Professor Beth Armstrong
Director
From a Speech Pathology background, Beth has worked in health and academic leadership roles for over 20 years focused on multidisciplinary clinical practice and research. Beth is a passionate advocate for rural health services, research capacity building and increasing the rural health workforce. She leads a national multidisciplinary team of Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and non-Aboriginal researchers focusing on brain injury rehabilitation and the provision of culturally secure health services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. She has been an invited speaker at national and international multidisciplinary health conferences, has produced 138 journal publications and attracted over $9m in competitive grant funding.
Abigail Lewis
Senior Lecturer, Clinical Education
Abigail is a senior lecturer (clinical education) and is happy about her move to the South West. She is passionate about rural placements, ensuring students are well prepared prior, supported during and experience interprofessional and reflective opportunities. She values relevant training and support for placement supervisors. Her experience as the Clinical Coordinator for ECU’s Speech Pathology program for 14 years and working in the paediatric disability field, prepared her for this role.
Fiona Cooper
Business Manager
As Business Manager, Fiona is responsible for operational and financial management, compliance, and contributing to the strategic development of UDRH SW. With more than 25 years of leadership experience within the WA private health care industry, her passion for the South West and healthcare close to home, inspires her dedication to attracting healthcare professionals to the region.
Ariane Aldus
Lecturer (Clinical Education)
Ariane is a Clinical Lecturer with the University Department of Rural Health South West. A physiotherapist of over 20 years experience, she has been working in the South West since 2017 and prior to this, had worked in a variety of rural and remote setting including the Midwest, Wheatbelt, Riverina (in NSW) and Darwin. Due to her previous experiences as a health professional and a manager, Ariane is passionate about the development of a sustainable rural workforce to ensure quality health care for the South West community.
Dr. Adam Johnson
Research Coordinator
Adam is a passionate advocate and researcher in the fields of disability access, social inclusion, and co-design. An active member of the City of Bunbury’s Co-Design Panel and Disability Access and Inclusion Committee for more than 20 years, he has developed and delivered training workshops in universal design and co-design for local governments around Australia. As a lecturer in the Bachelor of Social Work course, he authored and taught the unit called ‘Social Inclusion and People with Intellectual Disabilities’, alongside teaching many other units and coordinating student placements. Adam’s current role with the UDRH is to build greater capacity for health research in the South West region through networking, mentoring and skill-building.
Dr. Norman Brandon
Lecturer Optometry
Dr. Norman Brandon is an academic optometrist at the University Department of Rural Health, working in collaboration with the South West Aboriginal Medical Service to run an eye care program. As both a university lecturer and clinician, he provides primary eyecare to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities while training UWA optometry students in clinical skills. He also fosters valuable cultural awareness by offering students outreach experiences in Aboriginal communities.
Huong Tu
Executive Assistant to Professor Beth Armstrong
Huong Tu is a proud mother of three beautiful children, she finds immense joy and fulfillment in her family. Holding a Bachelor’s degree in Business, Huong brings over 11 years of diverse experience from local government, where she has consistently demonstrated a passion for continuous learning and self-improvement.
Belinda Williams
Student Systems Coordinator
Since moving to WA’s South West in 2017, Belinda has applied her diverse background and practical, people-focused mindset to regional roles. With a foundation in fashion, small business, and local government, she brings strengths in product development, communication, planning and systems thinking to projects.
Jade Bullock
Senior Administration Officer - Communications
Jade brings a creative and strategic edge to the UDRH SW team, drawing on her background in digital marketing, graphic design, and communications. Originally from Queensland, Jade has built her expertise in the live entertainment and communications sectors, and now applies these skills in a new context supporting rural health professionals. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Live Entertainment and Graphic Design and is passionate about using visual storytelling and clear messaging to enhance engagement and community connection.
Cathy Phillips
Occupational Therapy Placement and Education Advisor
Cathy is an occupational therapist with a strong background in education and business. Cathy is particularly committed to supporting allied health students, especially in rural placements, where access to hands-on learning can be challenging. Her expertise in both clinical practice and education makes her an invaluable mentor, ensuring students are well-equipped for their future careers.
Ben Avery
Exercise Physiology Placement and Education Advisor
As an Accredited Exercise Physiologist, Ben specialises in helping people recover from musculoskeletal injuries through physical rehab, with a particular interest in ankles, knees, and hips. He gained valuable experience in both private practice and the workers’ compensation system, and also enjoys mentoring practicum students as they develop their skills in the field.
Fiona Black
Nursing Placement and Education Advisor
Fiona is a Registered Nurse with over 20 years clinical experience qualifying in 2001with a Bachelor in Science, Nursing degree at Edinburgh University. Fiona started her career overseas working for 2 years in the Falkland Islands in a rural and remote setting then returned to the UK for a year before she immigrated to Australia.
Wayne Goodrem
Paramedicine Placement and Education Advisor
Wayne is an Intensive Care Paramedic, with over 25 years of clinical experience, spanning E000 emergency response, flight paramedicine, and remote medical care in communities, mining, oil, and gas sectors. He has worked in complex operational environments, including the Solomon Islands as a rescue flight paramedic and with AUSMED’s Ebola Response Team.
Emily Jackson
Speech Pathology Placement and Education Advisor
Emily Jackson is a Speech Pathologist who has lived in the South West since 2019. Emily has varied experiences across both the adult and paediatric populations within the acute hospital setting, private practice, NDIS and public outpatient community clinics.
Jess Ellis
Social Work Placement and Education Advisor
Having worked and lived in the rural and remote areas for a decade, Jess is passionate about rural health. On top of her broad base of understanding rural living conditions, Jess also spent another 7 years working in the higher education sector, specialising in student placements for allied health services. She is dedicated to offering students enriching, hands-on experiences that benefit their education and the community they serve.
Karyn Hetherington
Nursing and Midwifery Placement and Education Advisor
Karyn is a Registered Nurse, Midwife and Child and Adolescent Health Nurse who grew up in the South West of Western Australia. Karyn moved to Perth after high school to complete a Bachelor of Science Nursing at Curtin University and began her career as a graduate nurse at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital.
Fiona Collins
Dietetics Placement and Education Advisor
Fiona is a discipline advisor for Dietetics and Nutrition with the UDRH SW team.
Beth Hastie
Pharmacy Placement and Education Advisor
Beth Hastie is a registered and practicing pharmacist with decades of experience. Her experience has been broad including working in rural and city WA Community Pharmacy, overseas hospital pharmacy in the UK, clinical pharmacy hospital experience in Perth before returning to her roots in rural WA as a Community Pharmacist for the last 30 years. Until recently Beth was proprietor pharmacist of a South West rural pharmacy for nearly 20 years. Beth is also a credentialed pharmacist and continues to provide medication reviews in her community.
Work with us
Be part of the solution. Together we can work towards building a stronger and more sustainable rural health workforce in the South West – ultimately improving the health and well-being of those in rural and remote areas.
