The University of Queensland’s Australian Women and Girls’ Health Research (AWaGHR) Centre is calling for women aged 35 to 60 years to help shape a new national study.
The Australian Perimenopause and Menopause (A-PaM) Study will address important knowledge gaps, including healthcare and workplace preferences, to improve support for
women during this transition.
The study is now seeking 12 women to join its consumer advisory group.
Funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council’s Medical Research Future Fund, the A-PaM Study brings together 16 partner organisations and nine universities. Over the next five years, it will explore how perimenopause and menopause affect women’s physical health, mental health, and work life.
Research Project Manager, Dr Shaneen Leishman, said the study is seeking a diverse group of women to join its consumer advisory group and guide the project.
“We want to centre the voices and experiences of women aged 35 to 60 across Australia. This includes women living in rural and remote areas, First Nations women, women from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, women with disability or chronic health conditions, and LGBTQIA+ people who were assigned female at birth,” Dr Leishman said.
Members will meet regularly with the research team online to share insights, review study materials, and ensure the research reflects real women’s experiences.
The time commitment will be around 16 hours per year, with remuneration provided.
Project lead, Professor Gita Mishra AO said the research project will have a focus on inclusion and diversity.
“The A-PaM study aims to improve the health outcomes of women across Australia, and as a diverse country, we must include these experiences of women, particularly around health service usage and accessibility, rather than a ‘one size-fits-most approach,” Professor Mishra said.
“With around 10,000 women to be recruited next year, input from women across different communities will be crucial to the success of the A-PaM Study.
Women wishing to join the consumer advisory group can submit an expression of interest via this link Expression of Interest - A-PaM Study Consumer Advisory Group – Fill in form (QR code below), or by contacting Research Project Manager, Dr Shaneen Leishman via email: apamstudy@uq.edu.au.
