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Associate Professor Karen Turner
Associate Professor

Karen Turner

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+61 7 336 57302

Overview

Background

Karen Turner is a clinical psychologist and research academic. She is Deputy Director at the Parenting and Family Support Centre. Her research activity focuses on the impact of evidence-based parenting support on child, family and community outcomes. She is a foundational co-author of the Triple P – Positive Parenting Program and has published more than 50 professional manuals, parent workbooks, tip sheet series, and video programs, which are currently being used in 27 countries, in 20 languages. She has also co-written television segments and four interactive online parenting programs. She has clinical and research experience relating to parent wellbeing, child development, and the prevention and treatment of a variety of childhood behavioural and emotional problems, including work with feeding disorders, pain syndromes and conduct problems. Her research has also focused on the development and evaluation of brief primary care interventions in the prevention of behaviour disorders in children, and the dissemination of these interventions to the professional community. She has also conducted series of research into: online delivery of parenting programs; the cultural tailoring of mainstream parenting programs for Indigenous families; and enhancing the training and post-training environment for Indigenous professionals. Her current work includes further resource development for primary care settings, early education settings, and an ongoing focus on making evidence-based parenting support programs more accessible for First Nations families, and in low-resource and developing communities.

Availability

Associate Professor Karen Turner is:
Available for supervision
Media expert

Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Arts, The University of Queensland
  • Bachelor (Honours) of Arts, The University of Queensland
  • Masters (Coursework), The University of Queensland
  • Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland

Research impacts

Associate Professor Turner has over 35 years of experience in the development, evaluation and dissemination of behavioural family intervention and prevention programs. Her work has primarily revolved around the UQ flagship Triple P – Positive Parenting Program, which has been subjected to over 400 research trials by over 1700 researchers in over 540 institutions; is used by more than 77,000 trained and accredited practitioners from different disciplines; and has reached more than an estimated 7 million children. The key theme of her program development and research endeavours has been increasing access to evidence-based parenting and family support for all families, with the aim of reducing population prevalence rates of child behavioural and emotional problems, family conflict and adversity. The impact of this work is both instrumental (in shaping policy, professional practice and family outcomes) and capacity building (in building community, organisational, professional and individual skills), and is establishing enduring international connectivity. It has led to adoption of evidence-based parenting programs by most state governments in Australia, and from a county/province to a national level in other countries. Her work in the cultural tailoring of programs for Australian First Nations families has engendered interest from other First Nations populations (e.g. Canada, New Zealand) and migrant and resettled families.

Works

Search Professor Karen Turner’s works on UQ eSpace

245 works between 1986 and 2026

241 - 245 of 245 works

1993

Conference Publication

Assessment and treatment of childhood feeding problems (Invited address)

Sanders, M. R., Wall, C. R. and Turner, K. M. T. (1993). Assessment and treatment of childhood feeding problems (Invited address). Annual Conference of Special Educators, QLD Department of Education, Brisbane, QLD, Australia, April 1993.

Assessment and treatment of childhood feeding problems (Invited address)

1993

Other Outputs

Paediatric feeding disorders

Turner, Karen Mary Thomas (1993). Paediatric feeding disorders. Master's Thesis, School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane.

Paediatric feeding disorders

1992

Conference Publication

A comparison of behavioural parent training and dietary education in the treatment of children with persistent feeding difficulties

Turner, K. M. T. and Sanders, M. R. (1992). A comparison of behavioural parent training and dietary education in the treatment of children with persistent feeding difficulties. 4th World Congress of Behaviour Therapy, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia, 4-8 July 1992.

A comparison of behavioural parent training and dietary education in the treatment of children with persistent feeding difficulties

1991

Conference Publication

Reading the communicative behaviours of deaf infants

Mohay, H., Turner, K. and Milton, L. (1991). Reading the communicative behaviours of deaf infants. Australian and New Zealand Conference for Educators of the Deaf, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia, January 1991.

Reading the communicative behaviours of deaf infants

1986

Other Outputs

Women’s perceptions of child behaviour

Thomas, Karen Mary (1986). Women’s perceptions of child behaviour. Honours Thesis, School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane.

Women’s perceptions of child behaviour

Funding

Current funding

  • 2025 - 2030
    Deadly Home Reading: Enabling Indigenous Children's Literacy & Wellbeing (ARC Linkage Project administered by the Australian Catholic University)
    Australian Catholic University
    Open grant
  • 2022 - 2026
    Proposal for Undertaking Evaluation Activities Australian Parenting Education and Support Program Grant
    UniQuest Pty Ltd
    Open grant

Past funding

  • 2021 - 2024
    Deadly start: enabling preschoolers' literacy, numeracy and wellbeing (ARC Discovery Project administered by the Australian Catholic University)
    Australian Catholic University
    Open grant
  • 2019 - 2023
    Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Positive Parenting Collaborative Project
    Queensland Department of Child Safety, Youth and Women
    Open grant
  • 2018 - 2022
    Life Skills Triple P Feasibility Trial
    Sydney Local Health District
    Open grant
  • 2017 - 2025
    A collaborative partnership approach to providing parenting support in remote indigenous communities
    Australian Catholic University
    Open grant
  • 2013 - 2019
    Evaluating an Online Parenting Support System Disseminated by Paediatric Practices (NIH grant administered by the Oregon Research Institute)
    Oregon Research Institute
    Open grant
  • 2012 - 2014
    Developing and beta testing the Positive Parenting Program in a social-network community in Los Angeles County (Administered by California State University, Northridge)
    California State University, Northridge
    Open grant
  • 2012 - 2017
    Enhancing the public health approach to evidence-based parenting support: Efficacy of a low intensity online intervention
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2012 - 2013
    Exploring Optimal Training Processes for Indigenous Child Protection Sector Professionals
    Queensland Department of the Premier and Cabinet
    Open grant
  • 2011 - 2014
    Assessing the effectiveness, acceptability and sustainability of a culturally adapted evidence-based intervention for Indigenous parents
    ARC Linkage Projects
    Open grant
  • 2008 - 2013
    Effects of a technology enhanced parenting intervention for young children with early onset conduct problems
    UniQuest Pty Ltd
    Open grant
  • 2003 - 2006
    Group Triple P - Positive Parenting Program for Indigenous Families in Community and Health Settings in Far North Queensland: A Pilot. [NHMRC Mental Health Services Evaluation Research Grant]
    NHMRC - Strategic Funds
    Open grant
  • 1995
    Primary Care Positive Parenting Strategy (PCPPS)
    Department Health, Victoria
    Open grant
  • 1995 - 1997
    Primary Care Positive Parenting Strategy (PCPPS)
    Department Health, Victoria
    Open grant

Supervision

Availability

Associate Professor Karen Turner is:
Available for supervision

Looking for a supervisor? Read our advice on how to choose a supervisor.

Supervision history

Current supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Indigenous parent wellbeing: Implications for early intervention parenting support in Indigenous communities

    Principal Advisor

Completed supervision

Media

Enquiries

Contact Associate Professor Karen Turner directly for media enquiries about:

  • Child behaviour
  • Parenting
  • Parenting programs
  • Triple P

Need help?

For help with finding experts, story ideas and media enquiries, contact our Media team:

communications@uq.edu.au