Appleton Institute

The Appleton Institute, led by Professor Sally Ferguson (Director) and Associate Professor Matthew Thomas (Deputy Director), is one of two flagship research institutes at CQUniversity. The Appleton Institute is a multidisciplinary research institute with a focus on health and well-being at work, rest and play.

Named after the late Dr Arthur Appleton, the first Vice-Chancellor of CQUniversity, the Appleton Institute was established and founded in January 2012 by Professor Drew Dawson. The Appleton Institute combines excellence in research, teaching and community engagement across a range of basic and applied research areas including behavioural health (sleep, physical activity, sedentary behaviour and nutrition), human factors and operational readiness (occupational health and safety, risk management, complex systems, rostering and shiftwork), and resilience and wellbeing, particularly in the regions.

Our researchers are our greatest resource and work from a number of campuses in our national footprint. Research teams are concentrated in Adelaide, Rockhampton and Brisbane, with colleagues also working in Bundaberg, Sydney, and Townsville. The Institute also hosts a state-of-the-art sleep research laboratory and an interactive rail simulator in Adelaide.

We work closely with government, NGOs, industries and communities, partnering on applied projects in the field.