​One in eight Australian children have a serious or chronic health condition, needing hospitalisation or long-term healthcare.
Chronic and/or serious disease in children can have long lasting impacts, not only on the patient but also on the family unit.

​It is our mandate to lead research which enables health professionals and the hospital system to better support children and their families from the diagnosis of a serious or chronic condition through to survivorship or bereavement.  

Key Research Areas
ETHICS & GENETICS
​The ethics and genetics team is investigating the psychological impact of genetic testing in childhood and working towards the ethical implementation of new technologies and experimental therapies into the cancer clinic.
FAMILY SYSTEMS & RELATIONSHIPS
In the family systems and relationships team, we acknowledge that child chronic illness has a profound affect on each family member individually, as well as the family unit as a whole. We endeavour to improve family health and wellbeing when a child has a chronic illness.
HEALTH BEHAVIOURS
Our health behaviours team focuses on researching ways to minimise the ongoing burden of treatment for childhood cancer through health, nutrition and lifestyle interventions, and the development and evaluation of models of care which address the barriers to receiving optimal cancer-related follow up care. This includes researching strategies to optimise the nutritional intake of childhood cancer patients throughout the cancer journey from diagnosis to survival.
PATIENT EDIUCATION & COGNITION
Our patient education and cognition team aims to improve the educational and social trajectories of young people affected by cancer through research and translation of knowledge into supportive resources. ​
MENTAL HEALTH
Our mental health team aims to improve quality of life and reduce distress among young people with serious illness and their families.