Professor
College of Medicine and Public Health
Sharon has undertaken a broad range of mental health research at Flinders University including in smoking cessation, chronic condition self-management, healthcare workforce, health services research, veteran transition and suicide research, coercive practices, mental health peer workforce, and consumer and family experiences within systems of healthcare. Her research uses a broad range of qualitative and mixed methods, and focuses on examining the culture of service provision, systems of care, implementation, and service users' experiences of care. Sharon is a former lead Mental Health Commissioner for South Australia. Sharon is highly active in mental health lived experience advocacy in Australia and is Chair and Executive Director of Lived Experience Australia, a leading national lived experience advocacy peak organisation.
Exceptional contribution to Mental Health Services in Australia by an Individual - The Mental Health Services (TheMHS) Conference 2007.
SA Pride of Australia Medal - Community Spirit Category, 2012.
2013 Top Ten most viewed ROAR Profiles Australian PHC Research
Winner, 2015 TheMHS Conference Award Category entitled – ‘Consumer Led’. For significant and sustained consumer and carer advocacy.
BMC International Section Editor of the Year, 2016
Winner, Carers SA Carer Achievement Award, SA Community Achievement Awards, 2016
Winner, TheMHS Conference - Lived Experience Leadership Category: Making a difference with and for consumers and carers, 2021 (Lived Experience Australia)
Winner, Inaugural Equally Well Award, Partnership and Collaboration in Research, 2023 (Lived Experience Australia)
Former Course Coordinator for the Post Graduate Program in Chronic Condition Management and Self-Management
Former Director, Flinders Human Behaviour and Health Research Unit, Dept of Psychiatry, Flinders University
Heart Foundation Scholarship 2014 -
Nursing and Allied Health Scholarship and Support Scheme: NAHSSS Scholarship 2014 -
RHD Student Publication Award - AUG 2015
Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship - MAR 2019
Suicide Prevention Australia Scholarship - JUN 2019
Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship - DEC 2017
Australian Federation of University Women SA Inc Trust Fund -
Directorate General of Resources for Science, Technology and Higher Education (DG-RSTHE) of the Republic of Indonesia Scholarship - DEC 2014
Editorial Roles
Committees & Membership