Projects per year
Personal profile
Biography
Deana is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education at Monash University, Australia. Her research draws on interdisciplinary perspectives to critically study health education - from policy formations to their translations into classrooms.
Whilst her work has a strong school focus, she also is interested in the learning affordance of other pedagogical spaces that seek to teach people something about health including museums/ exhibits, festivals, and various digital technology platforms.
Deana is working on a number of funded school health projects that seek to transform approaches to health education. They include:
1. A review of the National School Drug Education Principles (Ministry of Health, NSW)
2. Making the Link - a project that seeks to co-design a digital platform that aims to build the capacity of peers to encourage their friends to seek help for mental health and substance use issues.
3. Seeing through the Haze - a suite of resources for vaping education funded by QUIT and VicHealth.
Deana currently serves on the editorial boards of Health Education Journal and Health Education and is co-convenor of the CHESS (Critical Health Education Studies). She is co-editor of the Routledge Book Series Critical Studies of Health and Education. Additionally she is a co-convenor of the European Education Research Association's Research Network 8 - Research in Health Education group. Deana is also a member of the International Scientific Committee of the UNESCO Chair for Global Health and Education.
Research interests
Deana is an interdisciplinary critical researcher whose interests include:
* creating transformative models and approaches for health education
* critically studying health education and it's various intersections across education and health
* critically examining interventions in health promotion and health education and their possibilities/impossibilities
* developing models that enable greater participation in designing solutions to health problems (including co-design)
* critically studying education policy and curriculum
Research area keywords
- Health and physical education
- food studies
- governmentality
- curriculum
- pedagogy
- policy
- sociology
- school health
- design and co-design
- nutrition
- wellbeing
- health education
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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SDG 2 Zero Hunger -
SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being -
SDG 4 Quality Education -
SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities -
SDG 13 Climate Action
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Recent external collaboration on country/territory level. Dive into details by clicking on the dots or
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First, do no harm: Implementing safe nutrition messaging in Australian schools
Heruc, G. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), Fleming, C. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Pursey, K. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Norton, L. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Kennedy, S. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Mitchison, D. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Burrows, T. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Yager, Z. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Rocks, T. (Chief Investigator (CI)) & Leahy, D. (Associate Investigator (AI))
13/03/25 → 12/03/27
Project: Research
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Update the 2004 Principles for School Drug Education
Lubman, D. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), Grove, C. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Bowden, J. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Toumbourou, J. W. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Leahy, D. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Cheetham, A. (Chief Investigator (CI)) & Rowland, B. (Chief Investigator (CI))
31/05/24 → 30/12/25
Project: Research
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Kids Building Future Healthy - Case Study Research
Leahy, D. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)) & Young, L. (Chief Investigator (CI))
18/04/24 → 28/06/24
Project: Research
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Scoping the suitability on Tonga and Samoa as potential research sites for inclusion in FIS/2022/120
Leahy, D. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), Kleve, S. (Chief Investigator (CI)) & Barbour, L. (Chief Investigator (CI))
24/05/23 → 14/12/23
Project: Research
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Active Travel 4 Climate Action
Adepoyibi, T. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), Leahy, D. (Chief Investigator (CI)) & Alfrey, L. (Chief Investigator (CI))
7/09/22 → 31/10/22
Project: Research
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Amplifying critical syncretism in Asia as method: understanding policy enactments in a Hong Kong school through Mohap
Zhang, G., Leahy, D. & Prosser, H., 2026, In: Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education. 47, 2, p. 243-253 11 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
