Christine is a Fulbright Scholar, Educational & Developmental Psychologist and health care academic, known for her commitment to enhancing the mental well-being of individuals. Throughout her career, Christine has worked collaboratively with interdisciplinary healthcare teams, educators, families and youth to create innovative solutions that address the holistic health needs of individuals. Her approach not only focuses on traditional psychological support but also integrates healthcare management strategies that ensure comprehensive and well-coordinated care.

As an academic, Christine has contributed significantly to the field through her research and educational initiatives. She has lectured extensively on topics at the intersection of psychology, inclusion, and health management, inspiring the next generation of professionals to embrace a holistic approach to healthcare.

An advocate for a patient-centered approach, Christine strives to empower individuals to actively participate in their health care. Her doctoral research, awarded the Lewis & Lewis Educational & Developmental Psychology Postgraduate Research Award, examined the effectiveness of integrative health strategies in improving child and family outcomes. Her research continues to shape healthcare practices and policies, emplacing the importance of considering both mental and physical well-being in care.

Christine's projects have been funded by various organisations, such as the Department of Education and Training, Department of Families, Fairness and Housing, Fulbright Association, VicHealth, AFL Australia, Mackillop Education, Australian Psychological Society, Special Olympics Australia, Victoria Tennis Association, Western Australian Health Promotion Foundation, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), NSW Correction Services, Victims Services, and the Queen Elizabeth Centre (QEC). She's provided expert advice to government and peak bodies at a national and international level. She was invited to attend European Parliament in Brussels to provide expert comment about the mental health of children and young carers (2019). Christine has also provided advise to a current Federal Shadow Minister about the mental health impacts of COVID-19 on children (2020-2021).

Her work has received several excellence awards and recognition including a Fulbright Fellowship (2021-2022), Dean's Award for Innovation for Learning and Teaching (2021) which was further nominated for a Vice-Chancellors Award, and The Australian Teacher Education Association Research Recognition Award (2020). In 2019, Christine was listed as 1 of Australia’s top 50 thinkers nominated by The Conversation and I was a recipient of the Deans Early Career Researcher Award (Monash University, 2017) to develop and pilot online digital applications that provide educational mental health supports for youths. 

Christine is collaborating in two international research groups. One group aims to develop an international scale of recovery and mental health knowledge of youth with colleagues based in the USA, Netherlands and in Australia. The two scales are based on a holistic, stakeholder-informed, and pro-family model of mental illness. The scales were developed to establish an evidence of mental health programs and to generate an international database of youth mental health literacy. Currently, the scales are being translated into Chinese, Dutch, German, Norwegian, Danish, Bahasa, Portuguese, Czech and French. The second group she co-leads is the Child, Parent and Family Mental Health Worldwide Network Communications Group focused on translating and disseminating research knowledge where families have a parent with mental illness. 

Christine has held a number of leaderhsip positions in the Faculty of Education, Monash University. University and Faculty engagement activities include directing the Offshore programs as Education Coordinator in Singapore and Hong Kong (2017-2021) and an active member of the Education Faculty Committee and Student Engagement Committee. Previous activities include Student Adviser for Master of Teaching (Primary and Secondary), Master of Teaching (Secondary), Graduate Diploma in Education (2015- 2016) and International Placement Coordinator for the Cook Islands (2017-2018).

Beyond academia, Christine has been appointed on the AHPRA board committee and is currently completing the Australian Institute of Company Directors course. She is an AHPRA Board Endorsed Supervisor, a fellow of the Australian Psychological Society (APS) (MAPS, FCEDP), treasurer of the Victorian branch Educational and Developmental College Committee, a member of The United Nations Association of Australia Academic Network (UNAA), an International Affiliate Member of the American Psychological Association (APA) and a previous member of the Golden Key International Honor Society. She is a volunteer of the APS Disaster Response Network, a national network of Psychologists who have a special interest and expertise in working with individuals and communities affected by disasters and emergencies, volunteering in response to bushfires, floods, cyclones, as well as community-violence events.

Keep updated about her research online: 

• Social and emotional learning
• Mental health and wellbeing of children and adolescents
• Youth voice and engagement
• Inclusion and special education
• Prevention and early intervention
• Children and families where a parent has a mental illness
• Therapy dogs in clinical and educational settings 

Research Methods

• Mixed-methods research design
• Participatory research methods
• Qualitative methodologies

Current Research Projects

• Developing a scale to understand youth knowledge of mental health and recovery
• Building an evidence base for animal assisted interventions: The use of Therapy dogs in clinical and educational settings
• Developing and evaluating an artificial intelligence application to support the mental health of young people
• Youth Reference Group to provide feedback on current research program to ensure they are addressing youth needs and to translate research to key stakeholders