Associate Professor Michelle Bellon

Associate Professor

College of Nursing and Health Sciences

+61 8 8201 3645

michelle.bellon@flinders.edu.au

Sturt South

GPO Box 2100, ADELAIDE, SA, 5001

Michelle Bellon is an Associate Professor in Disability and Community Inclusion, in the College of Nursing and Health Sciences. She also leads research collaborations with the South Australian Intellectual Disability Health Service (SAIDHS) and Cancer Council SA. Michelle began her career working as a Developmental Educator providing education, community integration and counselling support to adults with acquired brain injury (ABI) within community-based and private consultancy services. Her research, teaching and professional involvement combine interests in epilepsy, acquired brain injury, family/care-giver supports and access to health care for people with disability. She has held a range of management roles including President of the Epilepsy Association of SA and NT, Director of Epilepsy Australia, and Board member of the Community Re-entry Program. Michelle is currently a member of the Editorial Board of Brain Impairment, a Director on the Board of Developmental Educators Australia (DEA), Expert Review Panel member for Lifetime Support Authority (LSA), Intellectual Disability Health Education and Training Expert Advisory Group, and on the Advisory Reference Group for Brain Injury SA.

Qualifications

PhD Flinders University (2005)
Management of posttraumatic epilepsy in people with acquired brain injury: a psychoeducational perspective.

Honours Degree - Flinders University (2000)
An examination of the effects of changing contexts on the language and communication of people with acquired brain injury.

Bachelor of Applied Science (Disability Studies) - Flinders University (1998)

Honours, awards and grants

2025-2027 MRFF: $742,505
Co-producing cancer survivorship resources with and for people with intellectual disability. Bellon, Trollor, Paterson, Beatty, Collier, Baldock, Cahalan, Burton, Kemp, Crowther & Searle.

2025-2027 Australian Government, Department of Health & Aged Care: $1.9million
SPECTROM-Australia: A mental health medicines training program. Barratt, Bushell, Deb, Bellon, Simpson, Koncz, Cahalan.

2026-2029 MRFF: $992,775
Profound Pathways: Health care transition and decision making for young adults with severe and profound intellectual disabilities. King, Wallace, Brunker, Pierce, Ullman, Turner, Synnot, Bigby, Devereux, Bellon, Henley, Smith, McLoone, Marshall & Smithers-Sheedy.

2024-2026 Lifetime Support Authority: $227,837
Development of an intervention to enhance community transition and successful return to community participation post TBI. van den Berg, Gough, George, Barr, Bellon, Simpson, McDonnell, Forsyth & Spear.

2024-2026 Lifetime Support Authority: $180,468
Co-designing an integrated model for coordinated primary care for people with disability and trauma injuries in Adelaide. Block, George, Bellon, Hunter, & Dymmott.

2021-2023 NACBO Evaluation: $100,000
Evaluation of NACBO Capacity Building Activities. Fisher, Gendera, Robinson & Bellon.

2021-2023 Our Voice SA Evaluation: $45,000
Evaluation of OVSA's Reaching Out Project. Fisher, Robinson, Bellon, Gendera, Calahan.

2022-2023 Lifetime Support Authority: $76,611
Implementing best practice approaches for managing agitation and aggression following traumatic brain injury (TBI) in hospital and rehabilitation settings. George, Block, Bellon & Hunter.

2020-2021 CNHS Covid Grant: $49,935
Alone together: A research project about getting through Covid: Experiences from people with disability and their families. Robinson, Xiao, Cochrane, Bickford, Bellon, Lante, Idle, Willis, Siverston.

2017-2019 Lifetime Support Authority Research Grant: $155,000.
Positive Behaviour Support following Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI): A Family-Directed Approach. M Bellon, A Fisher, S Lawn, M Sohlberg, J Douglas.

2015 Flinders University Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences Seeding Grant: $17,000
Supporting Upper limb reCovery through Exercise for Stroke Survivors (SUCCESS): group constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT). Lennon & Bellon.

2015 Flinders University Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences Seeding Grant: $13,500
Experience of disability-related stigma in African communities in South Australia. Crocker, Mwanri, Carey, & Bellon.

2014-2015 Julia Farr MS McLeod Benevolent Fund Research Grant: $100,000
Building sustainable capacity in Families4Families Inc: a peer support network for families following acquired brain injury. Bellon, Crocker, Farnden.

2012-2014 Julia Farr MS McLeod Benevolent Fund Research Grant: $162,502.
Families4Families: Exploring the experiences and needs of families following acquried brain injury in South Australia. Bellon, Crocker, Farnden.

2010 International Bureau of Epilepsy's Outstanding Person with Epilepsy Award, Australian Winner

Key responsibilities

Principle Investigator leading research into cancer survivorship with and for people with intellectual disability.

Leading inclusive research teams exploring access to healthcare for people with intellectual disability

Teaching interests