معرفی
Dr Tessa-May Zirnsak is a Research Fellow in Social Work & Social Policy at La Trobe University, specializing in lived experience research focusing on coercion in mental health and disability systems. She holds a PhD from La Trobe University (2024) and a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) from the same institution (2017).
Her research prioritizes intersectional analyses of mental health policies, compulsory treatment practices (e.g., Community Treatment Orders), and LGBTQ+ inclusion in disability services. Key areas include healthcare equity, patient involvement in clinical trials, and systemic barriers faced by marginalized groups. She has led projects like the Health Navigators initiative and contributed to policy critiques such as the Victorian Mental Health Policy analysis.
Dr Zirnsak has published widely in journals like Critical Public Health and Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, with a focus on qualitative and systematic review methodologies. She has presented at venues like the McPin Foundation conference and advised institutional committees such as La Trobe’s Executive Committee. Her work emphasizes co-design principles and lived experience expertise in shaping equitable healthcare systems.