Louise Byrne, MA, PhD

Louise is recognized internationally as a thought leader in the area of Lived Experience/peer workforce development. Louise has numerous journal publications on this topic and has been awarded many times for outstanding contributions to research and teaching, held expert/advisory roles with State and National Mental Health Commissions and led policy development at State and National levels, including the Australian National Lived Experience (Peer) Workforce Development Guidelines.

Louise is a translational researcher with deep knowledge of organisational issues relevant to Lived Experience/peer employment. Louise specialises in highly inclusive engagement and collaboration with diverse stakeholders. Louise's work is informed and shaped by her on-going relationships with industry and a commitment to meaningful, timely and impactful research. Louise's personal lived experience of mental health, disability, addictions, trauma and a range of other adverse experiences, as well as working in a variety of designated Lived Experience roles, form the perspective from which she works.

Previously Louise was awarded a prestigious Fulbright Postdoctoral Scholarship and inaugural RMIT Fulbright fellowship to conduct research on the peer workforce in the United States. Louise’s Fulbright research was based at Yale University in the Program for Community Health, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine.