Jacques Raubenheimer
Senior Research Fellow
Discipline of Biomedical Informatics and Digital Health: School of Medical Sciences, University of Sydney
Capacity Building and Training
Focus
The primary focus of this Portfolio is to build capacity across the Australian pharmacoepidemiology research sector to generate real-world evidence for regulators and payers. This Portfolio advocates and facilitates exchanges among the MI-CRE investigators, research community, the government, and other stakeholders. Additionally, it works with the other Portfolios to deliver workshops, seminars, and other training to build capacity across MI-CRE.
Activities and Programs
This Portfolio is actively involved in a range of activities, including: 
- cataloguing and curating existing training resources and MI-CRE activities,
- coordinating targeted sessions to address needs identified by E/MCRs across MI-CRE and MI-CRE stakeholders (e.g., target trial emulation, interrupted time series analysis, consumer engagement),
- facilitating inter-disciplinary research training for MI-CRE E/MCRs through opportunities to work with different nodes and MI-CRE researchers with different skill sets and backgrounds,
- identifying opportunities for collaboration/exchange across the MI-CRE nodes and stakeholder organisations,
- identifying opportunities for participation or observerships in external advisory groups and committees for E/MCRs,
- coordinating a mentoring program in which E/MCRs are paired with more senior academics in the MI-CRE network,
- facilitating a scholarship program for participation in conferences and training, or cross-node research placements,
- supporting development of additional resources and opportunities that address needs identified by E/MCRs across MI-CRE and MI-CRE stakeholders, and
- sharing resources developed by the portfolio, MI-CRE researchers or collaborators to build capacity within and outside the MI-CRE network.
Mentoring Program - Mentor
Capacity building is central to MI-CRE and a foundation for the future of pharmacoepidemiology research in Australia. The mentoring program has been designed by and for EMCRs but mentors always learn from their mentees and they have the added joy of seeing them succeed.
Mentoring Program - Mentee
My mentoring sessions have helped me to think more strategically about my decision making processes, provided encouragement to apply for things that I may not have otherwise put myself forward for, and have been a great 'sense check' on what to expect on an academic career pathway.
