Debra K. Creedy

Professor Creedy is a registered nurse and psychologist with 25 years experience in maternity research. Professor Creedy has excellent project management and leadership skills. She has carried a significant administrative load since 1996 and has been the Director of the Queensland Centre for Mothers & Babies at UQ, Head of School at Griffith and the National University of Singapore and Dean Academic of the Health Group at Griffith University.

Professor Creedy has held NHMRC funding since 2005 and has considerable experience in successfully conducting randomised controlled trials (RCT), recruiting childbearing women, and training midwives to deliver innovative programs to promote maternal mental health. Professors Creedy and Halford successfully conducted an RCT of an innovative midwifery-led counselling program (Couple Care) to support couples in the transition to parenthood. We successfully trained midwives to deliver the psycho-education intervention to 250 couples. In collaboration with Professors Gamble, Fenwick and Buist, Creedy conducted a large randomised controlled trial (RCT) and a qualitative evaluation of an innovative early counselling intervention (PRIME). The study found that a midwife-led counselling intervention minimisesd psychological distress in childbearing women. Current work with Fenwick and Gamble uses an RCT to evaluate a psychoeducation intervention to minimse birth fear and promote normal childbirth.

Professor Creedy has an outstanding publication record in her discipline and has published 163 papers, 20 book chapters and has a Thompson ISI H-index of 27. She is co-author of the book “Health & Human Behaviour” and "Clinical guide to helping new parents: The Couple CARE Program". Professor Creedy has a significant track record in PhD supervision and is known for her ability to mentor and support new researchers.