Monika Janda

Professor Monika Janda is a NHMRC Leadership Fellow (2025-2029) and serves as the Director of the Centre for Health Services Research at the University of Queensland's Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences. She is also an Affiliate of the Queensland Digital Health Centre and the Dermatology Research Centre. As a Professor in Behavioural Science, she leads the NHMRC Centre for Research Excellence in Skin Imaging and Precision Diagnosis (2021-2025) and the NHMRC funded Synergy Roadmap Towards Melanoma Screening (2022-2026).

Professor Janda trained as a health psychologist and has established herself as a leading behavioural scientist with expertise in cancer prevention and quality of life research. Her work focuses on applied health and clinical research problems, with particular emphasis on making a difference to cancer prevention, early detection and treatment outcomes. She has strong clinical collaborations and a passion for consumer-centered digital interventions that make self-management of health-related issues easier for people.

Her research portfolio demonstrates remarkable consistency in three interconnected areas: prevention and early detection of cancer (particularly melanoma), improving clinical and supportive care for cancer patients (particularly gynaecological cancers), and innovative methods of health services delivery through digital interventions. Recent publications show a strong focus on leveraging digital technologies like 3D total-body photography, artificial intelligence, and mobile health applications to improve melanoma detection and patient outcomes.

Professor Janda has received significant recognition through multiple NHMRC fellowships including a Leadership Fellowship (2025-2029), Translating Research into Practice Fellowship (2018-2020), Career Development Fellowship Level II (2013-2017), Career Development Fellowship I (2009-2012), and Early Career Fellowship (2004-2008).

With extensive supervision experience having guided 24 postgraduate students to completion, she remains actively engaged in mentoring the next generation of researchers. Her substantial grant portfolio includes current funding for projects such as the Centre of Research Excellence to Improve the QuALIty of SurVival in Gynaecological Cancer PatiEnts (ALIVE WELL), Evidence generation for a national melanoma prevention strategy, and 3D total skin imaging for melanoma early detection in regional Australia.

Professor Janda previously led the Health Determinants and Health Systems Theme at The Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation at Queensland University of Technology until 2017, establishing a strong foundation for her current impactful work in digital health and cancer prevention.