Dr Eloise Hummell

Biography

Dr Eloise Hummell is a Research Fellow at the Australian Centre for Health Services Innovation (AusHSI). Eloise is a qualitative researcher with a keen interest in the complex and shifting factors that influence identity construction, social well-being, and government policy. In her research she works to develop nuanced understandings of emerging social relations and how to transform systems. She has a strong interest in research that prioritises equity impacts and the voices of disadvantaged or underrepresented populations. Her research traverses sociology, social policy studies and policy implementation research, extending into implementation science.

Eloise has a PhD in Sociology and Bachelor of Social Science (Hons) from Macquarie University, Sydney. Her PhD on Catalan ethnic identity in Spain, explored contexts of resistance, change and contestation across topics including politics, language, cultural performance, nationalism, historical narrative and government policies. Her research post-PhD has focused on examining Australian disability policy and systems reform, utilising diverse conceptual frameworks to ascertain how reforms get translated and implemented, and critically examining administrative, practice and equity impacts. Eloise’s current research includes projects on regional and remote mental health service delivery, and increasing the value of care in Australian hospital and health care systems.

Eloise’s project experience has involved local, state, national and international contexts, including work on several Category 1 national research grants focused broadly on national disability policy implementation and regional mental health service delivery. Eloise is adept at qualitative approaches including ethnographic fieldwork, participant-observation, case studies, in-depth interviews, focus groups, and using a range of theories and models inductively and deductively to analyse and interpret data.

Her track record is represented in both traditional academic (peer-reviewed publications) and non-traditional outputs (e.g. submissions to government Joint Standing Committee inquiries and the NDIS Review that have been well cited in subsequent reports). Non-traditional outputs represent Eloise’s strong preference in social policy research to engage directly with policy work and maximise research impact through diverse and accessible engagement with consumers, policy decision-makers and industry peak bodies.