Di is responsible for the facilitation and coordination of any research the medical students undertake. Di developed and oversees the Clinician Scientist Track and the Student Research Portal which encourages student interest and experience in a variety of research.

Researcher links

Research focus

A focus of my research is longitudinal studies to gain an understanding of medical student well-being through investigations of personality and associations with behaviour and psychological constructs as indicators of coping and resilience.

Another focus is on research education in undergraduate and medical students to encourage and motivate an interest and participation in meaningful research.

Current Projects

See Medical Student Research Portal

Researcher biography

Professor Diann (Di) Eley is the Director of MD Student Research, Chair of the Medical Student Research Advisory Group, and the MD Director of Research Training in the Faculty of Medicine. She is also Chair of the UQ Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC B). Di became a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) in 2018.

Di's research career began with a Master's of Science degree (MSc) in reproductive physiology at the University of Florida in 1978. She subsequently worked for nearly 20 years as a bench scientist in bio-medical laboratories in Kenya and the UK. In 2000, she began her academic career after receiving a PhD in health and exercise psychology at the University of Bristol. She moved to the School of Medicine at UQ in late 2003.

The primary focus of Di's research is medical education, research training and rural health workforce. Her specific area of research interest deals with personality and its association with well-being, resilience and healthy mindsets. Di is responsible for the development and implementation of the Clinician-Scientist Track in the UQ Medical School which encourages student interest and experience in research, and facilitates medical students undertaking a Higher Degree by Research (MD-PhD, MD-MPhil) alongside their medical degree.

Di has been recognised for her leadership in several Faculty initiatives in medical education, and received the 2015 University of Queensland Award for Excellence in Leadership. [http://www.hr.uq.edu.au/recognition/uq-awards-excellence-2015-recipients]

Di has over 140 peer reviewed journal publications, and has led successful projects through research funding including ARC Linkage and Discovery grants as well as Office of Learning and Teaching (OLT) grants. Additionally she has received UQ and national awards for teaching excellence for programs that enhance learning.

  • 2019: Faculty of Medicine Excellence Awards for Leadership – Nomination
  • 2016: Faculty of Medicine Excellence Awards for Teaching and Learning – Nomination.
  • 2015: The University of Queensland Awards for Excellence in Teaching and Learning [https://www.uq.edu.au/news/article/2015/11/uq's-outstanding-teachers-celebrated] [https://vimeo.com/149706002]
  • 2015: The University of Queensland Award for Excellence in Leadership [http://www.hr.uq.edu.au/recognition/uq-awards-excellence-2015-recipients]
  • 2014: Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences Senior Teaching Excellence Award
  • 2014: Dean's Award for Innovation in Curriculum Development. School of Medicine
  • 2013: The University of Queensland - 'Commendation' for an Award for Teaching Excellence.
  • 2013: The University of Queensland Faculty of Health Sciences Award for Teaching Excellence.
  • 2006: National Carrick Award for Australian University Teaching – Programs that Enhance Learning: Innovation in curricula, learning and teaching.
  • 2006: The University of Queensland Award for Enhancement of Student Learning. Programs that Enhance Learning: Innovation in curricula, learning and teaching.
  • 2006: The University of Queensland Citations for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning.
  • 2005: The University of Queensland Awards for Enhancement of Student Learning