Who we are

Dr Julie McMillan (Director) is a senior academic with expertise in designing personalised learning for students with disability, augmentative and alternative communication, autism, and positive behaviour support.

Dr Jane Jarvis is a senior academic with expertise in differentiating learning experiences for academically diverse learners and building educators’ capacity for inclusive educational practices.

Associate Professor Kerry Bissaker is a recognised leader and researcher in effective professional learning for inclusive education, including in developing countries.

Dr Carol Le Lant is a Coordinator of Initial Teacher Education Programs in Inclusive and Specialised Education and a researcher whose work is concerned with student engagement, self-regulated learning and differentiated instruction, with a focus on students with disability.

Dr Amy Wyatt is a senior academic in Medical Biochemistry in the College of Medicine and Public Health. Dr Wyatt researches the relationship between protein misfolding and inflammation which are characteristics shared by several debilitating disorders including Alzheimer’s disease, atherosclerosis, pre-eclampsia and arthritis. Dr Wyatt is also leading research related to reducing stigma associated with neurodivergence through school-aged peer education.

Dr Peter Walker is the current South Australian Chair for the Australian Association for Special Education (AASE) and a leading advocate for inclusive education for students with disability. He has written and presented extensively on inclusive education, including through his popular 2016 TEDx talk, his invited 2018 presentation at the Adelaide Festival of Ideas, and his 2020 co-edited book, Inclusion is a Right, Right?

Dr Raj Brij has expertise and international experience in the areas of schoolwide positive behaviour support, collaborative teaching, and personalised planning for learners on the autism spectrum and complex disability. 

Professor Robyn Young is a psychology researcher and expert in children and adults with autism, including early identification and intervention, and the involvement of adults with autism in the justice system.

Dr Grace Skrzypiec is a senior academic who has led multiple international research projects on peer aggression and bullying, and students’ mental health and well-being, including for students with disability.

Associate Professor Lorna Hallahan is an experienced social worker and researcher with expertise in the development and analysis of disability policy. Her work has included the development and evaluation of the Trial of The National Disability Insurance Scheme and service as Senior Research Advisor to the Royal Commission on Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability.

Associate Professor Pammi Raghavendra is a speech pathologist and researcher in Disability and Community Inclusion within the College of Nursing and Health Sciences. Her research is concerned with communication support and intervention for individuals with disabilities and complex communication needs.

Dr Emma Grace is a lecturer and early career researcher in Speech Pathology (College of Nursing and Health Sciences), where her research focuses on supporting interventions that enable communication participation, including for users of Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) systems.

Dr David Hobbs is a senior academic and highly awarded researcher in the College of Science and Engineering. He is a recognised expert in paediatric rehabilitation engineering and the design of innovative assistive technology to support children and adults with disability.

Professor Jo Arciuli is the Dean of Research in the College of Nursing and Health Sciences. Her interdisciplinary research focuses on child development and disability, including in the areas of literacy difficulties and communication in individuals with autism.

Dr Alinka Fisher is a lecturer in Disability and Community Inclusion (College of Nursing and Health Sciences) with particular research interests and a strong record of industry engagement in the area of positive behaviour support within community settings, including schools.

Dr Catherine Johnson is a postdoctoral research fellow in psychology working on projects related to adolescents’ mental health and wellbeing in secondary schools and the sustainability of education initiatives.