Our team

Dr Annabelle Neall is a Lecturer of Mental Health and Wellbeing (Workplace and Communities) and Director of the Flinders Workplace Wellbeing Lab. Dr Neall’s research aims to optimise employee mental health and wellbeing through the prevention of psychosocial hazards at work (e.g., workplace bullying, sexual harassment, violence, and stress) and the implementation of organisational systems that underpin sustained mental health and wellbeing. She is an inventor of a commercially licensed risk audit tool and management program that identifies the root causes of psychosocial hazards and guides policy, procedure, and practice redevelopment – a product adopted by peak health and safety regulators, major food retailers and health departments across Australia. In 2023, she was awarded an Augusta Zadow Award for improving work health and safety outcomes for women and young workers. She has published in a variety of top-ranking academic journals and presented at numerous international conferences. She consults for some of Australia’s largest organisations.  

Dr Annabelle Neall

DIRECTOR

Professor Lydia Woodyatt

Professor Lydia Woodyatt uses social psychological research to help individuals, couples, businesses, educators, and support services identify causes of disengagement after failure and wrongdoing and implement solutions to help people to reengage, take responsibility, and move toward wellbeing and restoration. With research expertise in emotions and motivation, Woodyatt explores the influence of psychological needs and dynamic social context on human responses including defensiveness, self-condemnation, self-forgiveness, online shaming and whistleblowing. She is an award winning teacher, creating and delivering curriculum, innovation and strategy to support student wellbeing and success. She sits on national advisory groups relating to mental health and wellbeing in universities, and is a member of the Flinders Institute for Mental Health and Wellbeing at Flinders University, South Australia.

AFFILIATE

Dr Sophie Coulon

Dr. Sophie Coulon is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Queensland University of Technology in the Australian Research Council Training Centre for Behavioural Insights for Technology Adoption (BITA). Her research interests span age-based stereotype threat, ageing workforces and retirement. She completed her PhD at the University of Queensland on an ARC Discovery grant examining wellbeing and engagement at work among older employees.

PHD STUDENT

Charlotte Keenan

Charlotte Keenan is a current Master of Organisational Psychology and PhD Candidate at The University of Queensland. She is a research assistant within the group and has a strong interest in workplace sexual harassment.

PHD STUDENT

Kieran Higgins

Kieran Higgins is a registered psychologist (General) and Psychology PhD student interested in advancing healthcare worker wellbeing and its relationship to sustaining better patient safety outcomes. Kieran’s current research is seeking to validate a model of workplace wellbeing with clinicians in the healthcare sector, with a focus on evaluating the effect of organisational factors on workplace wellbeing and its links to clinical performance. This applied research could help provide a diagnostic for identifying current or emerging issues affecting multi-disciplinary clinical teams and workplace factors which reduce the reported experience of burnout. Kieran’s study will be the first to investigate the tested model and explore the feasibility for a state-wide approach to advancing healthcare worker wellbeing.

Haidee Gray

PHD STUDENT

Haidee Gray is a Veterinarian, Clinical Coder and PhD candidate based in Brisbane, Queensland. Her research area is the 'employee voice and leader responsiveness' interaction and its role in staff retention in Australian veterinary clinics.  She has a background of twenty years as a General Practice veterinarian prior to moving into research and is passionate about creating research outputs with frontline impact to help veterinary professionals enjoy long-lasting, healthy careers in clinical work. She is excited to be working with Dr Annabelle Neall on this project and pleased to be part of the Flinders Workplace Wellbeing Lab.

RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Isabella Belperio

Isabella Belperio completed her Honours in Psychology in 2023. Her Honours project looked at perceptions of defensiveness in child protection settings from a social psychology perspective. She is currently working and volunteering in a variety of psychology labs at Flinders University, hoping to broaden her experience within both the research and clinical field. She also works at a private psychology practice and has volunteered in the well-being sector. She is passionate about improving mental health and hopes to continue her studies through a post-graduate degree. 

HONOURS STUDENT

Emily Furno

Emily Furno is currently undertaking her Honours year at Flinders University under the supervision of Annabelle Neall and co-supervisor Sophie Coulon in the Workplace Wellbeing Lab. She has previously completed a research placement in SAHMRI and is very eager to expand her knowledge and skill-set in organisational psychology.

Kate Sandford

HONOURS STUDENT

Kate Sandford is a Psychology Honours student at Flinders University. She is excited to complete her thesis before continuing on to work in the industry and eventually pursue further study.

RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Jessie Jones

Jessie Jones is a 3rd Year Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) student at Flinders University. She has an interest in a wide range of psychology fields, including social and organisational psychology, with hopes to pursue a career in psychological research in the future.