I am a Senior Research Fellow in Mental Health with the Faculty of Health and I lead the Mental Health Research Theme as part of the Mental Health and Supportive Care Research Group. I am also the Co-Director of the Charles Darwin Centre for Evidence-Based Practice (JBI Affiliated Group). Through my work, I aim to enhance mental health and wellbeing outcomes of communities and groups who often negotiate disadvantage(s) and marginalisation. I have a track record of scholarship concerning: youth mental health; enhancing wellbeing in rural communities; health service provision to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer communities; and multidisciplinary and supportive cancer care.

My roots are in community psychology, and as such, my research is characterised by working in meaningful ways with communities, professionals and health/community services; often employing participatory and collaborative approaches. Prior to this role, I was a Research Fellow with the NHMRC Centre for Research Excellence in Implementation Science in Oncology (Macquarie University), where I led a qualitative program of research to characterise multidisciplinary and supportive cancer care across public ambulatory oncology services. This fellowship afforded me an education in implementation science and evidence translation. I am looking forward to bringing these insights to my collaborations with communities and services in my new role at CDU.

Selected recent projects

• “Lived Experience Workforce Development Framework” (2022-2023)- Funded by the Northern Territory Primary Health Network.
• “Improving the health system’s response when patients are harmed: a mixed-methods study” (2022-2027)- Funded by the NHMRC Partnership Projects.
• “Co-designing the future: creating an education empowerment pathway with young mothers” (2022-ongoing) - Funded by Independent Tertiary Education Council Australia.
• “Co-design of health and wellbeing services for LGBTIQ [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer]+ individuals on Tasmania’s East coast: Advancing evidence, principles and practice” (2020-2021)- Funded by the Department of Communities, Tasmania.
•  “Lifestyle modification programs: An evidence check rapid review” (2020). Funded by NSW Health brokered by the Sax Institute.
• “What is multidisciplinary cancer care like in practice? A multi-site mixed-method study to characterise ambulatory oncology services in the Australian public sector.” (2018-2021)- Investigation undertaken in my capacity as a Research Fellow with the NHMRC Centre for Research Excellence in Implementation Science in Oncology.
• “Evaluation project of NewAccess program within Headspace” (2018-2019)- Funded by the Murrumbidgee Primary Health Network & Beyond Blue.