Professor Claire Wakefield
- Registered Psychologist
- PhD (Psychology)
- Master of Public Health
- B Psychology (Hons I)
Prof Wakefield has published, or had accepted, more than 280 journal articles and is named as Chief Investigator on competitive research grants totalling more than $50M. She has received numerous awards for her work, including being named as the NSW Premier’s Outstanding Cancer Research Fellow of the Year.
Prof Wakefield holds an Investigator Grant from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and was a Diamond Jubilee International Visiting Fellow at the University of Southampton, UK. Her research interests include improving mental health and quality of life in families affected by serious illness, using:
- Cost-effective interventions
- Novel technologies
- Discovery research to identify at-risk and underserviced groups
- Translational work to affect change in clinical practice
Research Interests:
Research interests include health psychology; palliative care; advance care planning; precision medicine; genomic sequencing; cancer predisposition syndromes; patient education; assisting families to make difficult medical decisions (e.g. deceased organ donation); and challenges faced by children with complex needs. Currently focussing on paediatric oncology research, with projects ranging from newly diagnosed families, on-treatment families, long term survivors and bereaved caregivers.
Broad Research Areas:
Cancer, Health Promotion, Quality of Life
Qualifications:
BPsych(Hons1), MPH, PhD
Specific Research Keywords:
Childhood Cancer, Psychosocial Issues, Adolescence, Genetics, Mental Health, Psychology, Oncology, Paediatrics
- Publications
- Awards
- Research Activities
- Grants
- Engagement
- Teaching and Supervision
- Media
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University Medal for Psychology.
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Australian Psychological Society Prize.
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Higher Degree Research Excellence Award, Macquarie University.
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Cancer Research Network Innovation Award, NSW.
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Macquarie University Research award for Excellence in Research – Social Sciences, Business & Humanities.
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NSW Young Tall Poppy Science Award.
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Dean’s Rising Star award.
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International Psycho-Oncology Society (IPOS) Hiroomi Kawano New Investigator Award.
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Premier’s Award for Outstanding Cancer Research Fellow of the Year.
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Excellence in Postgraduate Research Supervision Award.
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Diamond Jubilee International Visiting Fellowship at the University of Southampton, UK.
Society Memberships & Professional Activities:
- International Society of Paediatric Oncology (SIOP) (Continental President, Oceania).
- International Society of Paediatric Oncology (SIOP) (Board of Directors).
- International Society of Paediatric Oncology (SIOP) Advocacy Committee (Member).
- International Society of Paediatric Oncology (SIOP) Membership Committee (Member).
- International Psycho-Oncology Society Early Career Professionals committee (Founding Chair).
- International Psycho-Oncology Pediatrics Special Interest Group (Co-Chair).
- The Australian New Zealand Chapter of the Li Fraumeni Syndrome Association, 2018 (Founding Co-Chair)
- World Health Organisation Global Childhood Cancer Initiative (Committee Member)
- Journal of Psychosocial Oncology Research and Practice (Associate Editor)
- iCOPE (interegional Childhood Oncology Precision medicine Exploration) (Advisory Board Member)
- Danish Cancer Society Research Centre for Pediatric Oncology, International Advisory Board Member
- Starlight Children’s Foundation Health Professionals Advisory Board Member