Melissa O’Donnell is Deputy Director and Associate Professor at the Australian Centre for Child Protection, University of South Australia. Melissa is an internationally recognised researcher in the area of child maltreatment and vulnerable children and families and has utilised population-based linked administrative data for over 15 years to contribute new knowledge and evidence. The main focus of her research program includes: i) risk and protective factors for vulnerability to child abuse and neglect; ii) outcomes for children in care; and iii) infant removals by the child protection system. Melissa collaborates with government and non-government partners to ensure research addresses areas of policy and practice and to enable ... Read more
About me
Melissa O’Donnell is Deputy Director and Associate Professor at the Australian Centre for Child Protection, University of South Australia. Melissa is an internationally recognised researcher in the area of child maltreatment and vulnerable children and families and has utilised population-based linked administrative data for over 15 years to contribute new knowledge and evidence. The main focus of her research program includes: i) risk and protective factors for vulnerability to child abuse and neglect; ii) outcomes for children in care; and iii) infant removals by the child protection system. Melissa collaborates with government and non-government partners to ensure research addresses areas of policy and practice and to enable effective translation.
About me
Doctor of Philosophy The University of Western Australia
Master of Psychology The University of Western Australia
Graduate Diploma in Education The University of Western Australia
Bachelor of Arts with Second Class Honours in Psychology (Division B) The University of Western Australia
Research
Excludes commercial-in-confidence projects.
Infants removed by child protection: nature, extent and impact, ARC - Discovery Projects, 01/01/2017 - 06/07/2021
Linking for Life: Enhancing pathways to well-being for all Australians. ARC Linkage Grant
Improving practice when child protection intervenes with pregnant mothers and newborns: co-design and evaluation of evidence informed guidelines. Perron Foundation Grant.
Navigating through Life: Young people transitioning from out-of-home care. ARC Linkage Grant
Connecting the dots: understanding the DFV experiences of children and young people with disability within and across sectors. ANROWS Grant
Investigating the mental health of children exposed to family and domestic violence through the use of linked Police and Health records. ANROWS Grant
Research
Research outputs for the last seven years are shown below. To see earlier years visit ORCID or Scopus
Open access indicates that an output is open access.
| Year | Output |
|---|---|
| 2020 |
Open access
2
1
3
|
| 2019 |
Open access
8
8
8
|
| 2019 |
33
34
62
|
| 2018 |
Open access
|
| 2012 |
198
196
48
|
| Year | Output |
|---|---|
| 2019 |
|
| 2015 |
|
| Year | Output |
|---|---|
| 2022 |
1
|
| 2021 |
Open access
1
1
4
|
| 2021 |
Open access
1
1
|
| 2021 |
1
4
|
| 2020 |
3
2
3
|
| 2020 |
Open access
13
13
11
|
| 2020 |
12
10
9
|
| 2020 |
Open access
1
1
5
|
| 2020 |
Open access
2
1
3
|
| 2020 |
Open access
3
|
| 2020 |
Open access
1
2
10
|
| 2020 |
2
2
|
| 2019 |
Open access
12
9
3
|
| 2019 |
6
5
5
|
| 2019 |
8
7
3
|
| 2019 |
Open access
7
5
7
|
| 2019 |
Open access
8
8
8
|
| 2019 |
33
34
62
|
| 2019 |
6
5
|
| 2019 |
Open access
9
8
2
|
| 2018 |
8
8
1
|
| 2017 |
Open access
15
15
5
|
| 2017 |
Open access
59
53
97
|
| 2017 |
Open access
20
19
2
|
| 2017 |
Open access
|
| 2017 |
Open access
6
6
10
|
| 2017 |
2
2
2
|
| 2016 |
50
46
7
|
| 2016 |
Open access
37
34
1
|
| 2016 |
Open access
26
26
2
|
| 2016 |
Open access
22
25
4
|
| 2015 |
Open access
45
45
2
|
| 2015 |
Open access
8
7
|
| 2013 |
Open access
8
9
|
| 2013 |
13
|
| 2013 |
Open access
14
15
8
|
| 2012 |
53
45
|
| 2012 |
198
196
48
|
| 2012 |
1
2
|
| 2012 |
21
21
3
|
| 2011 |
Open access
16
|
| 2010 |
Open access
40
39
|
| 2010 |
20
20
|
| 2010 |
26
25
|
| 2010 |
5
5
|
| 2009 |
83
78
|
| 2009 |
|
| 2008 |
Open access
65
68
|
| Year | Output |
|---|---|
| 2018 |
Open access
|
| 2018 |
Open access
|
| 2010 |
|
External engagement & recognition
| Organisation | Country |
|---|---|
| American Humane Association | UNITED STATES |
| Australian Catholic University | AUSTRALIA |
| Australian National University | AUSTRALIA |
| Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario | CANADA |
| Centre for Cerebral Palsy | AUSTRALIA |
| Curtin University | AUSTRALIA |
| Department for Education | AUSTRALIA |
| Department of Health WA | AUSTRALIA |
| Government of Western Australia | AUSTRALIA |
| Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences | CANADA |
| Karlstad University | SWEDEN |
| La Trobe University | AUSTRALIA |
| Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust | UNITED KINGDOM |
| Monash University | AUSTRALIA |
| Murdoch University | AUSTRALIA |
| Norwegian Institute of Public Health | NORWAY |
| Ontario Tech University | CANADA |
| Oregon State University | UNITED STATES |
| Royal Perth Hospital | AUSTRALIA |
| SA Department for Child Protection | AUSTRALIA |
| Telethon Kids Institute | AUSTRALIA |
| UCL Institute of Child Health | UNITED KINGDOM |
| University College London | UNITED KINGDOM |
| University of Canberra | AUSTRALIA |
| University of Derby | UNITED KINGDOM |
| University of Manitoba | CANADA |
| University of Melbourne | AUSTRALIA |
| University of Otago | NEW ZEALAND |
| University of South Australia | AUSTRALIA |
| University of Sydney | AUSTRALIA |
| University of Warwick | UNITED KINGDOM |
| University of Western Australia | AUSTRALIA |
External engagement & recognition
| Engagement/recognition | Year |
|---|---|
Merit AwardDepartment of Health, Western Australia |
2019 |
Western Australian Premiers Award for Early Career Scientist of the YearGovernment of Western Australia |
2018 |
