Laetitia Coles

Dr Laetitia Coles is a Research Fellow at The University of Queensland, affiliated with the Queensland Brain Institute and the Child Health Research Centre. She works within the Child Development, Education and Care group under Laureate Prof Karen Thorpe, focusing on applying sociological methods to improve children's care environments, particularly for children with disabilities and their families.

• Bachelor of Arts, The University of Queensland
• Bachelor (Honours), The University of Queensland
• Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology, The University of Queensland (2020)

Her research centers on applied sociology and gender studies, with key projects like the Thriving Queensland Kids Brain Builders Initiative and the Families in Focus award-winning collaboration with Queensland Children's Hospital. She specializes in workforce dynamics, neuro-informed policy, and translating research into practice through both traditional and non-traditional outputs.

Recent publications (2023-2025) show consistent focus on early childhood education, family dynamics, and sleep studies, with interdisciplinary approaches spanning qualitative methods, policy analysis, and critical theory engagement. Her work frequently addresses gender roles in caregiving and educational settings.

• Award-winning Families in Focus project
• Contributor to sleep medicine and educational policy research

Dr Coles supervises PhD students in areas like international early childhood teachers' career trajectories and early sleep interventions for neurodisability, collaborating with Prof Karen Thorpe and Associate Prof Jasneek Chawla. She has secured grants from the Ian Potter Foundation and Thriving Queensland Kids Partnership.