Overview
Background
Dr Carina Capra is an Occupational Therapist with a Doctorate in Psychology with extensive experience working across child, adolescent, and youth mental health services in both the public and private sectors. She is the Academic and Translation Lead for the Brain Health Matters UQ Brain Builders Initiative, where she leads the application of neuroscience and child development research into policy, practice, education, and community settings.
Recognised as an advanced practitioner and strategic leader, Carina has developed and implemented innovative service models across health, education, and community sectors, including specialised child and youth mental health teams, integrated school-based programs, and cross-sector collaborative initiatives. Her work focuses on bridging science, policy, and practice to enhance developmental, educational, and mental health outcomes for children, young people, families, and communities.
Carina's clinical and research expertise spans neurodevelopmental psychiatry, developmental mental health, sensory processing and regulation, early identification and engagement for psychotic-like experiences, and child and adolescent psychiatry. Throughout her career, she has led and contributed to multidisciplinary research and implementation projects that bring together expertise in neurodevelopment, nutrition, neuropsychology, education, and mental health to improve outcomes for vulnerable children and young people.
Availability
- Dr Carina Capra is:
- Available for supervision
Research impacts
Carina's research and translational work centres on advancing brain health and mental health across health, education, early childhood, community, and tertiary sectors. Through Brain Health at The University of Queensland, she leads initiatives that generate, translate, and apply knowledge from neuroscience and related child and adolescent sciences to improve outcomes across the lifespan.
Her work has focused on the development and implementation of neuro-informed approaches that strengthen learning, wellbeing, resilience, and community capacity. By translating evidence into practical tools, workforce development packages, and system-wide strategies, she has supported the adoption of brain health principles across education, health, and community settings in Queensland.
Carina currently leads several collaborative projects focused on translating evidence and policy into practice and supporting sustainable systems change. Her work demonstrates how coordinated, cross-sector approaches to brain health can improve developmental, educational, and mental health outcomes for children and young people while strengthening family, community, and workforce capacity. Driven by the belief that brain health is fundamental to lifelong wellbeing, her research and implementation activities continue to contribute to more connected, equitable, and prevention-focused systems that benefit entire communities.
Works
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Carina Capra is:
- Available for supervision
Looking for a supervisor? Read our advice on how to choose a supervisor.
Media
Enquiries
For media enquiries about Dr Carina Capra's areas of expertise, story ideas and help finding experts, contact our Media team: