Randomised Controlled Trials (RCTs) are essential to transforming healthcare and public health, however traditional trials are often expensive, difficult to recruit to, and take too long to translate results into clinical practice. The University of Queensland’s ULTRA program has been created to transform RCTs – building capability and capacity in innovative trial design, conduct, analysis and translation.
The ULTRA program brings together a highly skilled interdisciplinary team focused on creating innovation in RCTs that leads to higher quality trials, more robust and rapid results and improved outcomes for patients and the public.
We offer methodological capability for innovative RCTs in existing and new areas of clinical research led by The University of Queensland. We work across UQ’s Faculties and Schools, Institutes, Centres and external partners to support innovative trial design and analysis. Our approach embeds qualitative research, implementation science and consumer and community involvement in trials, facilitating trials to deliver on time and on target, and translate findings into practice.
Funded through The University of Queensland’s Vice-Chancellors Health Research Accelerator (HERA) initiative to tackle urgent health and medical challenges, ULTRA is working together with the UQ’s Clinical Trials Centre (CTC) to augment existing expertise and accelerate RCT capability, capacity, co-ordination and competitiveness.
Vision
To create Australia’s most successful interdisciplinary team leading innovative RCTs that deliver results rapidly, translated for public good.
Mission
Accelerate The University of Queensland’s capability, capacity, co-ordination and competitiveness in innovative and impactful RCTs.
Professor Nadine Foster (Director - ULTRA) Nadine is an internationally recognised leader in clinical trials and Academic Director of The University of Queensland’s (UQ) Clinical Trials Centre (CTC). She is passionate about supporting the development and delivery of high quality innovative randomised clinical trials (RCTs) that translate into better patient outcomes.
Nadine is the programme lead for the HERA ULTRA initiative – creating and supporting Australia’s most successful interdisciplinary team leading innovative RCTs that deliver results rapidly, translated for patient benefit. ULTRA forms a core part of UQ CTC and is integrated with the CTC to support existing RCTs and co-develop future RCTs.
Professor Andrew MartinListen to Andrew explain his role in ULTRA
Andrew is the inaugural Professor of Innovative Clinical Trials and leads the University of Queensland’s ULTRA program. He has made original, innovative and distinguished contributions to methodological research, as well as the design, conduct, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination of clinical research that has had an impact at an international level policy, practice, and subsequent research programs.
Ding is a post-doctoral research fellow in biostatistics within the ULTRA team, specialising in the development of estimation methods for semiparametric survival models and their extensions. He is dedicated to advancing statistical methodologies for biostatistics applications, including the design and analysis of clinical trials.
Patrick is a senior research assistant within the ULTRA team working as a biostatistician with a particular interest in simulation and analyses of data within clinical trials. Patrick is currently completing his BCA Masters of Biostatistics.
Min holds a PhD in Biostatistics, with additional training in Biomedicine. She has experience in quantitative analysis of genomics and clinical data in cancer and immune-related diseases, bridging biomarker insights with clinical trial applications. Her research interests focus on innovative statistical methodologies that improve trial efficiency and better inform clinical decision-making.
Implementation Science
Associate Professor Ingrid HickmanListen to Ingrid explain her role in ULTRA
Ingrid brings to the ULTRA team methodological expertise in implementation science in clinical trials and supporting the clinical trial workforce to embed implementation science into innovative trial design and delivery. She has been recognised internationally for her investment in implementation science and clinical workforce capacity building in research translation.
Mark is an implementation scientist within the ULTRA team, with experience in behaviour change research on the patient, clinician and organisational level. He has methodological expertise in conducting pragmatic research in real-world settings, implementation and behavioural theory, and leveraging routinely collected health data as research outcome measures. He is also a strong advocate for consumer involvement across all stages of research.
Dr Nathalia CostaListen to Nathalia explain her role in ULTRA
As part of the ULTRA team, Nathalia works collaboratively with researchers, clinicians, and other stakeholders to shape and enhance trial designs and processes through innovative qualitative methods and methodologies – from developing relevant research questions to improving trial recruitment and informing implementation of trial findings. Her work seeks to make meaningful contributions to clinical trials and healthcare more broadly.
Kate is a postdoctoral research fellow and registered music therapist with expertise in qualitative methods. Kate's role with ULTRA is to support the use of qualitative methods and methodologies within clinical trials. Kate also has experience researching and evaluating creative arts therapies within mental health settings and a passion for arts-based methods with a focus on equity and inclusion.
