zealand: a DREEM study
Pritchard, L., Keshoor, S., Eley, D., Beckett, D., Bromage, A., Knevel, R., Satur, J. and Stormon, N. (2024). Oral health students' perceptions of the learning environment in Australia and New Zealand: a DREEM study. European Journal of Dental Education, 28 (3), 779-788. doi: 10.1111/eje.13005
2023
Journal Article
Rural medical workforce pathways: exploring the importance of postgraduation rural training time
McGrail, Matthew R., Gurney, Tiana, Fox, Jordan, Martin, Priya, Eley, Diann, Nasir, Bushra and Kondalsamy-Chennakesavan, Srinivas (2023). Rural medical workforce pathways: exploring the importance of postgraduation rural training time. Human Resources for Health, 21 (1) 31, 1-12. doi: 10.1186/s12960-023-00819-3
2022
Journal Article
Different degrees, similar personalities: A four-year comparison of dentistry and medicine students
Stormon, Nicole, Seysan, Martin, Ford, Pauline J. and Eley, Diann (2022). Different degrees, similar personalities: A four-year comparison of dentistry and medicine students. Focus on Health Professional Education, 23 (2), 60-68. doi: 10.11157/fohpe.v23i2.541
2021
Journal Article
Exploring doctors’ emerging commitment to rural and general practice roles over their early career
McGrail, Matthew, O’Sullivan, Belinda, Gurney, Tiana, Eley, Diann and Kondalsamy-Chennakesavan, Srinivas (2021). Exploring doctors’ emerging commitment to rural and general practice roles over their early career. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18 (22) 11835, 11835. doi: 10.3390/ijerph182211835
2021
Journal Article
Empathetic, persistent and female: a snapshot of oral health therapy students in Australia and New Zealand
Stormon, Nicole, Beckett, Deanna, Gardner, Suzanne, Keshoor, Smita, Smart, Karen, Wallace, Linda, Ford, Pauline J., Satur, Julie and Eley, Diann (2021). Empathetic, persistent and female: a snapshot of oral health therapy students in Australia and New Zealand. European Journal of Dental Education, 26 (1) eje.12689, 206-215. doi: 10.1111/eje.12689
2021
Journal Article
Personality, resilience, and calling in students undertaking a medical degree across two continents: disparate pathways to the healing profession
Galarneau, David, Seoane, Leonardo and Eley, Diann S. (2021). Personality, resilience, and calling in students undertaking a medical degree across two continents: disparate pathways to the healing profession. Ochsner Journal, 21 (2), 143-151. doi: 10.31486/toj.20.0029
2020
Other Outputs
Retention of the health workforce in rural and remote areas: a systematic review
World Health Organisation Team, Strasser, Sarah, Austin, Marni, Bendotti, Hollie, Bourke, Gary, Campbell, David, Campbell, Narelle , Chater, Alan Bruce, Chong, Hwee Sin , Cribb, Jacqueline, Cumming, Kay, Doty, Barbara Jean, Eley, Diann, Erikson, Jay S., Florentis, Anastasia, Floss, Mayara, Goot, Katie, Greacen, Jane, Jonk, Yvonne , Khoo, Kean, Kondalsamy-Chennakesavan, Srinivas, Lamb, Margaret, Longenecker, Randall, McGrail, Matthew, Nasir, Bushra, Partanen, Riitta, Paterson, Davis , Rajapalisha, Dilum , Schmitz, David ... Tynan, Anna (2020). Retention of the health workforce in rural and remote areas: a systematic review. Human Resources for Health Observer Series No. 25 Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization.
2019
Journal Article
Depression, anxiety and stress in a cohort of Australian dentistry students
Stormon, Nicole, Ford, Pauline J., Kisely, Steve, Bartle, Emma and Eley, Diann S. (2019). Depression, anxiety and stress in a cohort of Australian dentistry students. European Journal of Dental Education, 23 (4) eje.12459, 507-514. doi: 10.1111/eje.12459
2018
Conference Publication
What is important to medical students for clinical school choice?
Partanen, Riitta, Ostini, Remo and Eley, Diann (2018). What is important to medical students for clinical school choice?. The MUSTER 2018, Mt Gambier, SA Australia, 15-18 October 2018 .
Funding
Supervision
Availability
- Professor Di Eley is:
- Available for supervision
Before you email them, read our advice on how to contact a supervisor.
Available projects
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Training Tommorrows Doctors Longitudnal Medical Education Study
The Training Tomorrow’s Doctors (TTD): Longitudinal Medical Education Study began in 2010 as an initiative of the then, UQ School of Medicine for the broad purpose of undertaking evidence based medical education evaluation and research with UQ medical students both retrospectively and prospectively. The project aims are to develop and maintain a longitudinal database of information academic and personal characteristics medical students that will be used to review the quality of and lead to improvements in the medical program delivered at UQ. The TTD study represents a suite of inter-related projects that will contribute to the Medical School's understanding of how medical students are selected and trained, how they progress through the medical course, and how they transition into professional clinical practice. The TTD also aims to contribute to the broader literature concerned with enhancing the mental well-being of medical students and junior doctors. The objective is to equip our students with the knowledge and self-awareness to help them to lead productive and healthy lives, and in doing so, be appropriate role models for their patients.
Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
Sustainable career pathways for clinician-scientists in Australian public health
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Adrienne Young, Associate Professor Shaun O'Leary
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Doctor Philosophy
Emotions in Medicine
Associate Advisor
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Doctor Philosophy
Growing the Rural Medical Workforce Pipeline
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Matthew McGrail
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Doctor Philosophy
Sustainable career pathways for clinician-scientists in Australian public health
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Adrienne Young, Associate Professor Shaun O'Leary
Completed supervision
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2022
Doctor Philosophy
Enacting Pasin as storying as research: Ways of rethinking the health workers' curriculum in Papua New Guinea
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Kelly Matthews
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2021
Doctor Philosophy
Interactions and experiences of doctors with the public health sector Human Resource Management (HRM) systems in two Indian states
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Srinivas Kondalsamy Chennakesavan, Associate Professor Yibeltal Alemu
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2016
Master Philosophy
Smoking cessation promotion in the pediatric clinic: Increasing pediatrician's rate of screening for second hand smoke exposure, counseling caregivers to stop smoking and referring caregivers to smoking cessation programs
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Steve Kisely
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2016
Doctor Philosophy
Unpacking Affective Learning: A Longitudinal, Qualitative Study Exploring How Junior Doctors Learn To Be Compassionate Through Practice.
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Emeritus Professor Malcolm Parker, Dr Emma Bartle
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2014
Doctor Philosophy
Nurse-led chronic disease management in general practice: a mixed methods evaluation of the impact on patients¿ health
Associate Advisor
Media
Enquiries
Contact Professor Di Eley directly for media enquiries about:
- career choice
- clinician scientist
- MD-PhD
- personality
- recruitment and retention of rural doctors
- reseach training
- resilience
- rural health workforce
- well-being
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