Applications for the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences’s renowned and competitive Mentorship Program are now open. Meet some of our mentees and mentors to learn more about their experiences in the program.
Professor Lauren Ball is Chair of Community Health and Wellbeing at Springfield, Queensland and is jointly based in The University of Queensland School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences and the School of Public Health. She is mentored by Academy Fellow Professor Stephen Duckett, a leading health economist who has held senior positions across Australia and Canada.
Professor Ball joined the program in 2022.
“I wanted to learn from top research leaders on how to best have impact in my future work,” she said.
“I particularly wanted to hear about personal stories, habits, strategies and experiences that have shaped research leaders that I could learn from.
“Beyond the workshops available in the program, the personal mentoring from my AAHMS Fellow Professor Stephen Duckett has been invaluable.
“I’ve been able to canvass his advice on current opportunities and challenges I’ve faced, maximising my career opportunities and professional development.”
Professor Duckett said being a mentor was a mutually beneficial relationship.
“The mentor-mentee relationship is always two way, especially when we come from different disciplines,” he said.
“I enjoyed meeting up with Lauren both virtually and in person, discussing her challenges and choices, but at the same time learning about what she was working on.
“I became an Academy mentor partly for the traditional ‘giving back’, and partly learning about what others are doing and being challenged myself.”
The Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences Mentorship Program was created specifically to nurture rising health and medical leaders. The three-year program pairs mentees with senior Academy Fellows mentors to help them strategise career challenges, exchange ideas, and gain new perspectives. Mentees become Associate Members of the Academy and are invited to contribute to our policy work and committees, as well as attending an annual mentorship workshop designed to hone specific skills. Applications for the program are accepted year-round, and reviewed each March. Find more information on our mentorship page.