Mission
The QCCRN mission is to foster a state-wide collaborative approach to critical care research with the goals of increasing research capacity in Queensland’s Intensive Care Units and support high quality research output from local investigators with a focus on improving patient outcomes.
Vision
- To support Queensland Intensive Care Units in building research infrastructure and capacity.
- Provide a multi-disciplinary collaborative network for researchers, academics, clinicians and research coordinators in critical care, with the aim of developing high quality research output relevant to the region for the improvement of patient outcomes.
- To provide a support network and mentorship system for early career researchers and research coordinators.
- To run an annual meeting designed to aid building of research capacity in the region, facilitate the proposal of projects, presentation of results and networking.
QCCRN is an independent organization and not affiliated with any healthcare organization or university.
Steering Committee
Our scientific leadership team driving discovery and improving critical care outcomes across Queensland and the globe.
A/Prof Mahesh Ramanan
Chair, QCCRNSenior Intensive Care Specialist
Mahesh is a Senior Intensive Care Specialist at Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital and Caboolture Hospital, Adjunct Associate Professor at Queensland University of Technology, and Research Fellow at The George Institute for Global Health. He serves as Chair of the Queensland Critical Care Research Network (QCCRN). He is the Queensland representative on the ANZICS Clinical Trials Group Committee and recipient of the Metro North Clinician Research Fellowship. Mahesh has secured over $11.7M in research funding including multiple MRFF and NHMRC grants. He leads the MRFF-funded BEST-DKA trial and has published more than 120 manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals including NEJM, Intensive Care Medicine, and Critical Care Medicine. His research interests include clinical trials methodology, diabetic ketoacidosis management, fluid therapy, and quality improvement in critical care. His work has been cited in multiple international clinical practice guidelines and he is globally ranked in the top 1% of critical care experts. Mahesh champions equitable access to clinical research participation for underserved populations in rural and regional Queensland.
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Dr Kyle White
Intensive Care Staff Specialist& Director of Research (PAH)
Kyle is an Intensive Care Staff Specialist at Princess Alexandra and Queen Elizabeth II Hospitals, and Senior Lecturer at the University of Queensland. He is the Director of Research at Princess Alexandra Hospital ICU and has secured over $7M in competitive research funding in the past 5 years, including NHMRC and MRFF grants. He is the Principal Investigator on multiple randomised controlled trials, including RESPECT-AKI, AQUA Trial, and Amino Acids in the ICU. His research interests include hemodynamic optimisation, acute kidney injury, target trial emulation, and machine learning applications in critical care. He has published more than 60 manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals with over 480 citations. His research combines advanced analytical methodologies with large-scale database analytics to improve outcomes for critically ill patients across Queensland.
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A/Prof Alexis Tabah
Vice Chair, QCCRNLead for Research, Redcliffe Hospital
Alexis is a Senior Intensive Care Specialist at Redcliffe Hospital and holds academic appointments at the University of Queensland and Queensland University of Technology. He leads multidisciplinary research at Redcliffe ICU, which was awarded the 2022 Metro North Research Excellence Award for complex health challenges. A global leader in infectious diseases and antibiotic stewardship, Alexis led the development of international guidelines on antibiotic de-escalation. He is the Principal Investigator of the landmark Eurobact II study, a massive global collaboration involving 2,600 patients across 333 ICUs in 52 countries. This work won the Best Abstract at ESICM LIVES 2021 and has already generated over 10 peer-reviewed publications in top-tier journals. With an h-index of 42 and over 8,600 citations, his research continues to drive improvements in patient safety and outcomes worldwide.
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Prof. Andrea Marshall
Professor of Intensive Care NursingGold Coast Health & Griffith University
Andrea is Professor of Intensive Care Nursing at Gold Coast Health and Griffith University. Her programme of research focuses on improving outcomes for acute and critically ill patients with a focus on recovery through nutrition and mobilisation interventions. She is ranked in the Top 1% worldwide for her expertise in multiple topics including Patient Participation, Nursing Care, and Critical Illness. She uses knowledge translation strategies in practice and research to improve patient outcomes for acutely ill hospitalised patients. Andrea has secured over $25 million in competitive research funding and is the author of more than 200 peer reviewed research articles. She is currently Editor-in-Chief of Australian Critical Care and editor of the leading text “Critical Care Nursing” which is now entering its 6th edition.
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Felicity Edwards
Biostatistician, Research Data Analyst& Accredited Practising Dietitian
Felicity is a Research Data Analyst and Biostatistician with extensive experience supporting critical care research across Queensland. Originally trained and practised as an Accredited Practising Dietitian, she maintains clinical engagement alongside her research and analytical work, providing strong clinical context for her epidemiological analyses. She collaborates with clinicians and investigators within the Queensland Critical Care Research Network on large, multicentre critical care studies, including statewide data linkage projects, and has additional experience supporting observational and applied clinical research outside the network. Her methodological expertise includes population-based cohort studies and surveillance epidemiology, with emerging work in pragmatic study design and causal inference approaches. Her research focuses on bloodstream infections, diagnostic and treatment timing, and outcomes in critical illness. She also contributes to research capacity building through service on external grant assessment committees and journal peer review.
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Prof. Kevin Laupland
Intensivist & Infectious Diseases ConsultantProfessor, QUT
Professor Laupland completed his MD (Honours) degree at the University of Toronto and subsequent training at the University of Calgary where he was fellowship certified by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada in Internal Medicine, Critical Care Medicine, and Infectious Diseases. He moved to Australia in 2019 where he subsequently earned a PhD from Griffith University and qualified as a Fellow of the College of Intensive Care Medicine. Professor Laupland’s research program has involved investigation within a broad range of areas related to his clinical disciplines with a focus on the population-based epidemiology of bloodstream infections and other aetiologies of critical illness. Research successes have been the product of extensive collaboration with colleagues in medical, surgical, laboratory, basic science, and allied health disciplines in Australia, North America, and Europe. He serves on the editorial boards of several journals including as Associate Editor for Infectious Diseases. He has authored more than 450 indexed publications that have been cited more than 34,000 times and has an h-index >90. He has been actively involved in mentoring the next generation of physicians and has supervised research trainees from the undergraduate through professional and post-graduate levels.
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Queensland Critical Care Research Network 