Hayley Christian

Hayley Christian is a Professor in the School of Population and Global Health at The University of Western Australia (UWA), holding adjunct positions as Senior Research Fellow at the UWA Medical School and Adjunct Associate Professor in Population and Public Health. She leads the PLAYCE (Play Spaces & Environments for Children’s Physical Activity) research program and serves as Program Head of Healthy Behaviours and Environments at the Telethon Kids Institute. Her research focuses on improving children’s physical activity, health, and well-being through interventions targeting early childhood education, family, and built environments.

Dr. Christian holds a PhD in Public Health (2008) from UWA and has over 20 years of experience in health promotion research. She has secured over $60 million in grants, including major awards like the NHMRC and MRFF funding for large-scale trials. Her work spans physical activity policy, environmental influences on child development, and the health benefits of pet ownership and natural spaces.

Key research interests include multi-level interventions in childcare settings, the impact of built environments on children’s health, and policy development. She collaborates internationally, leading projects like the BEACHES study (UK-Australia collaboration) and the Playgroup Amplify initiative. Her awards include the WA Young Tall Poppy Scientist of the Year (2020) and multiple fellowships.

• Grants: Includes $1.7M MRFF trial for scaling Play Active programs and $1M Ian Potter Foundation grant for Playgroup Amplify.
• Awards: 2023 Mid-Career Research Award, 2022 HBF Mid-Career Scientist finalist, and multiple NHMRC/National Heart Foundation Fellowships.
• Labs/Teams: Leads Telethon Kids’ Child Physical Activity, Health and Development Team and co-directs the ARC Centre of Excellence for Children and Families.