Role Title: Research Intern: Workforce Competencies for Type 1 Diabetes and Eating and Body Image Concerns
Organisation: The Kids Research Institute Australia
Internship Period: Winter (June - July)
Location: Perth Children's Hospital, Nedlands
The internship is based at The Kids Research Institute Australia, located at Perth Children’s Hospital, within the Rio Tinto Children’s Diabetes Centre – a Breakthrough T1D Centre of Excellence.
Working within the Mental Health and Wellbeing research program, the intern will be supervised by Dr Anna Boggiss and contribute to a research project examining workforce capacity to support youth living with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) who experience concerns with eating and body image. T1D requires daily attention to food intake, weight, and insulin dosing, which shape eating behaviours and body image - creating unique challenges for young people and complexities for healthcare professionals.
The primary task will be to conduct a structured scoping review to identify and synthesise workforce competencies (knowledge, skills, and attitudes) relevant to supporting young people with T1D experiencing concerns with eating and body image. This will involve reviewing competency frameworks and practice standards across eating disorder care, diabetes care, and paediatric mental health, and identifying gaps in current guidance for this dual clinical context.
This work will directly inform the development of an international workforce survey and contribute to a larger research program focused on improving psychosocial care pathways for young people with T1D.
The Kids Research Institute Australia is based within the Perth Children’s Hospital, and is one of the largest, and most successful medical research institutes in Australia, comprising a dedicated and diverse team of around 1,000 staff, students and honoraries. We've created a bold blueprint that brings together community, researchers, practitioners, policy makers and funders, who share our vision to improve the health and wellbeing of children through excellence in research.