Dr Colleen Fisher is a professor and past Head of the School of Population and Global Health at UWA. She has methodological expertise in qualitative and mixed methods research, which are approaches she teaches to students at all levels.

Professor Fisher teaches in the units Health Leadership,  Health Leadership and Management and Qualitative Research Methods in Health.  Her research expertise of family and domestic violence includes experiences and impacts across the lifespan, cross culturally and in refugee contexts. She has undertaken multidisciplinary international research projects on issues related to this area, and has been the lead investigator on evaluations of domestic violence support service and interventions.

Professor Fisher has also been a member on related government panels including the WA 'Safe at Home', Development and Implementation Panel, Family and Domestic Violence Homicide Review Panel the WA State Government - Advisory Group on Family and Domestic Violence Prevention and the 'Path to Safety' State Strategic Plan Advisory Group .

She is a Past President of the Council of Academic Public Health Institutions Australasia (CAPHIA) and past Chair of the National Executive Committee, roles she held for two years.

2020

Australia's National Research Agency for Women's Safety (ANROWS). Orr, C., Fisher, C., Preen, D., Milroy, H., O'Donnell, M., Glauert, R., & Garwood, S. ($171,771). Investigating the Mental Health of Children Exposed to Family and Domestic Violence

2019

WA Health Promotion Foundation (Healthway). Thompson, S., Moran, M., Fisher, C., Hussain, M., Papertalk, L., Martin, K., & Nattabi, B. ($419,321). Conversatins for Change:  Accelerating Efforts to Prevent Family Violence

2016

Australia's Naitonal Research Organisation for Women's Safety (ANROWS), Fisher, C., Gillet, A., Wood, L., Martin, K., & Pearman, A ($199,452) Best Practice Principles for Interventions with Domestic & Family Violence Perpetrators from Refugee Backgrounds

WA Department of Health ($55,000) Fisher, C., & Strange, C. Evaluation of the Undiagnosed Diseases Program, Western Australia (UDP-WA):  Perspectives from Parents/Caregivers

2015

Fremantle Hospital Trust ($65,000) Brett, T., Arnold-Reed, D., Fisher, C., Preen, D., & Geelhoed, E. Health Service Utilisation by Marginalised Street Populations

2013
Criminology Research Council ($76,500) Chung, D., Fisher, C., Zufferey, C & Thiara R., Prevention of, and Improving Government Responses to, Sexual Violence in African Communities


2012
WA Health Promotion Foundation, Healthway ($245,421) Isaac, M., Fisher, C., Battersby, M., & Lawn, S. Promoting Health Self-Management by People Living with Mental Illness.

2011
Australian College of Educators ($20,000) Sharplin, E., Fisher, C., Forsey, M & Lee T. Equity Project 2: Equity in Education: Drawing on perspectives and understandings outside education.

2010
WA Health Promotion Foundation, Healthway ($29,993) Fisher, C., Hunt, L., Gausia, K., Moore, A., Turnock, D., & Lumis-Jones, C. Domestic Violence in Mid-Life Women: Experiences, Intervention and Prevention.

2008
Pharmacy Guild of Australia ($643,534) Jiwa, M., O’Connor, M., Girgis, A., Hughes, J., Shaw, T., Davidson, P., Wilkinson, A., Mullen , J., Fisher, C., & Halkett, G. Palliative Care in Community Pharmacy,


2007
Lotterywest ($102,660-00). Fisher, C. in collaboration with ASSeTS. Understandings of Family & Domestic Violence in Emerging African Communities

Department for Child Protection ($30,000-00) Fisher, C., Guilfoyle, A., & O’Connor, M., Evaluation of I&IE SAAP V Early Intervention Outreach Programmes.

2006
Health Department of Western Australia. ($10,000) Health Promotion Strategic Directions – Injury Prevention Guilfoyle, A., & Fisher, C.

Family & Domestic Violence Unit, Department for Community
Development. ( $30,312) Fisher, C., & Ryder, D. PhD Scholarships –Family and Domestic Violence, Mental Health and Substance Use Co-morbidity.

Canadian Institutes for Health Research ($20,000) Thurston W, Hunt L, Kaosar A, Kovindha O, Razakh, Fisher C: Characteristics of women’s domestic violence health policy communities in five countries

The WA Nurses’ Memorial Trust ($8,355-00)White, K., Cousins, K., O’Connor, M., & Fisher, C.,: Meeting the Psychosocial Needs of Palliative Care Patients and Their Families: Palliative Care Nurses’ Concerns.

Telstra Foundation ($45,000) O’Connor, M., Sims, M., Fisher, C., Kristjanson, L., White, K., & Monterosso, L: Building Parenting Strengths to Enhance the Psychological Wellbeing of Families (Especially Adolescent Daughters) of Mothers with Breast Cancer.

Office of the Status of Women and Partnerships Against Domestic Violence ($55,000) Cant, R., Downie, R., Fisher, C., Froyland, I., & Henry, P: Evaluation of Perpetrator Programs for Mandated and Voluntary Participants in Western Australia


Department for Child Protection ($30,000-00) Fisher, C., Guilfoyle, A., & O’Connor, M., Evaluation of I&IE SAAP V Early Intervention Outreach Programmes.

WA Police ($40,000) Fisher, C., Ryder, D., Guilfoyle, A., O’Connor, M., Darby, Design, Conduct, Interpreting of Results and Report on an Evaluation Strategy for the “Fit for Life” Workplace Health Program.

Health Department of Western Australia. ($10,000) Health Promotion
Strategic Directions – Injury Prevention Guilfoyle, A. & Fisher C

Fisher, C., Ali, P., Rogers, M. & Orgeas, C. Technology Facilitated Abuse. 

Fisher, C., Lin, A., Orgeas, C., & Speirs, S. Evaluation of Karlup Service

International Council for Accreditation and Advancement of Public Heatlh Education (ICAPHE), member Board of Trustees, Board of Management, Chair, Scientific Committee

Path to Safety - WA State Government Family and Domestic Violence Policy - Advisory Panel Member

Past Member - APHEA Board of Management. Deputy Chair, Board of Accreditation

Past President and Chair of National Executive Committee - CAPHIA (Council of Academic Public Health Institutions Australasia)

Expert Witness - WA Department of Health, Clinical Senate - Domestic & Family Violence

Past Chairperson Orana House Inc

Past Member: Advisory Group on Prevention and Early Intervention of Family and Domestic Violence

Past Member: WA Department of Health Family and Domestic Violence Advisory Group

Health Leadership 
Qualitative Research Methods