I'm a Clinical and Health Psychologist with extensive clinical experience working in the public sector, not for profit sector and private practice. I returned to academia as I genuinely missed teaching. In my teaching, I design my classes and use examples to help students apply the knowledge and skills they are learning to real-world situations and give them important skills that will assist them in enhancing their employability. In 2020, I received two awards for my teaching. I was the recipient of the University of Adelaide Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences Executive Dean's Teaching Excellence Award (Level A/B) and the Australian Psychological Society Early Career Teaching Award. In 2024, I was made a Fellow of the Australian Psychological Society and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (UK).
 
Research Interests: I have diverse research interests but try to concentrate my efforts in three main areas: (1) Reproductive health and rights; (2) Chronic illness; and (3) Teaching and learning.
 
(1) Reproductive health and rights: I study how psychology can help in the beginning of life. I'm interested in what people know, or don’t know, about fertility and conception. I’m also interested in how people cope with difficulties conceiving, health issues during pregnancy and pregnancy losses such as miscarriage and stillbirth. Difficulties related to reproductive health or rights can cause deep and long-lasting pain. My work focuses on how to help people (and those who care for them, such health professionals), better navigate these difficulties to be able to live mentally healthier lives. This has obvious benefits for the individuals involved, but also for the communities they live and work in.
 
(2) Chronic illness: I explore relationships between physical, psychological and social health. I’m interested in how people make sense of, adjust to, and live with chronic illnesses, particularly cancer, diabetes and cardiac health issues. I’m also interested in how people gather health information, and where, and who, people seek support from in managing their health. Living with a chronic illness can be extremely difficult for people. My research focuses on the complex impacts of illness, the use and benefits of different sources of support such as health professionals and peer support and interventions to help with wellbeing. Examining how people live with chronic illness, their support systems, and the effectiveness of different interventions enables people to learn better ways to manage their illness and to achieve a greater quality of life.
 
(3) Teaching and learning: My love of teaching sparked my interest in research about teaching and learning. I'm interested in studying diverse ways to design, teach and assess student learning. I want to understand innovative and effective ways to teach, support and assess student learning so that students can better understand and apply their learning.