The Healthy Childhood Research Group

Dr Jacqueline Hayden, Director, Healthy Childhood Research Group, UWS

Jacqueline Hayden has worked to promote collaboration between the early childhood and health sectors throughout her career as an early childhood teacher, director, policy consultant, and academic. She has worked in programs for children in severely under resourced, deprived and conflict affected areas such as Congo, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Mauritius, Namibia and others, specialising in the development of services for marginalised children and families. Her most recent books are HIV/AIDS and the Young Child (University of Namibia Press) and Landscapes in Early Childhood Education: Cross National Perspectives (Peter Lang) . Jacqueline is Associate Professor and Director of the Healthy Childhood Research Group, founding member of the Centre for Social Justice and Social Change and Director of post graduate programs in Child and Youth Studies at University of Western Sydney. She has recently joined the management team at the Bernard Van Leer Foundation, Netherlands (www.bernardvanleer.org) .


Dr John Macdonald, Professor of Primary Health Care, UWS

John Macdonald is Professor of Primary Health Care at University of Western Sydney, Director of the Men's Research Centre of NSW, President of the Australasian Men's Health Forum and Visiting Professor of Public Health at Birzeit University, Palestine. He is renowned for his international work, particularly for his focus on the social determinants of health and in programs which address disadvantage. His most recent publications include the books Primary Health Care, Medicine in its Place, (2000, Earthscan) and Environments for Health (2005, Earthscan). John is a founding member of the Centre for Social Justice and Social Change, UWS and one of the initiators of the Health Promoting Early Childhood Program of NSW.


Dr Katey De Gioia, NSW Department of Education and Training

Katey De Gioia was the Program Manager and Co-Director of the Healthy Childhood Research Group for over five years. Currently she heads the Transition from Home to School initiative for the NSW Department of Education and Training and Families First. Katey has extensive experience as a teacher, director, teacher trainer and the Principal of the child care training institute. She specialises in community and family issues in EC service delivery, focusing on transition to school and cultural diversity. Katey recently completed her PhD thesis entitled Beyond cultural diversity: Exploring micro-culture with very young children in the long day care setting.


Fay Hadley

Fay Hadley was Program Manager for the Healthy Childhood Research Group for several years. Prior to this she spent 16 years as a teacher, director and university lecturer in early childhood studies. Currently Fay is heading a program to promote cultural and linguistic diversity in early childhood programs under the auspices of Lady Gowrie and the Government of New South Wales (Families First). Fay specialises in community development, focusing on partnerships with families and service providers. Fay is completing a PhD thesis entitled Connectivity: Relationships within the home-service dyad (University of Western Sydney).