Meet the Head of the School of Health and Social Development
Professor Jennifer Watts is the Head of School of Health and Social Development. She is a health economist and over the past 20 years has established a strong record in health economics, in both teaching and research. Jenny leads a large and diverse school, with staff specialising across community health, inclusion, disability, environment and social work.
Our courses are built on international collaborations, meaningful research and strong connections between the university, industry, communities and the public. We're committed to research that results in real, tangible outcomes for improving health.
Professor Jennifer Watts
Head of School of Health and Social Development
Key contacts
Professor Jennifer Watts, Head of School, School of Health and Social Development
Professor Beth Crisp, Deputy Head of School
Sally Speirs, School Manager
Dr Kelli Nicola-Richmond, Associate Head of School, Teaching and Learning
Professor Lisa Barnett, Associate Head of School, Research
Dr Jo Watson, Associate Head of School, International and Partnerships
Associate Professor Fiona McKay, Co-Director, Determinants of Health
Alfred Deakin Professor Catherine Bennett, Co-Director Determinants of Health
Professor Suzanne Robinson, Director, Deakin Health Economics
Anna Peeters, Director, Institute for Health Transformation
Professor Gary Sacks, Co-Director GLOBE
Professor Kathryn Backholer, Co-Director GLOBE
Professor Genevieve Pepin, HDR Co-ordinator
Kate Beckwith, Executive Officer
Discipline leads
Professor Angela Dew, Discipline Lead, Disability and Inclusion
Professor Beth Crisp, Discipline Lead, Social Work
Associate Professor Kirk Reed, Discipline Lead, Occupational Therapy
Associate Professor Claire Henderson-Wilson, Discipline Lead, Health Society and Environment
Associate Professor Matthew Dunn, Discipline Lead, Public Health and Health Promotion
Associate Professor Judi Parson, Discipline Lead, Play Therapy
Associate Professor Jemma Skeat, Discipline Lead, Speech Pathology
Our people
Academic
Dr Julie Abimanyi-Ochom, Lecturer, Public Health
Professor Steven Allender, Professor
Associate Professor Fiona Andrews, Senior Lecturer
Professor Lisa Barnett, Associate Head of School, Research
Norma Barrett, Lecturer in Public Health and Health Promotion
Professor Catherine Bennett, Alfred Deakin Professor and Chair in Epidemiology
Rhiannon Breguet, Lecturer, Play Therapy
Nicole Bruges, Lecturer, Health Society & Environment
Teresa Capetola, Lecturer
Madi Cashin, Lecturer, Occupational Therapy
Emma Clark, Lecturer, Occupational Therapy
Professor Beth Crisp, Deputy Head of School
Dr Sally Denning, Lecturer, Play Therapy
Professor Angela Dew, Professor, Disability and Inclusion
Gemma Digby, Lecturer
Joh Donkers, Lecturer
Raelene Dundon, Lecturer, Play Therapy
Dr Priscilla Dunk-West, Associate Professor, Social Work
Dr Matthew Dunn, Associate Professor
Dr Sarah Epstein, Senior Lecturer
Jacqui Edwards, Lecturer
Pearse Fay, Lecturer
Carah Figueroa, Lecturer
Dr John Fox, Lecturer in Social Work
Dr Lan Gao, Associate Professor, Health Economist
Dr Neetu George, Lecturer, Health Society & Environment
Phoebe Godfrey, Lecturer, Play Therapy
Professor Lisa Gold, Professor
Dr Natalie Hadiprodjo, Senior Lecturer
Associate Professor Claire Henderson-Wilson, Associate Professor
Tamara Holmes, Lecturer, Social Work
Dr Kate Huggins, Associate Professor
Dr Michelle Hunt, Lecturer, Social Work
Dr Shane Kavanagh, Lecturer in Public Health (Undergraduate)
Rachel Knight, Lecturer, Occupational Therapy
Dr Julie Kos, Senior Lecturer in Disability and Inclusion
Dr Greer Lamaro Haintz, Senior Lecturer
Professor Tony LaMontagne, Professor, Work Health and Wellbeing
Dr Eric Lau, Associate Professor
Dr Justin Lawson, Lecturer
Sally Logan, Lecturer Occupational Therapy
Tania Long, Lecturer in Play Therapy
Dr James Lucas, Senior Lecturer in Social Work Field
Nikki Lyons, Fieldwork Supervisor in Occupational Therapy
Caroline MacKinnon, Lecturer
Dr Nikki McCaffrey, Associate Professor
Associate Professor Fiona McKay, Associate Professor
Dr Hayley Mckenzie, Senior Lecturer in Health Sciences
Sharryn McLean, Social Work Fieldwork Educator
Sarah McNeill, Lecturer
Associate Professor Kelli Nicola-Richmond, Associate Head of School, Teaching and Learning
Dr Amie O'Shea, Senior Lecturer in Disability and Inclusion
Ange Parrish, Lecturer, Indigenous Curriculum
Associate Professor Judi Parson, Associate Professor, Child Play Therapy
Professor Genevieve Pepin, Professor, Occupational Therapy
Alice Pratt, Lecturer, Occupational Therapy
Associate Professor Kirk Reed, Associate Professor, Occupational Therapy
Dr Kim Robinson, Senior Lecturer in Social Work
Professor Suzanne Robinson, Chair and Head, Deakin Health Economics
Bridget Sarah, Lecturer, Play Therapy
