Nicole Sadler

Nicole Sadler is Professor Director and Enterprise Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, at the University of Melbourne. As Chief Executive Officer and Director of Phoenix Australia – Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health, she leads efforts in advancing posttraumatic mental health research, policy, and practice. A clinical psychologist with a PhD, Master of Psychology (Clinical) from Charles Sturt University, and Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from Australian National University, Sadler has dedicated over 30 years to supporting high-risk populations including military members, veterans, first responders, emergency services personnel, frontline healthcare workers, and disaster-affected communities.

Her distinguished career includes 23 years of full-time service in the Australian Army as a psychology officer, culminating in her role as Head of the Australian Army Psychology Corps and Director Strategic and Operational Mental Health from 2012 to 2017. Since joining Phoenix Australia in 2017, she has held progressive leadership positions and continues as a Brigadier in the Army Reserves, serving as Principal Consultant – Mental Health to the Surgeon General Australian Defence Force. Sadler has led numerous strategic reviews, research initiatives, policy developments, and training programs on mental health and wellbeing, suicide prevention, and trauma-informed care for defence forces, government departments, and international partners. Her service has been recognized with the Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2018 and the Conspicuous Service Cross (CSC) in 2009.

Sadler's scholarly impact is evidenced by her Google Scholar profile with 739 citations, focusing on military and veteran mental health and suicide. Prominent publications include "Treatment of military-related post-traumatic stress disorder: challenges, innovations, and the way forward" (2019, International Review of Psychiatry), "Mental health prevalence, mental health and wellbeing transition study" (2018), "Suicide and suicidality in contemporary serving and ex-serving Australian Defence Force personnel" (2021, Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry), "Addressing moral injury in the military" (2024, BMJ Military Health), and "Suicide in Military and Veteran Populations: A View Across the Five Eyes Nations" (2024).

Professional Email: nicole.sadler@unimelb.edu.au