معرفی
Dr Debbie Ling is a Lecturer in the Department of Social Work within the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences at Monash University. She is a leading researcher and educator in compassion and common humanity, with a strong focus on healthcare settings, burnout prevention, and prosocial behavior. Her work integrates qualitative and quantitative methodologies and has led to the development of evidence-based compassion training programs adopted by medical curricula at Monash and Warwick Universities.
- Institution: Monash University
- School: Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences
- Department: Department of Social Work
- Academic Rank: Lecturer
Debbie’s research interests center on compassion, common humanity, in-group/out-group dynamics, prosocial behavior, compassion in healthcare, doctor burnout, and mental health. She has pioneered interventions that enhance compassion through training, particularly in high-stress medical environments. Her doctoral research (awarded 2019) provided the first empirical evidence that perceiving common humanity increases compassion among healthcare workers.
Her recent publications and projects reflect a strong trend in compassion-focused interventions, medical education reform, and mental health promotion. Articles span topics such as compassion training for paramedics, values in healthcare, and cross-cultural caregiver support. Her work increasingly emphasizes implementation science, with compassion training now embedded in core medical curricula.
Dr Ling has received multiple awards for her educational and research impact, including the 2022 Dean's Award for Excellence in Education, the 2023 Dean's Award for Programs that Enhance Learning (Team), and the 2024 Monash Education Academy The Pitch Finalist. She was also awarded a 2023 Monash-Warwick Alliance grant for a mixed-methods evaluation of compassion training.
- Monash-Warwick Alliance grant (2023)
- Dean's Award for Excellence in Education (2022)
- Vice-Chancellor's Award Commendation (2022)
- Research Impact Award (2020)
- Three Minute Thesis Winner (2019)
- Dean's Award for Programs that Enhance Learning (2023)
- Monash Education Academy Finalist (2024)
Debbie supervises PhD students and contributes to grants totaling $557,000. She is actively involved in advising and research collaboration, particularly through her leadership in compassion training implementation. She also serves on several external advisory boards, including the Centre for a Compassionate Society and the Charter for Compassion. Her private practice as an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker complements her academic work, bringing over 25 years of clinical experience in health, mental health, child protection, and aged care.
Dr Ling leads the Monash 'Compassion Training for Healthcare Workers' online course, which has trained over 3,000 professionals and students. She is Principal Chief Investigator on active projects including a randomized controlled trial on paramedics and a study on culturally diverse carers. Her affiliations include advisory roles with UNESCO Inclusive Policy Lab, the Australian Compassion Council, and Epworth HealthCare (until 2024).
