Sheleigh Lawler

Professor Sheleigh Lawler is a health psychology expert and Head of the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences at The University of Queensland. Her research focuses on health behaviors, psychosocial factors, and communication strategies in public health contexts. She leads interdisciplinary teams addressing chronic disease prevention, Indigenous health equity, and behavioral interventions. She holds a PhD from The University of Auckland and has extensive experience in program evaluation, including the '10,000 Lives' smoking cessation initiative and cancer screening equity projects.

Education:

• Bachelor of Arts, The University of Auckland
• Masters (Coursework), The University of Auckland
• Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Auckland

Research Interests: She investigates psychosocial variables influencing health behaviors, blended learning pedagogy in public health, and behavioral interventions for chronic diseases. Her work emphasizes health equity, particularly for Indigenous populations, and integrates mHealth/eHealth solutions.

Grants and Funding:

• Current NHMRC Synergy Grant (2024–2029): Achieving Equity in Cancer Screening for First Nations Peoples
• Queensland Health Grant (2023): Tobacco Reduction Reforms and Skin Cancer Prevention
• Past NHMRC Project Grant (2008–2013): Telephone Counselling for Diabetes

Advising and Supervision: Supervises PhD and Master's students on topics like cancer survivorship care, mHealth for hypertension management, and AI-driven smoking cessation tools. Current projects include evaluating social inclusion programs and Indigenous cancer screening equity.

Labs/Teams: Active in initiatives such as the 'Stepping Stone Clubhouse' mental health program evaluation and the development of the Quin chatbot for smoking cessation. Collaborates with government agencies and industry on public health campaigns.