Volunteer story by Eloise

Please share a brief overview of yourself.

My name is Eloise and I graduated from the University of Melbourne with a Master of Public Health. I currently work in Patient Service Administration at St. Vincent’s Hospital.

What inspired you to become a LiverWELL volunteer?

During my research internship at LiverWELL, I studied liver health in Australia and later delved deeper into the stigma surrounding hepatitis B within the Chinese community at Burnet Institution. I aim to apply my research findings to community health promotion, and LiverWELL’s health promotion activities for the Chinese community have provided me with an excellent platform for this.

Do you have a particular interest in liver health?

As a Chinese individual, I would like to contribute to addressing the health disparities related to hepatitis B in the Chinese community in Australia, particularly focusing on issues of gender inequality caused by the intersectionality of mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B and certain cultural factors.

Please describe one of your favourite LiverWELL experiences or moments.

In the health promotion activities within the Chinese community at Carnegie, I provided language translation for many Chinese individuals, sharing my research findings from Australia with them in Mandarin. This experience of combining research with practice has been invaluable to me, as I discovered that I enjoy fostering trust and providing health education to middle-aged and older people. Health communication is critical in health services, and this moment made me realise my strengths in communication. I felt a great sense of accomplishment by incorporating my ideas on promoting gender health into the campaigns to break the stigma surrounding hepatitis B.

What tips do you have for new volunteers?

Pay close attention to discovering your strengths in health education while completing tasks and activities.

What’s next for you?

I will continue to improve my communication skills with others through my work at Sti Vincent’s hospital, and I will seek opportunities for research projects related to hepatitis B. I hope to continuously share the latest research findings with the community.