Rate My Professor Bree Hobden

Dr. Bree Hobden is a Postdoctoral Researcher in the School of Medicine and Public Health (Health Behaviour Sciences) at the University of Newcastle, within the College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing. She completed a Bachelor of Psychology (Honours Class 1) in 2012 and a Doctor of Philosophy in Behavioural Science at the University of Newcastle. Hobden commenced her career in 2013 as a research assistant with the Priority Research Centre for Health Behaviour, working on projects related to health outcomes for people with chronic diseases. In 2015, she began her PhD examining health care services for comorbid alcohol misuse and depression, supported by an Ian Scott Mental Health Scholarship from Australian Rotary Health. She was appointed to a full-time Research Academic position in July 2017 and started the Colin Dodd’s Post-Doctoral Fellowship in 2020, leading research on co-occurring mental health and substance use among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people using data from the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey involving over 10,000 individuals.

Hobden's research interests include alcohol misuse, depression, mental health, cancer care, chronic conditions, and health promotion, with particular focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social, emotional, cultural, and spiritual wellbeing. She has obtained 22 grants totaling over $5.7 million, including as lead investigator on the $1,020,691 MRFF-funded 'Hope in Healing: Developing a Model of Care Approach for those Impacted by Traumatic Brain Injury through Domestic Family Violence' (2025-2027), $471,085 MRFF grant 'Understanding the Social Determinants of Young Peoples Mental Health' (2024-2026), and $225,000 Australian Rotary Health Postdoctoral Fellowship (2019-2024). Other significant projects as investigator encompass the NHMRC Ideas Grant 'Yindymarra (to honour, respect) Aboriginal experiences in the conduct of health research' ($1,057,878, 2021-2025) and National Heart Foundation 'Improving the Well-Being of Patients with Acute Decompensated Heart Failure' randomized controlled trial ($964,531, 2022-2025). Her scholarly output comprises 59 journal articles, 5 conference outputs, and 1 book chapter. Key publications are 'Effectiveness of interventions utilising telephone follow up in reducing hospital readmission within 30 days for individuals with chronic disease: a systematic review' (BMC Health Services Research, 2016) and 'Assisting the bereaved: a systematic review of the evidence for grief counselling' (Palliative Medicine, 2016). Additional honors include the Adam J Berry Junior Scientist award (Australian Academy of Science, 2016) and Three Minute Thesis finalist.