Rate My Professor Pamela Meredith

Professor Pamela Meredith is the Discipline Lead and Professor of Occupational Therapy in the School of Health at the University of the Sunshine Coast. A registered occupational therapist and psychologist, she earned her PhD from the University of Queensland in 2006, receiving the Dean’s Commendation for Outstanding Research Higher Degree Thesis. Her other qualifications include a BA (Hons) in Psychology from UQ (1998), a BSc in Psychology from the University of Southern Queensland (1995, Dean’s Commendation), and a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy from UQ (1986). Previously affiliated with UQ, where she held teaching and research roles, she maintains an honorary staff appointment there. At UQ, she was recognized with awards such as the 2011 School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Individual Award for Teaching Excellence, the 2009 Early Career Teaching Excellence Award, and the 2017 Faculty Award for Higher Degree Research Supervision.

Professor Meredith’s research, inspired by her early clinical work in child and youth mental health, investigates the links between childhood characteristics and experiences and lifelong physical and mental health outcomes. She specializes in attachment theory and sensory approaches, applying them to areas including parenting and child trauma, chronic pain, mental illness and substance use, palliative care, grief, and loss, and occupational therapist burnout. With over 120 publications, her work has an h-index of 28 (Scopus) and a Field-Weighted Citation Impact of 1.77 (2023). Key contributions include co-editing the forthcoming book Sensory Approaches to Mental Health Practice (Academic Press, 2026) and authoring highly cited papers such as “Burnout and Work Engagement in Occupational Therapists” (Poulsen et al., Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 2014), “Introducing attachment theory to occupational therapy” (British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 2009), “Educating mental health staff in sensory approaches using an e-learning package: a 3-month follow-up” (Meredith et al., 2018), and “The Relationship Between Sensory Processing and Childhood Adversity” (Kerley et al., 2023). A prolific supervisor, she has guided 55 honours students, 19 PhDs, and 1 MPhil to completion, and currently supervises 12 higher degree research students. Her accolades include the 2024 UniSC School of Health Research Excellence Award, 2022 Discipline Leadership Award, and 2021 Fellowship of the Occupational Therapy Australia Research Academy (FOTARA).