Our Team
BPMRI Busselton Health Study Centre Team (Busselton):
Associate Professor Michael Hunter
Adjunct Associate Professor Michael Hunter was awarded a PhD with Distinction by the University of Western Australia for his studies in molecular biology and genetics conducted at the Western Australian Institute for Medical Research and the Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Royal Free Hospital, London. Read More.
Gemma Gill
Gemma holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing and a Postgraduate Diploma of Midwifery from Curtin University, along with a Graduate Diploma in Education from Edith Cowan University where she received a number of awards for academic achievement in her studies. Gemma joined the Busselton Health Study team in 2019 after an extensive career at St John of God Health Care in Subiaco and Bunbury and Hollywood Hospital. Her current roles include office management and volunteer coordination, clinical testing along with protocol and data management at the Busselton testing facility.
Jolijn Thompson
Jolijn is a Registered Nurse who graduated from Edith Cowan University in 2018 and previously worked on the Busselton Respiratory Study, taking a lead role in study setup and coordination, as well as clinical testing on Wave 2 of the Baby Boomer Study. In 2021 she took a position with Rural Health West delivering the South West Health Professionals Network program before joining a local GP surgery as a Practice Nurse. Jolijn returned to the BPMRI in 2024 to commence clinical testing on the current research survey and is passionate about research and clinical practice including assessing patient’s needs, providing patient-centred care and health education.
Sue Watson
Sue completed her Nursing degree at Edith Cowan University Bunbury in 2024 receiving an award for academic excellence. During her studies she completed placements throughout the Southwest including Busselton Health Campus, St John of God, Bunbury and Donnybrook Hospitals. As a study participant in previous Busselton Health Study projects she now joins the BPMRI as a Research Nurse and is broadening her clinical skills collecting information to understand the impact of illness and ageing within the community as part of Wave 3 of the Busselton Baby Boomer Study.
Kellie Locke
Kellie is an Enrolled Nurse with over 11 years of experience across rehabilitation, medical, and hospice settings within WACHS Busselton Health Campus and Darwin Private Hospital. Her multidisciplinary background includes conducting comprehensive assessments, monitoring observations, and providing education and emotional support across various clinical settings. With a strong interest in research, Kellie joined Wave 3 of the Busselton Healthy Ageing Study in 2026.
Taryn Yeates
Taryn is a recent graduate registered nurse from ECU Bunbury. Having lived in Busselton for over 14 years, she completed her schooling locally and earned a Bachelor of Nursing, while gaining valuable experience as a Care Partner at Baptistcare Aged Care Village. Passionate about clinical care and the role of research in improving healthcare, she is commenced her career as a Registered Nurse in early 2026, using her clinical skills on Wave 3 of the Busselton Healthy Ageing Study.
BPMRI Biobank & Laboratory team (Perth, SCGH Pathwest):
Associate Professor Jennie Hui
Adjunct Associate Professor Jennie Hui is a molecular geneticist whose primary training was in the field of Immunogenetics. Over the last 15 years, her main research focus involved the study of genetics and epidemiology of human diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases and diabetes. She has been associated with the Busselton Health Study since 2002 when she took up her first post-doctoral position, working on the genetics of asthma with Professor Bill Cookson from the University of Oxford. Read More.
Gillian Arscott
BPMRI Statistical and Database Team (Perth, UWA):
Dr Chrianna Bharat
Dr Chrianna Bharat is a Research Fellow on the Busselton Health Study at the School of Population and Global Health, The University of Western Australia. She is an applied biostatistician and epidemiologist with a PhD from UNSW Sydney (2023), where she investigated the use and outcomes of prescribed medicines in people with opioid dependence using linked, person-level health data.
Dr Bharat’s research sits at the intersection of pharmacoepidemiology, mental health, and healthy ageing. She brings expertise in advanced statistical methods, longitudinal cohort analysis, and real-world data to investigate the determinants and outcomes of health across the life course. Her work currently focuses on multimorbidity, medicines use, and health trajectories in older adults.
She serves as Deputy Statistics & Methodology Editor for Addiction and sits on the editorial board of the International Journal of Drug Policy, contributing to methodological rigour in substance use and public health research.
Kashif Mukhtar
Kashif Mukhtar is the database programmer at the School of Population and Global Health at the University of Western Australia. Kashif manages the data from all past Busselton Health Study surveys. He works to maintain the accuracy and integrity of these data, and assists with new surveys to ensure data quality. He also provides data extraction services to researchers using the data collection.
BPMRI Volunteers and co-opted Community and Consumer Representatives:
Graeme Robson
Peter Coates
Jean Chant
Barbara Furze
Cate Ham
Fiona Dunbar-Blake
Jenny Thornton
Jude Kirkham
Julie Jarman
Karen Jennings
Leanne Wanliss
Lesley Reid
Marcella Becker
Pat Rowles
Sally Chandler
Sue Brown
Terrie Delroy
Trudy Lucas
Jan Fort
Dawn Townsend
Chriss Watt
