Associate Professor Peter Bragge specialises in translating research evidence into practice and policy to address challenges faced in health and sustainable development. This involves identifying, appraising and cataloguing research evidence; exploring practice through analysis of behaviours and their context; consulting with practitioners and policymakers to design tailored behaviour change interventions; and evaluating their effectiveness.
Peter is Director of Health Programs for BehaviourWorks Australia. He manages BWA’s partnerships with a number of government and other agencies including WorkSafe Victoria, the Department of Premier and Cabinet, Department of Health and Human Services, Victorian Managed Insurance Authority and the Victorian Transport Accident Commission.
Many of these partnerships have drawn upon McMaster’s Forum method of evidence review and facilitated dialogues. Peter led the development of this methodology in Australia and has conducted over 25 Forums utilising this approach since 2012. The Forum method has underpinned state-wide trials to optimise immunisation in Victoria, a mass media campaign to promote appropriate use of the Victorian emergency ambulance service (Save Lives. Save 000 for Emergencies) and a trial which improves management of urinary incontinence following spinal cord injury.
From 2019, Peter is leading Monash Sustainable Development Institute’s collaboration with McMaster University in Canada to build the world’s largest evidence resource for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – Social Systems Evidence. This will draw upon the established and successful Forum approach by applying it to social and other policy areas outside of health to aid governments around the world in achieving the SDGs.
Peter has published over 60 peer-reviewed journal articles covering methods and application of research translation theory, encompassing academic journals including The Lancet, Lancet Neurology, Implementation Science and Public Administration Review. He recently published his first book, From Roadside to Recovery: The Story of the Victorian State Trauma System and has written over 75 reports for government. He has served on the board of the Spinal Cord Injury Network, consults regularly with healthcare, government and other organisations and regularly appears in the media to discuss behaviour change science.
Prior to his full-time research career, Peter worked for 10 years as a physiotherapist in public and private practice settings, including one year in the United Kingdom. He also holds a Licentiate from Trinity College London in piano performance (1991) and continues to play and perform jazz and grooves.
