The researchers

Working with dads and families

The research team brings a crucial mix of experience in developing programs for fathers and conducting ground-breaking research into fathers and fathering. While male parents are central to this project we know that a father’s wellbeing impacts and is impacted by the wellbeing of everyone in the family. SMS4dads is supported by an outstanding Advisory Committee with expertise across academic, service delivery and policy areas.

The team

SMS4dads project staff


Dr Richard Fletcher Project Leader	Dr Chris May Senior Project Officer	Tara Payling Research Assistant	Jaime Wroe PHD Student	Dr Geoff Skinner IT Investigator

The Advisory Committee

Michael Moore, Chair CEO, Public Health Association of Australia	Professor Ian Symonds Dean of Medicine, Joint Medical Program Universities of Newcastle and New England NSW. Senior Staff Specialist Hunter New England Area Health Service \| Editor in Chief, Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
Dr Nicole Highet, Deputy Chair CEO, Centre for Perinatal Excellence
Dr Frances Kay-Lambkin Executive Committee Member NHMRC Research Fellow, National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW	Professor Jan Nicholson Inaugural Roberta Holmes Professorial Chair La Trobe University
Dr Richard Fletcher, Project Leader Senior Lecturer, The Family Action Centre Faculty of Health and Medicine University of Newcastle	Warren Cann CEO, Parenting Research Centre
Professor Brian Kelly Faculty of Health and Medicine University of Newcastle	Pauline Hall Clinical Psychologist, Perinatal Mental Health The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Adelaide Training Coordinator, National Perinatal Depression Initiative
Professor Jeannette Milgrom Director, Parent-Infant Research Institute	Catherine Rawlinson Service Development Leader Queensland Centre for Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Child and Youth Mental Health Service, Children's Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service
Professor Maralyn Foureur Professor of Midwifery Centre for Midwifery, Child and Family Health University of Technology Sydney
Professor Louise Newman Director, Centre for Women’s Mental Health	Dr Elaine Bennett Director Services & Research Ngala Adjunct Associate Professor School Nursing & Midwifery, Curtin University
Barbara Wellesley Convenor of the Early Years Chapter Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth (ARACY)