Overview
Background
Associate Professor Fiona Charlson holds dual appointments as an Associate Professor at the University of Queensland’s Institute for Social Science Research (ISSR) and as a Principal Research Fellow at the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research (QCMHR). She is internationally recognised for her expertise in mental health, with a particular focus on the impacts of climate change on vulnerable and conflict-affected populations. Her research explores the psychological effects of environmental change, including climate anxiety and resilience, especially in regions such as the Pacific Islands. She leads several major initiatives, including the Connecting Climate Minds project (funded by the Wellcome Trust) and an ARC Discovery Project examining how families respond to climate anxiety. A/Prof Charlson is a trusted advisor to Australian and international stakeholders, including the World Health Organization, United Nations Development Program, US National Institutes of Health, and numerous government and non-government organizations. Her work spans systems modelling, epidemiology, and policy analysis, and aims to support policymakers, healthcare providers, and communities with the knowledge and tools they need to adapt to the changing climate and support the mental health and well-being of individuals and communities.
In addition to her research, she is a dedicated educator and mentor, coordinating postgraduate courses and supervising PhD students in global mental health and public health. Her work is driven by a commitment to equity, collaboration, and innovation, bridging the fields of mental health and planetary health.
Availability
- Dr Fiona Charlson is:
- Available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Research interests
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Mental Health and Climate Change
Associate Professor Fiona Charlson’s research applies interdisciplinary and systems-based approaches to examine the mental health impacts of climate change. Her work integrates a range of methods, including psychiatric epidemiology, system dynamics modelling, and policy analysis, to investigate climate-related psychological phenomena such as anxiety, ecological grief, and resilience. She leads several funded projects aimed at generating actionable evidence for global mental health policy and service reform within planetary health frameworks.
Works
Search Professor Fiona Charlson’s works on UQ eSpace
2011
Journal Article
Should global burden of disease estimates include depression as a risk factor for coronary heart disease?
Charlson, Fiona J., Stapelberg, Nicholas J. C., Baxter, Amanda J. and Whiteford, Harvey A. (2011). Should global burden of disease estimates include depression as a risk factor for coronary heart disease?. BMC Medicine, 9 (1) 47, 1-6. doi: 10.1186/1741-7015-9-47
2009
Journal Article
A systematic review of research examining benzodiazepine-related mortality
Charlson, Fiona., Degenhardt, Louisa., McLaren, Jennifer., Hall, Wayne. and Lynskey, Micheal. (2009). A systematic review of research examining benzodiazepine-related mortality. Pharmacoepidemiology and drug safety, 18 (2), 93-103. doi: 10.1002/pds.1694
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Fiona Charlson is:
- Available for supervision
Looking for a supervisor? Read our advice on how to choose a supervisor.
Available projects
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Mental health and climate change
If you are considering studying a PhD in Queensland and you want your research to have social impact, then we would like you to join us at the Institute for Social Science Research (ISSR).
As a PhD student with ISSR, you will join a team of experienced researchers who want to make a difference. At ISSR we deliver high quality research to inform policy and practice and improve the life outcomes of communities and families. We have a depth of expertise and supervisory experience across research areas in public health, criminology, psychology, education, sociology, social research, and applied statistics.
As a PhD student with us, you will be part of an engaged, diverse, and welcoming HDR community that organises regular writing groups, social outings, wellbeing activities such as coffee, cake and conversation (3Cs), walking groups, lively lunchtime sessions, and much more.
Our PhD students are an important part of the Institute, and you will be able to attend regular ISSR capability building sessions, seminars, short courses and the ISSR conference, with plenty of opportunities to share your work.
ISSR is based at the beautiful, leafy, riverside Long Pocket campus at Indooroopilly with plenty of free parking and a free bus connection to the main campus at St Lucia, just 7 minutes away. You will have a light, spacious, modern and attractive workspace at Long Pocket and feel part of our inclusive ISSR work group.
If you would like to know more, we encourage you to reach to potential supervisors directly. For general inquires about the HDR program at UQ, please contact Lindsay Muller at hdr.issr@enquire.uq.edu.au.
Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
Mental health stigma in refugee and migrant communities: co-designing a mental health promotion framework
Principal Advisor
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Doctor Philosophy
Beyond Recovery: Developing A Decision Making Framework For State and Provincial Level Governments To Design And Deliver Mental Health and Wellbeing Services That Promote Resilence and Foster Growth To Communites Impacted By Climate Risk Disasters
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Kristiana Ludlow
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Doctor Philosophy
Exploring the perspectives of people with disability on the mental health impacts of extreme weather events
Principal Advisor
Completed supervision
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2023
Doctor Philosophy
Understanding the contribution of psychosis and bipolar disorder to premature mortality
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Hon Assoc Professor Alize Ferrari, Associate Professor Damian Santomauro
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2024
Doctor Philosophy
Weathering the Storm: How Young People Respond to and Cope With Climate Change
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor James Scott, Dr Hannah Thomas
Media
Enquiries
Contact Dr Fiona Charlson directly for media enquiries about:
- climate change
- mental health
Need help?
For help with finding experts, story ideas and media enquiries, contact our Media team: