Dr Eleonora Leopardi
Honorary Lecturer
School of Medicine and Public Health
Career Summary
Biography
Shaping the next generation of healthcare professionals
Dr Eleonora Leopardi is passionate about preparing current medical students to face the healthcare challenges that humanity will face in the next 50 years. She believes in fostering self-directed and self-regulated learning in students from the earliest stages of their training, in order for them to engage in continuous professional development and lifelong learning throughout their career. At the core of her work, Dr Leopardi aims to prepare her students to thrive in the rapidly changing healthcare and technology landscape they will encounter, to provide high-quality and sensitive care for their patients, and to be positive agents of change in their communities, in society, and for the whole world.
Her PhD research has explored the medical school learning environment and its influence over the students' learning strategies. The multi-sited ethnography she conducted has demonstrated the crucial role played by student culture in influencing the students' attitude and behaviour towards learning Medicine and becoming doctors. Moreover, the study has highlighted the effect of the geo-socio-political context of the medical school over the environment within the institution. Dr Leopardi's thesis was a finalist in the 2021 AMEE Doctoral Report Award, a prestigious international recognition of the quality of her work.
Her future work involves delving into the student culture of Gen Z learners and understanding the local and global networks that students form, as well as creating a productive and dynamic learning environment through disruptive educational innovations, and engaging with technological opportunities to support her learners.
Leading Medical Education within the Joint Medical Program
Dr Leopardi believes that scholarship of teaching and learning in Medical Education is the key attribute for educators and clinicians to transform medical students into the best doctors they can be. In keeping with this, she played a pivotal role in the creation of MERIT Net - the Medical Education, Research, Innovation and Teaching Network - which she led from 2021 to 2023. During her tenure as Lead, Dr Leopardi worked to develop a community of medical educators committed to excellence in developing and delivering the Joint Medical Program (JMP).
MERIT Net created fertile ground for the creation of the broader Academy for Collaborative Health and Interprofessional Education and Vibrant Excellence (ACHIEVE), in which Dr Leopardi serves as co-Lead for the Innovative Teaching and Learning Research Subcommittee. Dr Leopardi's research quality was recognised as she was a finalist for the 2023 Early Career Researcher Award by the Australian and New Zealand Association for Health Professional Education. Through her thoughtful research and ongoing engagement in the College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, she aims to maintain the JMP at the forefront of the Medical and Health Professions Education field, setting an example in Australia and worldwide in terms of effective education, outstanding student experience, and high-quality scholarship.
Delivering outstanding student experience
Dr Leopardi is the Academic Liaison for Phase 1 (Year 1 and Year 2) of the JMP at the Central Coast Clinical School. In leading and shaping the delivery of Phase 1 in Gosford, she has been committed to delivering an outstanding student experience for the inaugural cohort of 32 students, and subsequent cohorts. Thanks to Dr Leopardi's work, the Central Coast Phase 1 students are immersed in a positive and vibrant learning environment, rife with opportunities for clinical exposure, involvement in research, and interprofessional learning.
Dr Leopardi has facilitated the creation a collaborative network involving all the medical students in the building, within and across the cohorts. She fostered the delivery of student-run initiatives and wellbeing activities, while at the same time creating valuable learning relationships with the Local Health District and the Central Coast community. For this work, Dr Leopardi received the Campus Contribution Award by the College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing in 2023, and was a finalist in the UON Staff Excellence in Health, Safety and Wellbeing award 2023.
