Who are We?
We hope to make a difference by sharing accessible research with the community. See our backgrounds and some testimonials below.Â
We all have significant lived experience which has influenced our lives and work.Â
Those of us identifying as Lived Experience (personal/consumer) researchers have worked in designated Lived Experience roles for over 40 years, including peer support, education, training, and systemic advocacy positions across various sectors and settings. We are very connected with the wider Lived Experience community. Lived Experience is our discipline or main lens.Â
Those of us identifying as Researchers with lived experience have another discipline or lens we primarily work from but see our personal lived experience as an important component of who we are and the way we approach research.Â
Louise Byrne
Lived Experience Researcher (personal/consumer)
Dr Louise Byrne’s work is informed by her personal experience. Louise is recognised internationally as a thought leader in the area of Lived Experience workforce development. She is a sought after speaker and consultant.
Louise has more than 40 scientific journal publications on this topic and has been awarded several times for outstanding contributions to research and teaching, held expert/advisory roles with State and National Mental Health Commissions and led policy development at State and National levels, including the National Lived Experience (Peer) Workforce Development Guidelines.
Louise’s Fulbright research based at Yale University in the United States has led to ongoing international collaborations and research and an Assistant Professor Adjunct position. Louise has worked in a variety of designated personal Lived Experience roles since 2005, training in Intentional Peer Support, and continues to be informed by these concepts and practices.Â
Helena Roennfeldt
Lived Experience Researcher (personal/consumer)
Helena is currently studying her PhD on lived experiences of mental health crisis and crisis care. Her previous studies include master’s degrees in Suicidology, Mental Health, Forensic Mental Health and Social Work. Her research spans diverse areas including the Lived Experience workforce, arts-based research, and the interface between physical and mental health. Helena has over 20 years’ experience working in the mental health sector and is also an eCPR facilitator and  personal medicine coach.Â
Lena Wang
Researcher with Lived Experience
Dr Lena Wang is an academic and practitioner specialising in the area of organisational psychology. She applies her disciplinary lens to support organisations, leaders and policy makers to develop workforces and workplace cultures towards better understanding and genuine valuing of employee diversity and inclusion. She obtained her PhD in Work Psychology and her other research areas include individual differences, leadership, and employee behaviour and wellbeing. She has worked extensively with governments and industries, and recently contributed to the development of national and state-level guidelines for the development Lived Experience workforce.
Melissa Chapman
Lived Experience Researcher (family/carer)
Dr Melissa Chapman has PhD in Industrial and Organisational Psychology and works in the higher education sector. She currently uses her knowledge and skills across broad areas, such as: inclusion and diversity, mental health/wellbeing and the changing nature of work. Melissa has worked collaboratively with private, not-for-profit, university and government orgaisations and since 2019 has been contributing significantly to the Lived Experience led evidence base, including working on the Australian ‘National Lived Experience (Peer) Workforce Development Guidelines’, the ‘Queensland Framework for the Development of the Mental Health Lived Experience Workforce’ amongst others.
Lived Experience Training
Check out our website with courses to embed the research findings and build strong understanding of Lived and Living Experience workforces and practice.