Poly is a Senior Research Assistant within the ULTRA team, with a background in dentistry and a PhD in orofacial pain awarded by The University of Sydney. Originally from Brazil, she is passionate about creative, people-centred research, with a particular interest in mental health and in making care more empathetic, inclusive, and effective. Her role focuses on supporting a range of projects that integrate innovative qualitative methods and methodologies with clinical trials.
Liane is a Senior Lecturer in the Physiotherapy Department at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, with teaching, research, and leadership responsibilities. Her research expertise lies in clinical trials and low back pain. She secured a fellowship from the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) to work with the ULTRA team and explore how qualitative methods and methodologies are contributing to RCTs in the field of low back pain.
Gashaw is a PhD student working on a project to understand and optimise recruitment to the FORENSIC trial. His work is poised to make a meaningful impact in the field by developing evidence-based approaches that can be applied to future clinical trials, making them more efficient, inclusive, and impactful, ultimately enhancing the success of trials. Drawing on his background, he is actively cultivating a foundation in mixed-methods research, blending analytical rigor with qualitative insight to advance clinical trial methodology.
Consumer & Community Involvement
Listen to Bec explain her role in ULTRA
Bec is a health consumer advocate-turned-researcher and leader in the Australian health consumer movement who works collaboratively with researchers, consumers and other stakeholders to enhance consumer and community involvement in clinical trial designs and processes.
Claire is an early career clinician researcher with expertise in mixed methods research and a strong interest in priority setting in health and medical research. Her ULTRA work focuses on integrating consumer and community perspectives into the design and conduct of clinical trials, ensuring that research addresses the needs and values of those it aims to serve.
Researchers from many UQ Faculties and Institutes work and collaborate with ULTRA including:
- Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences
- Faculty of Business, Economics and Law
- Institute of Molecular Bioscience
- Queensland Brain Institute
Affiliates
We thank and acknowledge the following UQ staff and Academic Title Holders who collaborated to support the objectives of ULTRA, and who are now affiliates of ULTRA.
- Professor Jason Roberts
- Dr Roberta Littleford
- Dr Jon Fanning
- Professor Carmel Hawley
- Ms Donna Reidlinger
- Ms Elaine Pascoe
- Professor Jason Ferris
- Associate Professor Mark Chatfield
- Professor Tracy Comans
- Professor Karen Barlow
- Associate Professor Kirsten Gibbons
- Professor Rosyln Boyd
- Professor Craig Munns
- Professor Elizabeth Eakin
- Dr Louise Marquart
- Dr Michael Waller
- Professor Annette Dobson
- Dr Reza Baneshi
- Professor Claire Rickard
- Professor Amanda Ullman
- Professor Haitham Tuffaha
- Professor Paul Hodges
- Professor Trevor Russell
- Professor Michele Sterling
- Associate Professor Shaun O’Leary
- Dr Natalie Collins
- Dr Guido Zuccon
- Professor Maher Gandhi
- Professor Sailesh Kumar
- Professor Janet Hardy
- Professor Dan Chambers
- Professor John Upham
- Associate Professor Andy Moore
Partners
Our external partners include:
- Queensland Health
- Health Translation Queensland
- Metro North Hospital and Health Service
- Metro South Hospital and Health Service
- Queensland Children's Hospital
- Mater
- QCIF - Queensland Cyber Infrastructure Foundation
- Australia Clinical Trials Alliance (ACTA).
Concept Development Workshops
The ULTRA team is a UQ-wide capability to support the development and conduct of methodologically innovative trials. The team supports UQ academic staff and academic title holders, including those supervising Higher Research Degree students developing RCT ideas for future funding. Through one-day Concept Development Workshops, the ULTRA team will work with participants to explore and identify opportunities to improve their trial methodology for future funding submission.
The date of the next Concept Development Workshop is:
- Thursday, 11 December 2025, 9am - 4pm. Location: UQ Centre for Clinical Research, Herston
To register please follow this two step process (PDF, 195.8 KB).
For queries, email ultra@uq.edu.au.
Collaborate with us
The ULTRA team is keen to collaborate with UQ staff and Academic Title Holders who are involved in the development and conduct of RCTs and who are interested in exploring how innovations in design, statistics, implementation science, consumer and community involvement and embedded qualitative research can benefit those RCTs.
Join us at our HERA ULTRA Showcase on:
- Tuesday, 11 November 2025, 8.30am-1.30pm
- UQ Brisbane City, 308 Queen Street | Hybrid event (in-person & online)
Hear from our team members, highlighting areas of expertise, exemplar projects, and potential for future collaborations. Attendance is free, but in-person places are limited. Pre-register here.