Rate My Professor Simon Byrne

Dr Simon Byrne is a Lecturer in Clinical Psychology in the School of Psychology at the University of Queensland, a position he has held since 2021. He completed a PhD and Masters of Clinical Psychology focusing on child anxiety at Macquarie University in 2015. Earlier in his academic career, he obtained a Bachelor of Science from the University of New South Wales and a Bachelor of Science (Honours Advanced) from the University of Sydney. Prior to his appointment at UQ, Dr Byrne held postdoctoral positions at the Yale Child Study Center, as well as in the psychiatry departments at Westmead Hospital and Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney, Australia. He is actively involved in teaching courses such as Ethical Practice and Research Approaches and Developmental Disorders of Childhood, and is available for postgraduate supervision.

Dr Byrne's research expertise encompasses clinical psychology, with particular emphasis on child and adolescent anxiety disorders, exposure therapy, and treatments for mental disorders. His key interests include the unconventional use of psychiatric drugs to treat mental disorders, effective anxiety interventions, and child-focused treatments. He has produced 56 scholarly outputs between 2008 and 2025, spanning applied and developmental psychology, child and adolescent development, clinical and health psychology. Prominent publications include book chapters 'Anxiety Disorders in Children and Adolescents' in A Guide to Assessments That Work (Byrne et al., 2018, Oxford University Press) and 'Specific Phobias' in Clinical Handbook of Psychological Disorders in Children and Adolescents (Milliner et al., 2017, Guilford Press). Recent journal articles feature 'Enhancing father involvement by increasing flexibility: Meeting fathers halfway' (Byrne & Morawska, 2024, Journal of Child Health Care), 'Mindfulness and acceptance and commitment therapy for problematic alcohol use and disorders: an updated rapid review' (Byrne, Chawla & Hides, 2024, Alcohol and Alcoholism), 'Do parents enhance cognitive behavior therapy for youth anxiety? An overview of systematic reviews over time' (Byrne et al., 2023, Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review), 'The hidden burden of social anxiety disorder in U.S. military veterans' (Byrne et al., 2021, Journal of Affective Disorders), and 'Prevalence, risk correlates, and health comorbidities of insomnia in US military veterans' (Byrne et al., 2021, Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine). His work highlights the importance of parental support in exposure-based therapies for youth anxiety.