Dr. Jessica Mackelprang is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Psychological Sciences at Swinburne University of Technology. Prior to relocating to Australia, she earned her PhD in Clinical Psychology at Nova Southeastern University (Florida, USA) and completed postdoctoral fellowships in rehabilitation psychology and trauma research at the University of Washington (Seattle, USA).
Dr. Mackelprang's research studies psychological (e.g., posttraumatic stress disorder) and physical trauma (e.g., traumatic brain injury) among populations that have been marginalised, with a focus on supporting community members affected by homelessness and the frontline workers who serve them. Her work aims to reduce inequities in health service access and improve health outcomes among these populations. She also studies gender equity in academia. Her research involves a combination of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods.
A Clinical Psychologist by training, she has delivered psychotherapy in community health and hospital settings to individuals across the lifespan who are affected by life-altering injury or chronic illness, in addition to mental health difficulties. Alongside providing postgraduate research supervision, she teaches into undergraduate and postgraduate courses in psychology and counselling on topics related to health, trauma, and grief and loss.
Dr. Mackelprang is an Associate Editor for Clinical Psychologist, a Member of the Australian Indigenous Psychology Education Project Community of Practice, Past Chair of the Swinburne Indigenous Psychology Committee, and a Deputy Leader for the Swinburne Women's Academic Network (SWAN) Promotions Program.