About

Kate Williams is a developmental scientist, intervention designer, evaluator, and leader, working at the intersection of health and education to address inequities that often arise from early childhood. She is recognised as an international expert on social-emotional, self-regulation, executive function, cognitive, and sleep development, and the parenting, educational, and intervention contexts that support such. Kate typically uses large population datasets, program design and evaluation, and modern quantitative and mixed method approaches across her research program. She is an expert in the use of flagship Australian population datasets including the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children, and the Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children, and is a leading international playgroup researcher. Kate is also a Registered Music Therapist and so is interested in the ways that music can be used to support development and wellbeing. Her ARC DECRA fellowship saw Kate develop the Rhythm and Movement for Self-Regulation (RAMSR) program, which has been commercialised and is disseminated internationally.

Kate brings extensive industry experience having held executive leadership roles in a national not for profit organisation delivering services to children, families, and communities, and maintains multiple board roles. Core to Kate’s approach are collegial team-building across disciplines, and collaborative relationships with research end users in community, industry, government, and non-government organisations. She brings strong stakeholder engagement and a focus on capability building, implementation science, knowledge translation, and research impact to every research project she undertakes.

Engagements

Available for postgraduate supervision

Link

Organisational Affiliations

Dean, School of Education and Tertiary Access, School of Education and Tertiary Access

Adjunct Professor, Queensland University of Technology (Australia, Brisbane) - QUT

Chair of the Board, Play Matters Australia

Education

PhD
20112014, Queensland University of Technology (Australia, Brisbane) - QUT

Self-regulation from birth to age seven: Associations with maternal mental health, parenting, and social, emotional and behavioural outcomes for children

Master of Education (Research)
20082010, Queensland University of Technology (Australia, Brisbane) - QUT

The effectiveness of short-term group music therapy intervention for parents who have a child with a disability

Bachelor of Music
19961998, Queensland University of Technology (Australia, Brisbane) - QUT
Graduate Certificate in Academic Practice
20152016, Queensland University of Technology (Australia, Brisbane) - QUT
Postgraduate Diploma in Music Therapy
20002001, University of Queensland (Australia, Brisbane) - UQ