close search

Doctor Shelley Walker

Research Fellow
Shelley Walker
Background

Shelley is a social science researcher with appointments at Burnet Institute and the National Drug Research Institute (Curtin University). Shelley is a recent recipient of an ARC Discovery Early Career Research Award, focused on the young people and experiences of police custody detention. She has a background in nursing, community development, youth work and international development. Shelley has extensive experience in qualitative research in both Australia and internationally. Her work is aimed at understanding people’s experiences of drug use, incarceration, and criminal justice involvement, to inform policies and practices that improve their health and wellbeing. Shelley is passionate about human rights and social justice issues and the translation of research into outcomes for the empowerment of disadvantaged, marginalised and vulnerable communities.

Qualifications
  • 2020: PhD, National Drug Research Institute, Curtin University
  • 2012: MPHC, University of Melbourne, Australia
  • 1999: BA Community Development, Deakin University, Australia
  • 1988: Registered Nurse, Goulburn Valley Base Hospital, Au
Appointments
  • Research Fellow: Justice Health and AOD Working Groups, Burnet Institute
  • Research Fellow: National Drug Research Institute, Curtin University
  • Adjunct position: School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University
Awards
  • 2023. ARC Discovery Early Career Research Award (DECRA).
  • 2021. Burnet Institute Miller Foundation Travel Scholarship.
  • 2020. Australian Govt. Postgraduate Research (APR) Internship.
  • 2019. Curtin University PhD Bootcamp Scholarship.
  • 2016. NDRI Travel Scholarship.
  • 2015-2019. Faculty of Health Sciences Top Up Award (Best RTP application), Curtin University.
  • 2015-2019. Australian Govt. RTP PhD Scholarship, Curtin University.
  • 2010-2011. Primary Health Care Research, Evaluation and Development Fellowship, University of Melbourne.
Reports + Policy Briefs

2021 (1)