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy in Medicine, University of Newcastle
- Bachelor of Medicine & Surgery, University of Rome
Keywords
- Clinical Education
- Ethnography
- Game-based Learning
- Health Professions Education
- Hidden Curriculum
- Learning Environment
- Medical Education
- Medicine
- Pediatric Surgery
- Public Health
- Qualitative Research
- Student Culture
Languages
- Italian (Mother)
- English (Fluent)
- Spanish (Working)
Fields of Research
| Code | Description | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 390102 | Curriculum and pedagogy theory and development | 100 |
Professional Experience
Academic appointment
| Dates | Title | Organisation / Department |
|---|---|---|
| 15/1/2021 - | Lecturer in Clinical Education | College of Health, Medicine & Wellbeing - The University of Newcastle School of Medicine and Public Health Australia |
| 15/1/2018 - 15/1/2021 | Associate Lecturer in Medical Education | Faculty of Health and Medicine, The University of Newcastle School of Medicine and Public Health Australia |
Teaching appointment
| Dates | Title | Organisation / Department |
|---|---|---|
| 16/2/2016 - 21/12/2017 | Casual Academic | The University of Newcastle - Faculty of Health and Medicine School of Medicine and Public Health Australia |
Awards
Award
| Year | Award |
|---|---|
| 2023 |
2023 College of Health Medicine and Wellbeing Campus Contribution Award College of Health, Medicine & Wellbeing - The University of Newcastle |
| 2022 |
2022 College of Health Medicine and Wellbeing Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Award College of Health, Medicine & Wellbeing - The University of Newcastle |
Research Award
| Year | Award |
|---|---|
| 2018 |
AMEE Postgraduate Travel Award The Association for Medical Education in Europe |
Scholarship
| Year | Award |
|---|---|
| 2024 |
AMEE Learning and Development Scholarship AMEE - International Association for Health Professions Education |
Publications
For publications that are currently unpublished or in-press, details are shown in italics.
Conference (16 outputs)
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 |
Bergmann J, MacLeod A, Leopardi E, Chamberlain J, Bleasel J, 'Earn while they learn – Medical students’ training as Assistant in Nursing: an Australian-first interprofessional education initiative.' (2024)
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| 2024 |
Bergmann I, MacLeod A, Leopardi E, Chamberlain J, Bleasel J, 'Walking a mile in nurses' shoes: An Australian-first project enhancing medical students' clinical exposure and understanding of interprofessional teamwork', Basel, Switzerland (2024)
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| 2024 | Leopardi E, Englund C, Jones N, 'Clinical Reasoning Development, Beyond Resource Barriers: Diagnosis, a Medical Education Board Game' (2024) | |||||||
| Show 13 more conferences | ||||||||
Journal article (6 outputs)
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 |
Medveczky D, Mitchell A, Leopardi E, Dawson A, 'Benefits of a near-peer program from the tutors’ perspective: a survey of Australian junior doctors in a regional teaching program', BMC Medical Education, 25 (2025) [C1]
Background: Near-peer teaching has been shown to provide diverse benefits for both tutees and tutors in senior medical student and junior trainee settings. However, jun... [more] Background: Near-peer teaching has been shown to provide diverse benefits for both tutees and tutors in senior medical student and junior trainee settings. However, junior trainees may face more obstacles in teaching including competing clinical priorities and time management. We sought to investigate the challenges and benefits of engaging in near-peer teaching for junior trainees within our local context. Our Near-Peer Medical Teaching (NPMT) teaching program is designed and facilitated by junior doctors for medical students at the Central Coast Clinical School (University of Newcastle) of the Joint Medical Program. Methods: Current and past NPMT tutors participated in an online survey from October 2022 to April 2023. Tutors were asked about feasibility of teaching within a work environment, perceived benefits from their experience and attitudes towards medical education. Results: Teaching experience appears to be influenced by competing clinical priorities and convenience of session times, but it does not appear to exert considerable stress on tutors likely due to self-selection of tutors with prior enjoyable teaching experience. Furthermore, this study indicates that junior doctors derived enjoyment and developed¿clinical skills and professional qualities, which are important factors in increasing job satisfaction and ameliorating burn-out in this cohort. Conclusions: Junior doctors appear to benefit from engaging in near-peer programs in the Australian teaching hospital setting. Further research should include qualitative methodologies to explore the perspectives of Australian junior doctors' more deeply.
