Dr. Cory Williams is the Research and Clinical Lead at Five Faces where he brings his deep research into the patient journey to help shape and implement practical digital health solutions at scale.
Tell us about your career journey to date?
My career began as a Registered Nurse working on a surgical ward at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital. Early on, I developed a strong interest not only in caring for patients, but also in understanding how healthcare systems and processes could be improved.
I later moved into a surgical case management role where I was responsible for coordinating patient journeys, booking surgeries and working closely with multidisciplinary teams. It was in this role that I became increasingly aware of the challenges faced by both patients and clinicians throughout the surgical journey. I found myself constantly asking how we could do things better, more efficiently and in a way that improved the patient experience.
That interest led me into a dedicated Service Improvement and Innovation role within Surgical and Perioperative Services at RBWH, where I was able to focus on identifying problems, engaging stakeholders and developing solutions to improve care delivery.
Alongside this work, I completed a PhD in Digital Health through Queensland University of Technology. The experience opened the door to my current role as Research and Clinical Lead with Five Faces, a health technology company focused on improving patient engagement and healthcare experiences through digital solutions. Today, I have the opportunity to work across both the public health and digital health sectors, helping bridge the gap between clinical practice, research and innovation.
You did your PhD in digital health. Why did you take that path and what did your research focus on?
The decision to undertake a PhD came directly from my experiences working as a surgical case manager.
Every day I could see challenges in the surgical journey for both patients and clinicians. Patients often felt uncertain about what was happening, what they needed to do and what to expect next. Clinicians were working incredibly hard, but many of the processes supporting patients were fragmented and difficult to scale.
I was passionate about finding solutions, but often encountered barriers such as resource limitations, competing priorities or the perception that certain approaches simply weren’t possible because they hadn’t been done before.
Rather than accepting those limitations, I decided to pursue a PhD to build a rigorous evidence base and develop the skills needed to explore these problems in a meaningful way.
My research focused on the design and evaluation of digital health solutions to support patients throughout the perioperative journey. Using extensive stakeholder engagement and co-design methodologies, I worked with patients, clinicians and healthcare leaders to better understand their needs and develop digital approaches that could improve communication, education, preparedness and overall patient experience throughout surgery.
Tell us about your role at Five Faces and how you are putting this research into practice?
As Research and Clinical Lead at Five Faces, I work at the intersection of healthcare, research and digital innovation.
The knowledge and experience I gained through my PhD provided a deep understanding of patient journeys, implementation challenges, stakeholder engagement and the factors that influence successful adoption of digital health solutions. Those conceptual learnings have been invaluable in helping organisations understand how digital tools can better support patients and clinicians.
My role involves working closely with health services, clinicians and development teams to ensure solutions are grounded in real-world healthcare needs. I help translate evidence, clinical workflows and user requirements into practical digital solutions that can be implemented at scale.
The work I do at Five Faces is about applying the broader lessons, principles and expertise developed through my research to support the development and implementation of digital health solutions across a range of healthcare settings.
It has been rewarding to see how academic research can directly inform industry innovation and ultimately contribute to better patient experiences and health outcomes.
How has the DHCRC helped you along your research and career journey?
The Digital Health CRC has been instrumental throughout my journey.
Their support extended well beyond funding. They provided access to an incredible network of researchers, industry leaders and digital health experts who helped broaden my perspective and strengthen my understanding of the sector.
The DHCRC helped build my capability as a researcher while also exposing me to the realities of industry partnerships, implementation and commercialisation. That combination of academic and industry insight was invaluable and played a significant role in shaping both my PhD experience and subsequent career opportunities.
I genuinely do not think I would be where I am today without the support, mentorship and opportunities provided through the DHCRC ecosystem.
What advice would you have for anyone making the transition from research to industry? Was it challenging?
The transition was much smoother than I expected, largely because of the support and industry exposure provided through the DHCRC.
One of the biggest learning experiences was understanding that industry often operates at a different pace and with different priorities. Commercial considerations, implementation realities and customer needs all play a significant role in decision making.
That said, I think researchers sometimes underestimate how transferable their skills are. Research and industry share many common foundations. Both involve gathering information, identifying patterns, understanding problems, evaluating evidence and continuously refining solutions based on what you learn.
My advice would be to remain open-minded and focus on the value your research skills bring. The ability to critically analyse information, engage stakeholders and solve complex problems is incredibly valuable in industry. The challenge is often less about learning entirely new skills and more about learning how to apply existing skills in a different context.
Looking forward, what do you see as the biggest opportunity or challenge facing digital health?
I think artificial intelligence represents both the greatest opportunity and one of the greatest challenges facing digital health.
The potential benefits are enormous, from improving efficiency and reducing administrative burden to supporting decision-making and creating more personalised healthcare experiences. However, widespread adoption will require organisations and consumers to navigate important questions around trust, privacy, governance, safety and clinical accountability.
Even when evidence demonstrates clear benefits, healthcare is understandably cautious, and adoption is likely to be gradual.
More broadly, I believe one of the greatest opportunities in digital health is empowering patients to become active participants in their own healthcare. For too long, many healthcare systems have been designed around organisations and processes rather than around the patient experience.
My hope is that digital health continues to evolve in a way that places patients at the centre of their care journey, giving them access to the information, support and tools they need to make informed decisions and feel confident throughout their healthcare experience.
