Rate My Professor Sally Staton

Associate Professor Sally Staton is a Senior Research Fellow in the Science of Learning Research Centre at the Queensland Brain Institute, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences, University of Queensland. She earned her Doctor of Philosophy, Bachelor of Behavioural Science (Honours), Graduate Diploma in Psychology, and Bachelor of Creative Industries (Dance) from Queensland University of Technology. Her research investigates the role of early education and care settings in fostering young children’s social-emotional, cognitive, and physical development. Staton specializes in developing, applying, and interpreting observational measures of educational practices and teacher-child interactions in early childhood contexts. Her methodologies encompass evaluation studies using randomised control trials and quasi-experimental designs, longitudinal cohort studies tracking over 2000 children, in vivo and video observations, surveys, child assessments with educational and psychological tools, physiological measures including cortisol, actigraphy, and heart rate variability, and qualitative methods such as interviews and sociometrics.

Staton leads the Early Childhood (Care and Education) Research Group and initiatives like the Brain Builders program aimed at supporting child development through neuro-informed practices. She holds an ARC Discovery Early Career Fellowship (DE230100687) and has been recognized as one of Queensland’s Young Tall Poppy Scientists in 2016 for contributions to science translation and engagement, along with the University of Queensland Partners in Research Excellence Award in 2019 for research partnerships with industry and government. Notable publications include “Napping, development and health from 0 to 5 years: a systematic review” (Archives of Disease in Childhood, 2015), “Many naps, one nap, none: A systematic review and meta-analysis of napping patterns in children 0–12 years” (Sleep Medicine Reviews, 2020), “Early childhood screen use contexts and cognitive and psychosocial outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis” (JAMA Pediatrics, 2024), and “The brain in context: a scoping review and concept definition of neuro-informed policy and practice” (Brain Sciences, 2024). Her influence extends to policy through government reports, professional development packages for educators, workshops, videos, and articles for parents and regulatory officers, enhancing early childhood education quality.