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| 2025 |
Hart J, Collison A, Cornwall J, Edmiston N, Eley D, Hird K, Hu W, Leopardi E, Metusela C, Mogensen L, Mullan J, Pike S, Preda V, Uebel K, Wallace M, Bilszta J, 'Research training curriculum and projects undertaken by medical students in Australia and new Zealand', BMC Medical Education, 25 (2025) [C1]
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Open Research Newcastle | ||||||
| 2024 |
Gilligan C, Jones N, Leopardi E, Dabson A, Julien B, Jolly B, 'A comparison of approaches to teaching clinical skills', FOCUS ON HEALTH PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION-A MULTIDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL, 25, 92-102 (2024) [C1]
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Open Research Newcastle | ||||||
| 2014 |
Crocoli A, Martucci C, Leopardi E, Padua M, Serra A, Cacchione A, Coletti V, Palumbo G, Atti MLCD, Rava L, Inserra A, 'A dedicated protocol and environment for central venous catheter removal in pediatric patients affected by onco-hematological diseases', JOURNAL OF VASCULAR ACCESS, 15, 486-491
Purpose: The removal of long-term central venous catheters (CVCs) is not performed according to evidence-based guidelines, thus conveying the message that it is a proce... [more] Purpose: The removal of long-term central venous catheters (CVCs) is not performed according to evidence-based guidelines, thus conveying the message that it is a procedure of secondary importance. Our study aims at comparing the experience at Bambino Gesù Pediatric Hospital before and after the implementation of a dedicated protocol and the identification of a specific area to perform such a procedure under the so-called nonoperating room anesthesia (NORA). Methods: Starting on January 1, 2010, an appropriate protocol regarding long-term CVC removal was applied. Then, data from all patients who underwent CVC removal under NORA regimen were compared with patients who have undergone the same procedure before the beginning of such protocol in terms of complication rate, duration of procedure, and costs. Results: Between January 2010 and December 2012, 266 patients were evaluated for long-term CVC removal under a NORA regimen. Of these, 194 underwent the procedure. In the period from January 2007 to December 2009, 60 out of 82 patients scheduled for elective removal of long-term CVC in the operating theatre were eligible for this study. Median procedure time was 7 min for removal in NORA and 10 min for the operating theatre (p=0.016); no complications occurred. Conclusion: Long-term CVC removal is an often-neglected procedure, carrying a small, but definite rate of complications. Our study shows that CVC removal performed in NORA regimen is safe and feasible, also allowing multiple procedures in the same session with prompt management of possible complications and reduction of the anxiety and pain associated with the procedure.
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| 2014 |
Guarino S, Leopardi E, Sorrenti S, De Antoni E, Catania A, Alagaratnam S, 'Internet-based versus traditional teaching and learning methods', Clinical Teacher, 11, 449-453 (2014)
Background: The rapid and dramatic incursion of the Internet and social networks in everyday life has revolutionised the methods of exchanging data. Web¿2.0 represents ... [more] Background: The rapid and dramatic incursion of the Internet and social networks in everyday life has revolutionised the methods of exchanging data. Web¿2.0 represents the evolution of the Internet as we know it. Internet users are no longer passive receivers, and actively participate in the delivery of information. Medical education cannot evade this process. Increasingly, students are using tablets and smartphones to instantly retrieve medical information on the web or are exchanging materials on their Facebook pages. Medical educators cannot ignore this continuing revolution, and therefore the traditional academic schedules and didactic schemes should be questioned. Analysing opinions collected from medical students regarding old and new teaching methods and tools has become mandatory, with a view towards renovating the process of medical education. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was created with Google® docs and administrated to all students of our medical school. Students were asked to express their opinion on their favourite teaching methods, learning tools, Internet websites and Internet delivery devices. Data analysis was performed using spss. Results: The online survey was completed by 368 students. Although textbooks remain a cornerstone for training, students also identified Internet websites, multimedia non-online material, such as the Encyclopaedia on CD-ROM, and other non-online computer resources as being useful. Discussion: The Internet represented an important aid to support students' learning needs, but textbooks are still their resource of choice. Among the websites noted, Google and Wikipedia significantly surpassed the peer-reviewed medical databases, and access to the Internet was primarily through personal computers in preference to other Internet access devices, such as mobile phones and tablet computers.
