The work that Deborah Burton is doing behind the scenes right now will start paying off in around three and a half years, when a fresh cohort of allied health professionals enter the workforce.

And these new Bachelor of Medical Science graduates from CQUniversity will have a special flavour. Because they will have studied in a regional area, they will be more likely to seek work in a regional area.

Associate Professor Deborah Burton

Associate Professor Burton has arrived in Rockhampton after postings in regional areas of New South Wales. Her focus is on development of medical science courses that will prepare professionals, including clinical physiologists, medical scientists and medical researchers, who support doctors in diagnosis and disease monitoring.

- A pathology specialisation will prepare the medical laboratory scientists who do tests on blood, urine and tissue samples;

- A clinical investigation specialisation will produce health professionals who can assist in diagnosis and monitoring of a patient's lung function, cardio-vascular system or nervous system; and

- A nutrition specialisation will produce health professionals who can work with the community to encourage healthy eating and seek out the diet-related risk factors for disease.

Associate Professor Burton is keen to explore her research interests in her new regional context.

As a specialist in obstructive lung diseases, such as asthma and other obstructive pulmonary diseases, Dr Burton has been part of a team studying a pharmacy-based asthma management service which helps people gain extra access to services through an interdisciplinary (pharmacy-GP) team approach. She has also been involved in a national Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease study measuring the prevalence of obstructive lung disease in people 40 years and over, to provide an evidence base for planning health interventions.

Deborah Burton spent her early career as a researcher at Melbourne's Baker Medical Research Institute, at Royal Perth Hospital and at Perth's Princess Margaret Hospital for Children and then progressed to a series of academic posts at Charles Sturt University in New South Wales.