Rate My Professor Erinn Hawkins

Dr. Erinn Hawkins is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Applied Psychology at Griffith University on the Gold Coast campus, where she has been appointed since January 2020, advancing to her current role. She holds a PhD in Clinical Psychology and an MA in Clinical Psychology from Western University in Canada, as well as a BA in Psychology (Honours) from the University of Calgary. With over fifteen years of experience as a clinical psychologist, Hawkins has worked across community, hospital, and university settings, assisting children, youth, families, and adults with emotional regulation, disruptive behaviors, relationship issues, and trauma. At Griffith, she teaches and supervises provisional psychologists and is a member of the Centre for Mental Health since 2022.

Hawkins' research specializations encompass child development, developmental psychopathology, clinical psychology, behavioral science, attachment theory, infant mental health, psychological assessment, and psychotherapy. Her work emphasizes transforming healthcare by integrating evidence-based neurodevelopmental assessments and enhancing parent-child relationships through interventions. Key publications include 'Parent and practitioner perspectives on Circle of Security Parenting (COS-P): A qualitative study' (2021, Infant Mental Health Journal), 'Examining the effectiveness of Circle of Security Parenting (COS-P): A multi-site non-randomized study with waitlist control' (2021), 'Maternal representations and infant attachment: An examination of the prototype hypothesis' (2015), 'Disinhibited social engagement and reactive attachment behaviours in children assessed for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD): Distinguishing effects of maltreatment from inhibitory control difficulties' (2026), and 'Advancing equity in neurodevelopmental care with the Tracking Cube: protocol for an effectiveness-implementation hybrid (type 1) stepped-wedge cluster randomised controlled trial' (2026). As Chief Investigator, she leads the NHMRC-funded Tracking Cube project ($5 million grant awarded in 2024), developing a screening tool for neurodevelopmental disorders like FASD in primary care, which earned her team the top start-up award at LuminaX in 2023. Her contributions promote equitable access to mental health services, particularly for vulnerable populations including First Nations children, influencing clinical practice and policy.