PD Sessions @ Zoom: Parents and Carers – how can we better support parents and carers who are research managers?

Kindly organised by the Queensland, the Northern Territory  & Papau New Guinea Chapter.

Research managers play a critical role in supporting research excellence, while many are also balancing parenting and caring responsibilities. How can we create workplaces where people can thrive in both roles?

This panel will explore how institutions can better support parents and carers through flexible work, realistic workload expectations, inclusive cultures, and supportive leadership.

Panellists will discuss moving beyond policies to create workplaces where flexibility is genuinely trusted, impact is measured by outcomes rather than visibility, and diverse family experiences are recognised and valued. The conversation will also explore career progression, leadership development, and flexible pathways for advancement while managing caring responsibilities.

Join us for a practical discussion on building research management workplaces where parents and carers can thrive both professionally and personally.

Please note that the panellists have requested that attendees complete a brief survey prior to attending the webinar. The survey consists of just three short questions and will take less than one minute to complete. A link to the survey will be included in your registration confirmation email.

Thank you in advance for your participation. Your responses will help inform the discussion and ensure the webinar is as relevant and valuable as possible for attendees.

Event Details

Date: Wednesday, 05 November 2026

Time: 12:00PM - 1:00PM (Queensland) / 1:00PM - 2:00PM AEDT (Check your timezone here.)

Format: Online via Zoom

Zoom Access: Provided in your confirmation email

Speaker(s)

Alisa Lindfield-Pratt - University of Queensland

Alisa (she/her) works in the Faculty Research Office in the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences at The University of Queensland (UQ). In her role Alisa provides grant administration, communications and event management support to Faculty Research Office staff. Alisa has been at UQ for 14 years, and has worked across Faculty level research administration, school-level support, events and engagement, and higher degree by research student administration. Alisa is also a member of the UQ Ally Network and the UQ Research Administrators Network. She is a parent of two young children and is a passionate supporter of equity and inclusion initiatives for members of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Jessica Suna - CQ University

Jessica Suna is the Director of the Office of Research at CQUniversity, where she leads teams across grants, contracts, research governance, ethics, and partnerships. She has over twenty years of experience in research management across the academic and health sectors, working on everything from pharmaceutical clinical trials to large-scale applied research programs.

Outside of work, Jessica is a parent of three children, including two with autism, and has developed advanced skills in multitasking, negotiation, and crisis management—most of which happen before 9 am. 

Jessica brings a practical, honest, and occasionally self-aware perspective to conversations about supporting parents and carers in research management, with a strong focus on what actually works in busy, unpredictable environments (and what really does not).

Zeynep (Zep) Yaltirakli - Queensland University of Technology

Zeynep (Zep) Yaltirakli is a Business Manager in QUT's Industry Research Pillar with over 20 years' experience in research partnerships, industry engagement and research commercialisation. She specialises in contract negotiation, research governance, intellectual property and strategic collaboration, helping translate research into impactful outcomes through strong university-industry partnerships. Prior to joining QUT, Zep held research partnership and business development roles at the University of Queensland, Charles Darwin University and UNSW, as well as leadership positions within the Northern Territory Major Events Company. She holds a Master's in Social Change and Development, a Graduate Diploma in Business Administration.

Facilitator

Dr Alessandra Donato - University of Queensland

Alessandra Donato is a Senior Research Administration Officer (SRAO) at the Child Health Research Centre within the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences (HMBS) at the University of Queensland (UQ). With 1.5 years of experience in research administration, she provides advisory and operational support to researchers, contributing to initiatives that strengthen the research environment.

Alessandra holds a Master’s degree in Molecular Biology from the University of Naples, Italy, and a PhD in Neurobiology from the Queensland Brain Institute (QBI), UQ. She also completed over five years as a postdoctoral researcher in the Hilliard laboratory at QBI, where she investigated the cellular mechanisms of neuronal degeneration in response to oxidative stress.

Her combined experience as both a researcher and research administrator gives her a well-rounded perspective on the challenges and opportunities across the research lifecycle. She is passionate about supporting researchers to navigate funding systems and achieve research excellence.

As a mother of two young daughters (aged 2 and 4), Alessandra brings valuable lived experience to discussions on parents and carers in research management. She is particularly interested in fostering inclusive and flexible research environments that support diverse career pathways. As a facilitator, she draws on her dual perspective and practical insight to guide thoughtful, engaging conversations on how institutions can better support parents and carers while sustaining strong research outcomes.

Using Zoom

• To learn how to join a Zoom webinar click here.
• To learn about participant controls click here.
• If you need assistance with accessing Zoom at your office, please contact your organisation’s IT Support.
• We strongly recommend you test your ability to connect to Zoom prior to the session.

Questions

Contact the ARMS Executive Office:

•  ARMSAdmin@researchmanagement.org.au 
• +61 8 8201 5592