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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.

The Appleton Institute teams have expertise in:

  • Human Factors
  • Sleep and Circadian Biology
  • Operational Readiness
  • Health Behaviours: Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviour, Sleep and Diet
  • e- & m- Health Interventions
  • Clinical, Cognitive, Social, Comparative and Positive Psychology
  • Workplace Health and Safety
  • Shift Work and Fatigue Risk Management
  • Resilience, Wellbeing and Mental Health
  • Disaster Management
  • Health Economics
  • Epidemiology
  • Equity at Work
  • Systems Thinking
  • Paediatric Sleep
  • Wearable Technologies
  • Sleep and Sports Performance

Director's Office

CQUniversity Adelaide

44 Greenhill Road, Wayville SA 5034
Phone enquiries: +61 8 8378 4523

Professor Sally Ferguson 
Director, Appleton Institute
Phone: +61 (08) 8378 4508
Email: sally.ferguson@cqu.edu.au

Other Locations

CQUniversity, Bruce Highway, North Rockhampton QLD 4702
CQUniversity, 160 Ann Street, Brisbane QLD 4000

Email Enquiries:
For all enquiries regarding the Appleton Institute, please email: appleton@cqu.edu.au