Dr Gabriela Hirsimaki Pacas is a Research Fellow in Transfer Science at JBI, School of Public Health, Adelaide University where she contributes to the development and ongoing updating of mental health resources within the JBI Evidence‑Based Practice Database.
 
Her research and professional activities are grounded in applied mental health practice and underpinned by stakeholder engagement. Gabriela’s doctoral research focused on the development, delivery, and feasibility evaluation of a telehealth cognitive behavioural therapy program addressing anxiety symptoms in people living with dementia and mild cognitive impairment, using a mixed‑methods randomised controlled design. During her PhD, she worked as a therapist‑researcher supporting people with cognitive impairment and contributed to research projects aimed at supporting family carers of people living with dementia, as well as the development of smart assistant technology to enable remote delivery of psychotherapeutic interventions. She has experience collaborating with clinicians, academic researchers, postgraduate students, and consumer representatives, working on study design, ethics and grant applications, study procedures training, and dissemination of outcomes.
 
In addition to her work in clinical research settings, Gabriela brings professional experience as a counsellor and relationship therapist in private practice and community settings, and as a lecturer across bachelor‑ and master‑level counselling programs. Across research, education, and clinical practice, she maintains a strong commitment to evidence‑informed, ethical, and person‑centred care. Her research and professional interests include relational, psychodynamic, and process‑oriented approaches to psychotherapy.