Myfanwy Maple

Myfanwy Maple is Professor of Social Work and Chair of Research in the School of Health at the University of New England in Armidale, New South Wales, Australia. She is Director of Manna Institute, a Commonwealth funded, Regional University Network virtual research and training institute focused on mental health and wellbeing in regional communities.

For two decades, Professor Maple’s research has focused on trauma and loss, with a particular emphasis on understanding risk and resilience following exposure to suicide. Her work has made a significant contribution to understanding vulnerability and resilience related to suicide exposure and she is currently working on the development of interventions and evaluating supports to reduce adverse outcomes related to suicide. Professor Maple’s work further extends to examining risk and resilience among vulnerable young people who have experienced significant trauma, are disengaged from society, and have declining mental health primarily through the Social Work In Schools project. Dr Maple’s focus remains on authentically including the voices of those with lived experience to better inform policy, research and practice developments.

Professor Maple is a Director on the Board of batyr. She is Deputy Chair of the National Suicide Prevention Research Fund Advisory Committee, and a past elected Director of the Board of Suicide Prevention Australia. In late 2019, Professor Maple was invited to be a member of the Prime Ministers Suicide Prevention Advisors Expert Advisory Group. She has been co-chair of the International Association for Suicide Prevention Postvention and Bereavement Special Interest Group. Professor Maple is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.