Chris Watling

Dr. Chris Watling is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ), affiliated with the School of Psychology and Wellbeing and the Centre for Health Research. His research focuses on sleep physiology, cognitive performance, and traffic safety, particularly examining the interplay between sleepiness, attention, and risky behaviors like impaired driving. He holds a PhD from Queensland University of Technology (QUT), with prior roles including Research Fellow at QUT and Visiting Associate at Stockholm University.

Education: BBehSc (QUT, 2008), PGDipPsych (QUT, 2009), MAppSc (QUT, 2012), PhD (QUT, 2016). His work bridges psychological theory with applied safety research, addressing issues like railway crossing hazards, drowsiness detection systems, and the impact of lucid dreaming on cognitive function.

Research interests include psychophysiological monitoring, driver behavior under fatigue, and interventions to reduce traffic risks. Key themes in his work involve sleep health, neuropsychological correlates of attention, and the design of safety systems using wearable technology. He has contributed to international conferences on traffic psychology and railway safety, with publications spanning journals like Accident Analysis and Prevention and Journal of Sports Sciences.

Recent articles highlight innovations in multimodal drowsiness detection systems and the role of lucid dreaming in adolescent mental well-being. His awards include editorial and committee roles in transportation psychology. Supervision focuses on topics like paramedic preparedness, ADHD sleep interventions, and virtual reality stress analysis.

He collaborates with institutions like Queensland University of Technology and Stockholm University, and his research has practical applications in improving railway safety infrastructure, driver training, and public health strategies for sleep disorders.