Rate My Professor Maria Larcombe

Maria Larcombe serves as a Research Fellow in the Department of General Practice and Rural Health within the Dunedin School of Medicine at the University of Otago. She holds a Bachelor of Health Sciences (Physiotherapy) from Auckland University of Technology and a Master of Health Leadership from the University of Auckland. Appointed in 2018, her role centers on encouraging and supporting research impact throughout the Division of Health Sciences. Larcombe guides researchers in effectively communicating the broader effects of their studies, covering domains such as social, health, wellbeing, environmental, economic, and policy outcomes.

As the lead author of the 2020 booklet 'Impacts of Research,' produced for the University of Otago Division of Health Sciences, Larcombe documented case studies from 45 researchers across the division's schools. This publication draws on surveys, semi-structured qualitative interviews, documentary reviews, and thematic analysis to delineate pathways from research to impact, highlighting factors like stakeholder engagement, collaboration, dissemination strategies, and high-quality science. She presented on this topic, titled 'From research to impact – how do we get there? (update of study in progress),' at the 2019 Academic General Practice & Primary Care Research Symposium, alongside Professor Tim Stokes and Dr. Michele Coleman. Larcombe also co-authored the 2021 paper 'Illicit Cannabis Usage as a Management Strategy in New Zealand Women with Endometriosis: A Qualitative Study,' published in the Journal of Women's Health. This work, involving collaborators from the University of Otago and Western Sydney University, details women's experiences using cannabis for symptom relief in endometriosis management. Furthermore, she has spoken on research impact at events fostering early to mid-career researchers and health equity sessions. Listed as a Research Fellow at the Centre for Health Systems and Technology, Larcombe contributes to advancing health systems research and its translation into practice.