Bernice Mathisen

Professor Bernice Mathisen is the Inaugural Chair and Program Director in Speech Pathology at the University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ) since 2022. With 49 years of experience in Australia and the UK, she specializes in swallowing disorders, disability, spirituality in healthcare, and global citizenship in health professions. Her career includes roles at La Trobe Rural Health School (2011–2018) and the University of Newcastle’s Interdisciplinary Dysphagia Clinic (2001–2006).

Education:

• BSpTh (Queensland, 1973)
• MSc (1986)
• PhD (Queensland, 1997)

Research Focus: Her work spans spirituality in palliative care, speech pathology education, interdisciplinary dysphagia management, and global citizenship competencies for health professionals. She emphasizes compassionate care integration in curricula and interprofessional collaboration in clinical settings.

Articles Trends: Recent publications (2020–2025) highlight her contributions to pediatric palliative care frameworks, occupational stress in academia, and global citizenship in health education. She explores cultural competence, radiation safety in clinical practices, and paramedic academic identity challenges.

Grants & Awards: No awards explicitly listed, but her extensive supervision and research output reflect sustained academic contributions. She has supervised doctoral and master’s projects on global citizenship, palliative care roles, and midwifery clinical placements.

Teams & Affiliations: Affiliated with UniSQ’s School of Psychology and Wellbeing, School of Education, and the Dysphagia Research Society. Her work intersects with strategic projects like the Interdisciplinary Dysphagia Clinic and the Working With Developing Communities (Vietnam) Program.