Belonging, identity, inclusion, and togetherness: the lesser-known social benefits of food for children and young people
Allen, K.-A., Leahy, D., Patlamazoglou, L., Bristow, C., McGlinchey, C. & Boyle, C., 2024, Food Futures in Education and Society. Lalli, G. S., Turner, A. & Rutland, M. (eds.). 1st ed. Abingdon UK: Routledge, p. 145-156 12 p. (Routledge Studies in Food, Society and the Environment).Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter (Book) › Research › peer-review
2 Link opens in a new tab Citations (Scopus) -
The potential of school-provided meals for Australian schools
Mason, A. C., Johnson, B. J., Smith, K., Dunbabin, J., Leahy, D., Graham, A., Gallegos, D. & Golley, R., 2024, In: Journal of the Home Economics Institute of Australia. 28, 1, p. 23-33 11 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
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Representing risk: designing a "vertical studio" for knowledge mobilisation and impact
Han, H. Y., Leahy, D., Norwood, A. & Gilbert, J., 2023, Teaching Beyond the Curriculum: A Focus on Pedagogy. Hurcomb, G., Herring, E., Jackson, J. & Peu Duvallon, V. (eds.). UK: Architecture Media Politics Society, p. 65-71 7 p. (AMPS Proceedings Series; no. 36.1).Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference Paper › Other › peer-review
Open Access -
Sexual and reproductive health education for young people in Victoria, Australia: a mixed methods study
Walker, R., Mangelsdorf, R., Leahy, D. & Boyle, J., 2023, In: Sex Education. 23, 5, p. 585-600 16 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
2 Link opens in a new tab Citations (Scopus)
Prizes
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Dean's Award - Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning
Leahy, D. (Recipient), 2015
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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Dean's Award for Early Career Researcher, Faculty of Education, Monash University
Leahy, D. (Recipient), 2016
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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Kids Co-designing Healthy and Sustainable Environments resource tool-kit: First-cycle winner and short-listed for World Health Organization NCD Lab innovative tools and initiatives in the NCDs and Next Generation thematic area
Leahy, D. (Recipient), Jeanes, R. (Recipient), Duhn, I. (Recipient), Lindsay, J. (Recipient), Tanner, C. (Recipient), Taylor, W. (Recipient), Welch, R. (Recipient) & Cumbo, B. (Recipient), 2020
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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Vice Chancellor's Award for Community Education
Leahy, D. (Recipient), 2023
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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Vice-Chancellor's Excellence Award for Community Education Programs
Leahy, D. (Recipient), Barbour, L. (Recipient), Kerss, J. (Recipient), Marangio, K. (Recipient), Matthews, K. (Recipient), Young, L. (Recipient), Welch, R. (Recipient), Wilson, S. (Recipient) & Taylor, W. (Recipient), 14 Nov 2023
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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Schooling Food: An Exhibition
Leahy, D. (Director), Tiquia, A. (Producer), Taylor, W. (Director), Supski, S. (Producer), Beltsos-Russo, Z. (Contributor), Holloway, A. (Contributor), Maher, J. (Contributor), Lindsay, J. (Contributor), Tanner, C. (Contributor) & Wright, J. (Contributor)
18 Feb 2019 → 1 Mar 2019Activity: Community Talks, Presentations, Exhibitions and Events › Performance/exhibition
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Schooling Food: An exhibition
Leahy, D. (Director), Tiquia, A. (Producer), Taylor, W. (Director), Supski, S. D. (Contributor), Beltsos-Russo, Z. (Contributor) & Holloway, A. M. (Contributor)
18 Feb 2019 → 1 Mar 2019Activity: Community Talks, Presentations, Exhibitions and Events › Performance/exhibition
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UNESCO Chair Global Health and Education Scientific Committee member
Leahy, D. (Member)
2018 → …Activity: External Academic Engagement › Committees and working groups
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Health Education (Journal)
Leahy, D. (Editorial board member)
2017 → …Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work types › Editorial responsibility
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Health Education Journal (Journal)
Leahy, D. (Editorial board member)
2016 → …Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work types › Editorial responsibility
Press/Media
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Family meals during the pandemic: The good, the bad and the struggle (Monash Lens)
Lindsay, J., Tanner, C. & Leahy, D.
20/05/20
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Article/Feature
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Students taking extreme measures to hide ‘unhealthy’ lunch boxes (The Herald Sun, 3AW Drive)
Tanner, C., Maher, J., Lindsay, J., Supski, S., Leahy, D. & Wright, J.
9/12/19
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Article/Feature