Our Consumer Representatives are an important part of our Centre, ensuring the real-life experiences of those living with T1D is considered in our work
What led you to become a Consumer Representative and why?
For 23 years, I’ve been a consumer and participated in numerous clinical trials, and have seen firsthand the positive impact the products of this research have had on my everyday life.
While facing my own struggles with type 1 diabetes, I often felt isolated, especially due to a lack of research addressing these challenges. Conversations with my peers within the type 1 community revealed that many others shared my experiences and highlighted a disconnect between research and real consumer needs. My involvement with JDRF’s youth advocacy program further deepened my understanding of these issues and fuelled my passion to become a consumer representative, with the goal of ensuring that research truly reflects and addresses the needs of the people the research is for.
What do you hope will come from being involved?
From my involvement, I hope to align research more closely with community values and needs, ensuring that funded studies provide greater benefits to the people they aim to serve.
I also aim to advocate strongly for the community, providing a voice that represents their interests. Additionally, I want to help translate complex research terminology into everyday language, making it easier for the average consumer to engage with and contribute to the research process.
What have you been involve in so far?
In my two years as a consumer representative, I’ve been actively involved in several key activities. I was lucky enough to attend the Centre of Excellence’s research symposium in Perth in July 2023, where I had the opportunity to engage with researchers and was able to share valuable consumer perspectives on various topics.
Additionally, serving on the scientific program subcommittee has been particularly impactful for myself. In this role, I’ve contributed to complex discussions about how research outcomes can be integrated into health policy and care models. This has allowed me to provide input on ensuring that consumer needs and insights are considered in the development of policies and practices. It has been an invaluable experience to see how our contributions help shape policies that aim to improve care and outcomes on a broader scale.