Freya Saich
Lead Policy Officer, EC Australia
Working groups

Background
Freya joined Burnet Institute in March 2020 as Lead Policy Officer with EC Australia. Her role is to support EC Australia to translate knowledge into policy and advocate for health system changes to achieve elimination of hepatitis C.
Prior to joining Burnet Institute, Freya worked at the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine, and Carers NSW.
Qualifications
- 2015: Master of Research (Anthropology), Macquarie University, Australia
- 2013: Bachelor of Health, Macquarie University, Australia
Positions
- Current: Lead Policy Officer, EC Australia, Burnet Institute
- 2019-2020: Policy Officer, Australasian College for Emergency Medicine
- 2016-2019: Policy and Development Officer, Carers NSW
- 2016: Intern, World Health Organization
- 2016: Intern, Aboriginal Health Council of Western Australia
- 2013-2014: Research Assistant, George Institute for Global Health
Reports + Policy Briefs
2022 (8)
- The Optimise Study: COVID-19 vaccine intention, and adherence to isolation and quarantine recommendations. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT) Jin D, Saich F, Heath K, Altermatt A, Wilkinson A, Merner B, Ryan R, Pedrana A, Stoové M, Gibney K, Hellard M. Burnet Institute Optimise Study. September, 2022.
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The Optimise Study: COVID-19 related worry, acceptability of prevention measures and confidence in Government. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT) Jin D, Saich F, Heath K, Altermatt A, Merner B, Ryan R, Lusher D, Wang P, Pedrana A, Stoové M, Gibney K, Hellard M. The Optimise Study. August, 2022.
- The Optimise Study: A rapid survey examining frequency, impacts of long COVID and associated concerns. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT) Hellard M, Gibney K, Stoové M, Chavez KM, Wilkinson A, Heath K, Altermatt A, Young K, Nguyen T, Gibbs L, Osborne D, Jin D, Saich F. The Optimise Study. August, 2022.
- The Optimise Study: A rapid survey examining the influence of potential cessation of the Victorian pandemic declaration. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT) Hellard M, Gibney K, Stoové M, Wilkinson A, Heath K, Altermatt A, Young K, Nguyen T, Jin D, Saich F. The Optimise Study. June, 2022.
- The Optimise Study: COVID-19 testing, test positivity and contacts over time. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT) Saich F, Jin D, Heath K, Altermatt A, Merner B, Wilkinson A, Hill S, Stoové M, Gibney K, Hellard M. The Optimise Study. May, 2022.
- The Optimise Study: A rapid survey examining concerns about children returning to school in 2022. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT) Hellard M, Gibney K, Hill S, Merner B, Heath K, Altermatt A, Jin D, Young K, Thomas A, Nguyen T, Wilkinson A, Saich F. The Optimise Study. April, 2022.
- The Optimise Study: Summer 2021-2022 Snapshot. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT) Hellard M, Gibney K, Stoové M, Young K, Altermatt A, Heath K, Thomas A, Nguyen T, Wilkinson A, Merner B, Hill S, Saich F, Jin D. The Optimise Study. April, 2022.
- The Optimise Study: COVID-19 worry and perceptions about infection and potential severity. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT) Saich F, Tse WC, Heath K, Altermatt A, Merner B, Hill S, Jin D, Stoové M, Gibney K, Hellard M. The Optimise Study. March, 2022.
2021 (9)
- The Optimise Study:- Impacts of the COVID-19 response on culturally and linguistically diverse communities. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT) Saich F, Heath K, Altermatt A, Menon V, Munari S, Merner B, Hill S, Shearer F, Gibbs L, Coelho A, Fletcher-Lartey S, Stoové M, Gibney K, Hellard M. The Optimise Study. December, 2021.
- COVID-19 testing in schools and attitudes and concerns about the current state of the pandemic. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT) Saich F, Heath K, Altermatt A, Thomas A, Nguyen T, Wilinson A, Merner B, Hill S, Fletcher-Lartey S, Gibbs L, Gibbs L, Shearer F, Stoové M, Gibney K, Hellard M. The Optimise Study. November, 2021.
- COVID-19 testing and vaccination. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT) Saich F, Heath K, Altermatt A, Munari S, Merner B, Hill S, Stoové M, Gibney K, Hellard M. The Optimise Study. October, 2021.
- The Optimise Study: Vaccination knowledge, attitudes and beliefs. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT) Saich F, Kwong E, Heath K, Altermatt A, Munari S. Merner B, Hill S, Stoové M, Griffiths D, Collie A, Lim M, Eddy S, Meagher N, McDougall C, Marinkovic Chavez K, Carpenter L, Fletcher-Lartey S, Price D, Gibbs L, Shearer F, Power R, Cheong M, Caddy C, Pedrana A, Gibney K, Hellard M. The Optimise Study. August, 2021.
- The Optimise Study: Impact of government restrictions on risk mitigation strategies. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT) Saich F, Kwong E, Heath K, Altermatt A, Munari S. Merner B, Hill S, Power R, Cheong M, Caddy C, Griffiths D, Collie A, Stoové M, Pedrana A, Gibney K, Hellard M. The Optimise Study. July, 2021.
