Rate My Professor Frances Kay-Lambkin

Professor Frances Kay-Lambkin is a Professor and NHMRC Investigator in the School of Medicine and Public Health within the College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing at the University of Newcastle, Australia. She earned her PhD and Bachelor of Science (Psychology) Honours from the University of Newcastle. A registered psychologist with over 25 years of experience in mental health research, she currently serves as Director and CEO of the Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI), Australia's largest regionally located health and medical research institute, overseeing 1700 affiliated researchers across 19 programs and 90 staff. Her career includes significant leadership roles at the University of Newcastle, such as Interim Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research), Interim Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation), Interim Head of School (Medicine and Public Health), and COVID-19 Lead. Previously, she held positions as Associate Professor and NHMRC Senior Research Fellow at the University of Newcastle, and NHMRC Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of New South Wales. She has supervised 19 PhD completions as principal or co-supervisor in fields including psychiatry, clinical psychology, and medicine.

Kay-Lambkin's research focuses on digital health (50% effort), psychiatry including psychotherapy (25%), and implementation science (25%), with specializations in eHealth and online interventions for comorbid mental health and substance use disorders, such as depression and alcohol/other drug misuse. Pioneering projects include SHADE, the first digital program for comorbid depression and substance use, licensed in the US and endorsed in the U.S. Surgeon General’s Report; eCliPSE, an integrated digital ecosystem for mental health and addiction treatments trialed statewide in NSW; CHECKMATE for family support of methamphetamine users; and Cracks in the Ice. She has secured over $30 million in research funding across numerous grants from 2001 to 2025. Key publications include 'Implementation science theory as a foundation for health information systems research' (2025, Heinsch et al.), 'Engaging cannabis users in treatment' (2017), and 'Motivational interviewing and CBT to improve health and well-being' (2016). Awards include the Telstra Brilliant Women in Digital Health Award (2023), NHMRC Ten of the Best Research Projects (2020), HMRI Research Excellence Award (2019), Vice-Chancellor's Awards for Research Supervision Excellence (2018, 2019), and International Fred Yates Award for Addiction Research (2014). She chairs the NHMRC Women in Health Science Committee and serves on the NHMRC Research Committee, influencing national research policy.