Karen is an emerging leader in perinatal/parent, infant and early childhood mental health research with a strong track record relative to opportunity. With near four decades of real-world mental health experience, Karen is equipped with a high level of interdisciplinary research, teaching and learning translation capability. She is a Registered Nurse, has a PhD in Medicine (Psychiatry) and Master’s Degrees in both Counselling (Psychotherapy) and Mental Health (Infant).

Karen is a recognised leader in the mental health sector for interdisciplinary research and evaluation, and service and workforce development. More recently she is acknowledged in the higher education sector for leading interdisciplinary health research and research training. Her experience spans clinical and strategic leadership and business administration, service development, education, quality improvement, and Policy. She is also an advanced practice clinician in specialist perinatal-infant, child, youth and family mental healthcare and violence abuse and neglect services.

From 1999 Karen has been a scholar of the dynamic maturational model (DMM) of attachment and adaptation. Her work is grounded in and continuously informed by the DMM. Karen’s collaborative research continues to make an important contribution toward improved outcomes for vulnerable families, priority populations, and more appropriately targeted interventions for pregnant women, mothers and infants, and greater efficiency and cost savings for healthcare systems.