- The Optimise Study: The impact of COVID-19 on income and finances. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT) Saich F, Kwong E, Heath K, Altermatt A, Munari S. Merner B, Hill S, Griffiths D, Collie A, Stoové M, Pedrana A, Gibney K, Hellard M. The Optimise Study. June, 2021.
- The Optimise Study: Gendered differences in coping and responding to COVID-19. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT) Saich F, Kwong E, Heath K, Altermatt A, Munari S. Merner B, Hill S, Stoové M, Pedrana A, Gibney K, Hellard M. The Optimise Study. May, 2021.
- The Optimise Study: Social networks and mixing patterns. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT) Saich F, Heath K, Altermatt A, Munari S, Merner B, Hill S, Lusher D, Radhitio Sadewo G, Wang P, Pedrana A, Gibney K, Hellard M. The Optimise Study. April, 2021.
- The Optimise Study: Vaccine preparedness. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT) Saich F, Heath K, Altermatt A, Merner B, Hill S, Pedrana A, Munari S, Horyniak D, Walker S, Wallace J, Block K, Gibbs L, Gibney K, Hellard M. The Optimise Study. March, 2021.
Reports and other work
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The Optimise Study: A rapid survey examining frequency, impacts of long COVID and associated concerns. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT)
Long COVID is estimated to be costing the Australian economy $3.6 billion annually.1 Partly because of the variation in the definition of long COVID
The Optimise Study: A rapid survey examining frequency, impacts of long COVID and associated concerns. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT) -
The Optimise Study: COVID-19 worry and perceptions about infection and potential severity. (PUBLiC HEALTH REPORT)
This report evaluates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on participants’ lives: their main concerns, risk perception, and confidence in the State and Federal Governments’ responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. This report focusses on trends over the past six months (between September 2021 and February 2022).
The Optimise Study: COVID-19 worry and perceptions about infection and potential severity. (PUBLiC HEALTH REPORT) -
The Optimise Study: Social networks and mixing patterns
This report focuses on: Average overall contacts between October 2020 and March 2021, Average contacts per setting, over time, The impact of contacts on mood and the influence of people's social network on attitudes toward vaccination.
The Optimise Study: Social networks and mixing patterns
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The Optimise Study: A rapid survey examining the influence of potential cessation of the Victorian pandemic declaration. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT)
The Optimise Study: A rapid survey examining the influence of potential cessation of the Victorian pandemic declaration. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT) -
The Optimise Study: COVID-19 testing, test positivity and contacts over time. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT)
The Optimise Study: COVID-19 testing, test positivity and contacts over time. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT) -
The Optimise Study: The impact of COVID19 on income and finances. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT)
The Optimise Study is a partnership between Burnet Institute and Doherty Institute in collaboration with University of Melbourne, Swinburne University of Technology, Monash University, La Trobe University, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, the Centre for Culture Ethnicity and Health, and the Health Issues Centre.
The Optimise Study: The impact of COVID19 on income and finances. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT) -
COVID-19 testing in schools and attitudes and concerns about the current state of the pandemic. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT)
The Optimise Study has followed a cohort of over 700 Victorians since September 2020. A rapid survey was conducted between 28 October and 4 November 2021 to assess optimise participants' views about the best ways to implement COVID-19 testing in schools.
COVID-19 testing in schools and attitudes and concerns about the current state of the pandemic. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT) -
The Optimise Study: Vaccine preparedness
This report focuses on:<br/>• Attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccines<br/>• Concerns about the vaccines<br/>• Information needs regarding COVID-19 vaccines and the rollout strategy<br/>
The Optimise Study: Vaccine preparedness -
The Optimise Study: A rapid survey examining concerns about children returning to school in 2022. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT)
The Optimise Study has followed a cohort of around 700 Victorians since September 2020. A rapid survey was conducted between 4 and 14 March 2022 to assess Optimise participants' concerns about children returning to school, COVID-19 testing in schools, views about COVID-19 prevention measures taken in schools, and the acceptability of closing schools under certain circumstances.
The Optimise Study: A rapid survey examining concerns about children returning to school in 2022. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT) -
The Optimise Study: Summer 2021-2022 Snapshot. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT)
The Optimise Study: Summer 2021-2022 Snapshot. (PUBLIC HEALTH REPORT)
Burnet publications
View 8 moreWhat Lies Beneath? The Role of Community Engagement in Translating COVID-19 Research Findings to Policy-Makers
International Journal of Health Policy and Management
Bronwen Merner et al
The Application of Australian Rights Protections to the Use of Hepatitis C Notification Data to Engage People ‘Lost to Follow Up’
Public Health Ethics
Freya Saich et al
Priority populations’ experiences of isolation, quarantine and distancing for COVID-19: protocol for a longitudinal cohort study (Optimise Study)
BMJ Open
Alisa Pedrana et al