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| Show 3 more journal articles | ||||||||
Other (1 outputs)
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 |
Leopardi E, Gilligan C, 'Doctors are trained to be kind and empathetic – but a ‘hidden curriculum’ makes them forget on the job.', The Conversation Australia (2021)
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Preprint (1 outputs)
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 |
Medveczky DM, Mitchell A, Leopardi E, Dawson A, 'Benefits of a near-peer program from the tutors' perspective: a survey of Australian junior doctors in a regional teaching program (2024)
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Thesis / Dissertation (1 outputs)
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Leopardi E, The medical school learning environment and its effects on the students' choices in learning: formal, informal and hidden curriculum in action, University of Newcastle (2021) |
Grants and Funding
Summary
| Number of grants | 6 |
|---|---|
| Total funding | $38,940 |
Click on a grant title below to expand the full details for that specific grant.
20241 grants / $1,000
LGBTQI+-inclusive Health Professions Education: producing meaningful change in the healthcare learning environment through faculty development$1,000
Funding body: Hunter New England Health
| Funding body | Hunter New England Health |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Eleonora Leopardi, Katie-Jane Wynne |
| Scheme | NSW Regional Health Partners 2023 Consumer and Community Involvement Grant |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2024 |
| Funding Finish | 2024 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | Not Known |
| Category | UNKN |
| UON | N |
20231 grants / $10,725
Addressing LGBTQI+ Health in Health Professions Education$10,725
Funding body: The Joint Medical Program
| Funding body | The Joint Medical Program |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Eleonora Leopardi, Katie-Jane Wynne |
| Scheme | Special Medical Education Project Funding |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2023 |
| Funding Finish | 2023 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | N |
20224 grants / $27,215
Examining medical student research skills and preparedness to ‘do research’: A mixed methods study$10,000
This mixed-methods study will explore the students’ perspectives and learning strategies in engaging with the research curriculum, and the supervisors’ reflections and experiences.
Funding body: The University of Newcastle
| Funding body | The University of Newcastle |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Eleonora Leopardi, Meredith Tavener, Esther Robinson, Adam Collison, Vanessa Murphy, Natasha Weaver, Christine Paul |
| Scheme | 2022 Strategic Research Pilot Grant Scheme |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2022 |
| Funding Finish | 2022 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | N |
Addressing LGBTQI+ Health in Health Professions Education$8,000
Funding body: The Joint Medical Program
| Funding body | The Joint Medical Program |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Eleonora Leopardi, Graeme Horton, Katie-Jane Wynne |
| Scheme | Special Medical Education Project Funding |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2022 |
| Funding Finish | 2022 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | N |
Building Our Leaders Development and Empowerment Scheme$4,615
Funding body: College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle
| Funding body | College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle |
|---|---|
| Scheme | Building Our Leaders - Development and Empowerment Scheme |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2022 |
| Funding Finish | 2022 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | N |
Examining medical student research skills and preparedness to ‘do research’: A mixed methods study$4,600
Funding body: The Joint Medical Program
| Funding body | The Joint Medical Program |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Eleonora Leopardi, Meredith Tavener, Esther Robinson, Bonnie Zhu, Adam Collison, Vanessa Murphy, Christine Paul |
| Scheme | Special Medical Education Project Funding |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2022 |
| Funding Finish | 2022 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | N |
Dr Eleonora Leopardi
Position
Honorary Lecturer
Central Coast Clinical School
School of Medicine and Public Health
College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing
Contact Details
| eleonora.leopardi@newcastle.edu.au | |
| Link | Personal webpage |