Researcher

Dr Katrina Elizabeth Champion

Biography

Dr Katrina Champion is an National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Early Career Fellow at the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Sydney. She is currently based at the Department of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago where she is completing a postdoctoral fellowship under the mentorship of Dr Bonnie Spring. Katrina's postdoctoral program of research aims to address key...view more

Dr Katrina Champion is an National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Early Career Fellow at the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Sydney. She is currently based at the Department of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago where she is completing a postdoctoral fellowship under the mentorship of Dr Bonnie Spring. Katrina's postdoctoral program of research aims to address key behavioural risk factors for chronic disease, namely smoking, alcohol use, physical inactivity, poor diet, sedentary behaviour, and sleep. In collaboration with a large team of multidisciplinary researchers, Katrina is developing an online multiple health behaviour change intervention to reduce chronic disease risk among adolescents.

Katrina's doctoral research focused on the prevention of substance use and related harms among secondary school students. Her PhD resulted in the development and evaluation of the Climate Schools: Ecstasy & Emerging Drugs module, the first online school-based prevention program designed to prevent ecstasy and new psychoactive substances. In 2015-2017 Katrina led the development and launch of the Cracks in the Ice Online Community Toolkit, which provides the Australian community with accurate, evidence-based information and resources about crystal methamphetamine ("ice").

My Grants

Champion K. Ian Potter Foundation Travel Grant to attend the College on Problems of Drug Dependence 79^th Annual Scientific Meeting, Montreal, Canada, June 17-22,2017, $2000
Newton N, Teesson M, Stapinski L, Slade T, Conrod P, Barrett E, Chapman C, Champion, K. Pathways to prevention: The effectiveness of universal and selective prevention in altering developmental pathways to alcohol and cannabis related harms in young adults. National Health and Medical Research Council Project Grant. 2017-2019, $465,967
Champion, K. A multiple health behaviour approach to prevent common and emerging risk factors for chronic disease: development and evaluation of a novel online intervention for Australian adolescents. National Health and Medical Research Council Early Career Fellowship Grant (Sidney Sax – Overseas Public Health and Health Services Fellowship), 2017-2020, $408,768
Champion K, Newton N, Chapman C, Stapinski L, Kay-Lambkin F, Teesson M. Cracks in the Ice community ice toolkit: ongoing development. Australian Government Department of Health. (2016-2020), $285, 679
Chapman C, Newton N, Champion K, Stapinski L, Kay-Lambkin F, Teesson M. Cracks in the Ice community ice toolkit: implementation and future proofing. Australian Government Department of Health. (2016-2020), $349, 163
Newton N, Chapman C, Koning I, Thornton L, Champion K, Stapinski L, Slade T, Teesson M. An Integrated online intervention for students and parents to prevent alcohol and cannabis harms among adolescents. Australian Government Department of Health. (2016-2020), $552, 075
Stapinski L, Chapman C, Newton N, Ward J, Champion K, Kay-Lambkin F, Teesson M. Positive Choices to prevent alcohol and drug-related harms among young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders: Development. Australian Government Department of Health. (2016-2020), $392, 628
Teesson M, Stapinski L, Chapman C, Newton N, Ward J, Champion K, Kay-Lambkin F. Positive Choices to prevent alcohol and drug-related harms among young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders: Implementation and Expansion. Australian Government Department of Health. (2016-2020). $479, 879
Newton N, Stapinski L, Chapman C, Kay-Lambkin F, Champion K, Teesson M. Development and dissemination of an online tool‐kit to provide evidence‐based information about methamphetamine (“Ice”). (2015). Australian Government Department of Health. (2015-2016), $296, 475
Champion K. Recipient of Grant-in-Aid for Student and Early Career Researchers, the Society for Mental Health Research, 2015, $500
Champion, K. Recipient of the Postgraduate Research Support Scheme to present my PhD findings at an international conference, University of New South Wales, 2013. $2, 500
Champion, K. Public Health Postgraduate Research Scholarship, National Health and Medical Research Council. 2013-2015. $78, 437
Champion, K. PhD Scholarship, National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC). 2012-2015. $78, 000. Relinquished when NHMRC scholarship was awarded

My Qualifications

BA Psychology / B Health, PhD

My Awards

Outstanding Research Poster Award ($250), National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre Annual Symposium, 2017
Chapman, C., Birrell., L., Champion, K., Stapinski, L., Kay-Lambkin, F., Deen, H., Brierley, M.E., Teesson, M., Newton, N. (2017) Cracks in the Ice Online Toolkit. Australian Rotary Health Knowledge Dissemination Award (Team Award).
National Alcohol and Other Drug Excellence Awards, ‘Award for Innovation in Prevention and Education’ for Climate Schools, June 2017 (Team Award)
Highly Commended, Early Career Researcher Award, 2016 TheMHS Learning Network Awards
PhD Candidate Award, Australian Rotary Health and Alliance for the Prevention of Mental Disorders Awards for Research Excellence ($1000), December 2015
UNSW Medicine Dean’s List, UNSW Australia 2014
Top Ranked Abstract 2014 Postgraduate Research Symposium: Clinical Research. Inaugural Postgraduate Research Symposium, University of NSW, 29^th August 2014.
Student Oral Presentation, Australasian Society for Behavioural Health and Medicine 10^th Annual Scientific Conference ($250), Newcastle, Australia, February 2013.