Rate My Professor Michelle Bissett

Associate Professor Michelle Bissett is Associate Professor in Occupational Therapy in the Faculty of Health at Southern Cross University, based at the Gold Coast Campus. She serves as Deputy Chair, Allied Health, Midwifery and Community, and Course Coordinator for the Bachelor of Occupational Therapy. Holding a PhD from the University of Western Sydney, she is a registered occupational therapist with extensive clinical and academic experience spanning over 15 years. Previously, she held the position of Senior Lecturer in Occupational Therapy at Griffith University. Her clinical background informs her commitment to practical, evidence-based occupational therapy practices, particularly in supporting older adults' participation and independence.

Bissett's research centers on the occupational engagement of older adults across community and residential care environments, driven by her dedication to healthy aging and community connectivity. She is a member of Southern Cross University's Catchments, Coasts and Communities research cluster and co-leads the Resilient Ageing in Supportive Environments research group with Associate Professor Christina Aggar. She also investigates university teaching and learning to enhance health students' educational experiences and supervises higher degree research students in these areas. Her scholarly contributions include highly cited publications such as 'Sensory-based intervention for children with behavioral problems: A systematic review' (2015, Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders), 'Understanding professional identity in occupational therapy: A scoping review' (2022, Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy), 'Effectiveness of interventions for co-residing family caregivers of people with dementia: Systematic review and meta-analysis' (2018, Australian Occupational Therapy Journal), 'Functional assessments utilised in emergency departments: a systematic review' (2013, Age and Ageing), and 'Occupational adaptation–analyzing the maturity and understanding of the concept through concept analysis' (2021, Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy). These works have influenced occupational therapy practices in emergency care, dementia support, neurological rehabilitation, and professional development.