Dr Louisa Smith, Senior Lecturer, Disability and Inclusion
Rebecca Stockdale, Lecturer in Public Health
Dr Patricia Taylor, Lecturer
Professor Samantha Thomas, Professor, Public Health
Kris Vingrys, Senior Lecturer
Dr Sevi Vassos, Senior Lecturer
Tamara Wanklyn, Lecturer
Dr Elyse Warner, Lecturer
Valerie Watchorn, Senior Lecturer
Lucinda Watson, Lecturer in Occupational Therapy
Dr Joanne Watson, Senior Lecturer, Disability and Inclusion
Professor Jennifer Watts, Head of School Health and Social Development
Sharon Williams, Social Work Fieldwork Educator
Judy Wookey, Social Work Fieldwork Educator
Associate Professor Serene Yoong, Associate Professor, Implementation Science and Health Services
Research
Sadika Akhter, Dean's Research Postdoctoral Fellowships
Associate Professor Jaithri Ananthapavan, Alfred Deakin Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Mary Rose Angeles, Associate Research Fellow, Health System Financing and Sustainability
Professor Kathryn Backholer, Professor
Bettina Backman, Associate Research Fellow
Dr Miranda Blake, Alfred Deakin Postdoctoral Senior Research Fellow
Dr Shalika Bohingamu Mudiyanselage, Research Fellow
Andrew Brown, Research Fellow
Dr Victoria Brown, Senior Research Fellow
Dr Jennifer Browne, Senior Research Fellow
Jessica Bucholc, Research Fellow, Project Coordinator
Beau Cubillo, Senior Research Fellow
Professor Adrian Cameron, Professor
Dr Johannes Carl, Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Jasmine Chan, Associate Research Fellow, Food Policy
Oxana Chiotelis, Research Fellow
Sarah Dean, Associate Research Fellow
Tiana Felmingham, Associate Research Fellow - STAMP
Tari Forrester-Bowling, Research Fellow
Penny Fraser, Associate Research Fellow
Madison Frith, Associate Research Fellow
Professor Lisa Gold, Professor
Elena Gospodarevskaya, Senior Research Fellow
Dr Adyya Gupta, Dean's Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Dr Josh Hayward, Research Fellow Grade 2
Dr Karen Hill, Research Fellow, Aboriginal Health
Monique Hillenaar, Project Manager and Implementation Coach
Associate Professor Danielle Hitch, Associate Professor
Associate Professor Kate Huggins, Associate Professor
Oliver Huse, Associate Research Fellow
Francis Ip, Senior Research Fellow, Health Technology Assessment
Dr Michelle Jackson, Research Manager and System Specialist
Dr Jane Jacobs, Data Manager
Kripi Ravish Khanna, Associate Research Fellow
Dr Kelemu Kibret, Executive Dean Health Research Fellow
Dr Anita Lal, Senior Research Fellow, Health Economics (Cancer)
Neha Lalchandani, Associate Research Fellow
Dr Ha Le, Executive Dean Health Research Fellow
Dr Peter Lee, Research Fellow
Dr Gloria Leung, Research Fellow
Dr Nic Lister, Associate Research Fellow
Dr Ann Livingstone, Research Fellow
Dr Navoda Liyana Pathirana, Research Fellow
Melanie Lum, Associate Research Fellow
Michelle Lim, Research Assistant
Josephine Marshall, Associate Research Fellow
Dr Florentine Martino, Research Fellow, Vic Health
Dr Emiliano Mazzoli, Executive Dean Research Fellow
Dr Simone McCarthy, Research Fellow
Kaitlyn McKenna, Research Assistant Professor
Associate Professor Nikki McCaffery, Associate Professor
Dr Shaan Naughton, Research Fellow, Grade 2
Dr Cindy Needham, Research Fellow
Phuong Nguyen, Research Fellow
Brandon Nguyen, Associate Research Fellow
Dieu Nguyen, Research Fellow
Associate Professor Melanie Nichols, Associate Professor
Dr Hannah Pitt, Research Fellow, Vic Health
Sil-ling Pruis, Research Fellow
Dr Sean Randall, Senior Post Doctoral Research Fellow, Health Economics
Dr Erica Reeve, Alfred Deakin Post-Doctoral Research Fellow
Professor Gary Sacks, Professor, Research
Dr Feby Savira, Research Fellow
Dr Tailane Scapin, Research Fellow
Dr Debbie Scott, Senior Research Fellow
Lauren Sheppard, Research Fellow
Dr Kate Sievert, Alfred Deakin Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Dr Marufa Sultana, Alfred Deakin Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Elise Tan, Research Fellow
Sue Taylor, Research Fellow Grade 2
Dr Fisaha Tesfay, Research Fellow
Professor Samantha Thomas, Professor
Utsana Tonmukayakul, Research Fellow Grade 2
Michelle Tran, Research Fellow
Dr Anna Urbanowicz, Senior Research Fellow
Carmen Vargas, Associate Research Fellow
Sithara Wanni Arachchige Dona, Associate Research Fellow, Deakin Health Economics
Nikita Wheaton, Associate Research Fellow, Systems
Dr Ben Wood, Research Fellow
Dr Clement Wong, Research Fellow
Sandra Younie, Senior Research Fellow - Health Economics
Associate Professor Silva Zavarsek, Associate Professor (Health Technology Assessment)
Dr Christina Zorbas, Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Contact us
Get in touch if you have any further questions regarding the School of Health and Social Development.
+61 3 9251 7777