The Appleton Institute comprises around 40 professionals, including researchers, research students, and support staff, who contribute a wide range of expertise, skills, and specialisations.

The Appleton Institute Leadership Team is:

• Professor Sally Ferguson - Director

• Associate Professor Matthew Thomas - Deputy Director

• Professor Corneel Vandelanotte - Lead Physical Activity Research Group

• Professor Anjum Naweed - Co-lead Human Factors and Operational Readiness Group

• Professor Charli Sargent - Co-lead Sleep and Biological Rhythms Group

• Professor Greg Roach - Co-lead Sleep and Biological Rhythms Group

• Professor Chris Doran - Co-lead Cluster for Resilience and Wellbeing

• Associate Professor Rob Stanton - Co-lead Cluster for Resilience and Wellbeing
  

• Associate Professor Grace Vincent 
  

• Dr Gabrielle Rigney
  

• Dr Tessa Beneveniste

The 10,000 Steps Program

The 10,000 Steps Program has developed into one of Australia’s largest, longest running and most-recognised health promotion projects. The Program has been supporting and encouraging physical activity increases since 2001. More than 700,000 individuals and 25,000 organisations have registered to use the program and have collectively logged over 435 billion steps on the web and app-platform. The program has achieved widespread international recognition as a real-world physical activity program that actually works.

The 10,000 Steps Program is a free, evidence-based multi-strategy behaviour change program that supports people to increase their awareness and participation in physical activity by tracking steps, setting goals, and finding ways to be active as a part of their everyday lives. It supports people to increase their skills, confidence, and motivation to develop sustainable, active habits that improve their physical and mental wellbeing.

Based on a social ecological framework the Program provides a range of strategies and resources for workplaces and communities to support their employees or community members to live active and healthy lives. The Program is delivered via interactive web and mobile apps (iOS and Android) with email and phone support from the project team based at CQUniversity.

Our Services

At the Appleton Institute, we offer a comprehensive suite of services designed to enhance workplace safety, performance, and wellbeing. Our expertise includes roster analysis, scheduling reviews, and fatigue risk management through system audits, risk assessments, and biomathematical modelling of working hours.
We conduct both laboratory and field-based data collection to assess sleep, performance, and subjective fatigue. Our team supports incident investigations using human factors analysis and systems safety tools such as Accimap and STAMP. We also deliver safety culture surveys, psychosocial risk analysis, and workforce engagement programs to help build a resilient and informed workforce.

Our Facilities

Sleep Research Laboratory

The Appleton Institute houses a state-of-the-art sleep research facility on the Adelaide campus. The facility has six individual bedrooms with ensuites, communal kitchen/living areas, as well as equipment for physical and cognitive performance interventions and assessments. 

Simulation Suite

The Appleton Institute’s human factors simulation suite houses both locomotive and car simulators, in addition to virtual and augmented reality capabilities.

To enquire about our facilities and services, please refer to our contact information below.