Hayley’s research focusses on improving children’s physical activity levels, health and well-being through multi-level interventions focussed on the child, family, social and built environment. This includes identifying and testing strategies to create healthy early childhood education and care environments and investigating how the home and neighbourhood environment shapes children’s health and development.

Hayley leads the PLAYCE (Play Spaces & Environments for Children’s Physical Activity) program of research, a multidisciplinary team of staff and students. Dr Christian has over 20 years professional experience in health promotion practice, health promotion research project management and health promotion teaching and research. Dr Christian has research experience in the areas of physical activity, sedentary behaviour, obesity, paediatric exercise science, child health and development, the built environment and health, health promotion and public health, cohort studies, interventions and quantitative and qualitative research.

See Research Profile link below

FELLOWSHIPS:

2020-2024 National Heart Foundation Future Leader Fellowship Level 2

2016-2020 National Heart Foundation Future Leader Fellowship Level 1

2012-2016 NHMRC/National Heart Foundation Early Career Fellowship

2004-2008 ARC Postgraduate Award - Industry

2023

-Christian, H, Mclaughlin, M, Nathan, A, Trost, SG, Schipperijn, J, Murray, K, Li, I, Lombardi, K, Bauman, A. (2023-2026). Play Active childcare intervention to improve children’s physical activity. Healthway Intervention grant ($388,296). 

-Nathan, A, Christian, H, Villanueva, K, McLaughlin, M, Brinkman, S, Boruff, B, Schipperijn, J. (2023-2024). Incorporating children’s voices for more equitable urban environments. Healthway Exploratory grant($74,363).

-Christian, H, Nathan, A, Lombardi, K, Mclaughlin, M, Yoong, S, Pearce, N, Thornton, A, Shilton, T, Wallace, R, Grady, A. (2023-2024). Childcare educator-parent engagement for healthy eating & physical activity. Healthway Exploratory grant ($74,976).

-Christian, H, Trost, SG, Maher, C, Naylor, PJ, Schipperijn, J, Murray, K, Li, I, Nathan A, Mclaughlin, M (2023-2026). Scaling-up the ‘Play Active’ program to improve children’s physical activity in early childhood education and care — a multi-state hybrid effectiveness-implementation trial.  MRFF ($1,727,513).

-Playgroup NSW, Playgroup WA, Christian H. (2023-2027). Playgroup Amplify: Explore, Engage, Support and Grow. Ian Potter Foundation - national project ($1,000,000)

2022

-Yoong S, Grady A, Hodder R, Wolfenden L, Christian H, Wiggers J, Oldmeadow C, Gillham K (2022-2023). Learning health system approach to optimise implementation of prevention programs. The Australian Prevention Partnership Centre Rapid Response Grant ($100,000).

2021

-Maher, C, Wolfenden, L, Christian, H, Okely, A, Bogomolova, S, Lewis, L, Cliff, D, Esterman, A, Milte, R, Curtis, R (2021-2025). Improving physical activity and screen time in Outside School Hours Care through evidence-based guidelines: an effectiveness-implementation hybrid trial. NHMRC, Partnership Project ($1,495,928)

- Maher, C, Christian, H, Esterman, A, Nathan, N, Rosenkranz, R, Lewis, L, Cliff, D, Milte, R, Curtis, R (2021-2024). A multi-site guideline implementation randomised controlled trial to improve physical activity and screen time in Out of School Hours Care. MRFF - PPHR Initiative - 2020 Maternal First 2000 Days and Childhood Health ($1,499,840)

-Rosenberg, M, Derbyshire, A, Christian, H (2021-2023). KIDDO: Building capacity in Early Childhood Education and Care Services in Western Australia to deliver physical activity. Healthway Sports Sponsorship Grant ($482,500).

-Silva, D., Palmer, D., Huang, R., Geddes, D., Srinivasjois, R., Valentine, J., Stick, S., Choong, C., Gorman, S., Ohan, J., Gridneva, Z., Christian, H., Whitehouse, A., Bucks, R., Glauert, R., Martino, D. & