Sonja March

Professor Sonja March is a distinguished academic and research leader at the University of Southern Queensland, serving as Professor of Psychology in the School of Psychology and Wellbeing and Institute Executive Director (Health). She leads the Innovative Mental Health Solutions Research Program within the Centre for Health Research and previously served as Director of the Centre for Health Research (2022-2023). Her work bridges clinical psychology with public health approaches to create scalable mental health solutions, particularly for vulnerable populations.

Professor March's research focuses on digital mental health innovations, examining how to improve health outcomes by enhancing health system efficiency and optimizing individual health behaviors. Her expertise spans child and adolescent mental health, eHealth interventions, health services research, and mental health services for regional communities and at-risk populations. She has developed and evaluated numerous digital assessment tools and interventions, including the Interactive Child Distress Screener and adaptations of the BRAVE online program for youth anxiety.

Her recent publications reveal a strong emphasis on addressing mental health disparities through innovative digital solutions, with particular attention to rural communities, cancer populations, and youth mental health during the pandemic. Professor March's work consistently combines rigorous methodology with practical application, resulting in interventions that have been translated into clinical practice across Australia.

• Winner, Vice-Chancellor's Excellence Award for Women in STEMM (2022)
• Winner, USQ Faculty of Health Excellence in Research Supervision Award (2021)
• Winner, Research Leader - Science Award, Women in Technology (2020)
• Finalist, Queensland Mental Health Commission Awards (2016)
• Editorial Board Member, Internet Interventions journal

Professor March actively supervises doctoral students and has completed numerous successful supervisions across diverse but interconnected topics in mental health services research. Her current research portfolio includes several major funded projects focusing on digital mental health implementation, trauma-informed approaches in schools, and improving mental health services for regional communities. She maintains strong industry partnerships with organizations including Australian Rotary Health, HCF, and the Department of Health.

Her laboratory, the Innovative Mental Health Solutions Research Program, focuses on developing and evaluating digital tools to increase access to evidence-based mental health care, particularly in underserved communities. The program emphasizes user-centered design, rigorous evaluation, and implementation science to ensure research translation into practice.