Professor Brenda Happell, Director

Professor Brenda Happell is the Engaged Research Chair in Mental Health Nursing, Director of the Institute for Health and Social Science Research and Director of the Centre for Mental Health Nursing Innovation, recently established at CQUniversity Australia. She was the inaugural Director of the Centre for Psychiatric Nursing Research and Practice at the University of Melbourne.

Brenda is an active researcher with a strong track record in publication, supervising higher degree students and obtaining competitive research funding. She is the Editor of the International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, Associate Editor of Issues in Mental Health Nursing and a member of the Editorial Board for Psychosis, Journal of Substance Use and Mental Illness, Perspectives in Psychiatric Care, as well as being a contributing author and editor. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Australian College of Mental Health Nursing.

Brenda’s research interests include: consumer participation in mental health services, seclusion, the physical health of people experiencing mental illness and mental health nursing education. Brenda’s advocacy of consumer participation is best evidenced by her leadership role in introducing an academic position for a consumer of mental health services at the Centre for Psychiatric Nursing, University of Melbourne, and more recently at CQUniversity.

Despite her role becoming more research focused, Brenda remains an advocate for mental health nursing education. Since commencing at CQUniversity in 2007, she has played a leading role in the doubling of mental health nursing content in the undergraduate curricula, the introduction of a Major in Mental Health Nursing and a Masters in Mental Health Nursing. In June 2012 she had the honour of presenting the first Brenda Happell Award for the best presentation at the Consultation-Liaison Special Interest Group. Earlier in the year she won the Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Research Excellence in the supervision of higher degree students.

In her spare time, Brenda likes to enjoy the gorgeous lifestyle and idyllic weather in Central Queensland with her ever-patient partner. She enjoys boating and lounging about on almost-deserted tropic islands.