From training as a doctor, becoming a stock trader and raising sheep and bees, to becoming a Senior Research fellow at Macquarie, Dr Virginia Mumford is living a fascinating life.

1. What did you do before you became a researcher?

I studied medicine in London but sadly my epilepsy did not appreciate the 120-hour work weeks as a junior doctor and I ended up doing an MBA. I worked in various financial trading jobs and was the first female options trader on the London Stock Exchange before itchy feet saw me setting up the traded options market in Hong Kong. I then had a dream job of working across Asia and spending months at a time in different cities helping to set up different markets. It took me less than a nanosecond to accept my first posting to Sydney in 2002.

2. Tell us a bit about your job and the team you work with.

I am an applied health economist and work with different teams across AIHI but more recently on projects relating to medication safety and aged care under the watchful guidance of Professor Johanna Westbrook. I find the work fascinating and am able to contribute to assessing both the cost and clinical effectiveness of interventions and learn from team members with a diverse mixture of methodologies and clinical backgrounds. We are working hard to finalise results ahead of a national symposium in September to showcase our work on medication safety.

3. What made you choose health economics as your research field?

It rather chose me – after careers in medicine and finance, I came back down to Australia in 2011 and contacted Professor Jeffrey Braithwaite, one of my tutors from my Master of Health Administration. A quick meeting over coffee turned into a PhD researching the costs and benefits of hospital accreditation. It was a steep learning curve as I had mainly been involved with macro‑economics, but a fascinating journey with a great mentor. After being the lone health economist for some years, it is exciting to have the MQ Centre for the Health Economy join AIHI as I frequently collaborate with them.

4. If you had $1m in research funding, what would you do with it?

There are so many unknowns but our recent work in paediatric medication safety has highlighted that we know so little about the effect of medication errors on this vulnerable population. As part of this project, we measured the impact of a child’s stay on the broader family network and I am plotting to extend this analysis to harm from medication errors.

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5. What do you like to do in your free time?

I live on a rural property and spend any time not on my computer enjoying the great outdoors, rain or shine, as I need to tend to my sheep, sheep dogs, garden, bees, and the endless list of improvement projects. I also love my indoor crafts (spinning, weaving and goldwork embroidery) as these can all be done near the fire on cold winter nights and don’t involve any screen time.

6. What is something you’re proud of, in your personal or professional life?

In my professional life, I like to think that my research makes the health system more accountable and throws important light on the patient and carer experience that is often overlooked in traditional evaluation. In my personal life, I was thrilled to travel to Antarctica and follow in explorer Ernest Shackleton’s footsteps across South Georgia.

7. Do you have a favourite dish to cook for family and friends?

After 14 years living in Asia, a stir fry is always on the menu.

8. Where would you live, if you could choose anywhere in the world?

I have been lucky to live in a number of wonderful places, but I am now based in Kangaroo Valley surrounded by 10,000 hectares of native forest and an amazing community. There is never a dull moment, although being overrun by the Currowan fire was perhaps a bit too exciting, but I can’t imagine living anywhere else (for the moment).

9. Tell us something most people wouldn’t know about you.

Gosh – confession time! People do collapse in hysterical laughter when I reveal that I won a scholarship to the Royal Ballet School when I was six.

10. What’s the last story you enjoyed? 

As a female scientist, I enjoy the rare books that reflect my world and Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus was a wonderful recent find.