Chris Doran

Chris Doran is a Professorial Research Fellow in Health Economics and Research Cluster Lead at CReW at CQUniversity. He holds adjunct roles at the University of Newcastle and Edith Cowan University. His research focuses on mental health, substance use, and Indigenous health equity, with expertise in translational research and policy impact. Doran has led over 80 grants totaling $63.79M, including NHMRC and international projects. He has published 159 peer-reviewed manuscripts and 53 policy reports.

Education:

• Bachelor of Economics (Honours), University of Newcastle (1993)
• PhD in Health Economics, University of Newcastle (1999)
• Australian Institute of Company Directors graduate

Research Interests: Doran’s work emphasizes health economics, mental health policy, and addiction economics. He has developed tools for alcohol policy evaluation and contributed to global initiatives like WHO’s alcohol harm frameworks. Collaborations include UNODC, WHO, and international governments (e.g., UAE, Vietnam).

Grants & Impact: Led 3 centers of research excellence and 4 partnership grants. Notable projects include economic analyses of suicide prevention in construction, alcohol policies, and Indigenous community interventions. His work has influenced Australian Senate inquiries, Vietnam’s helmet laws, and global addiction cost studies.

Awards:

• 2017 CQUniversity Opal Award
• 2016 NHMRC Panel Member
• 2013 National Drug and Alcohol Awards

Advising & Grants: Supervised numerous research candidates and advised on over $30M in grants (2013–2017). His work bridges academia and practice, with a focus on Indigenous health equity and global policy.

Labs/Teams: Leads CReW (Centre for Research Excellence in Integrated Quality Improvement) and collaborates with global networks like the World Health Organisation and United Nations.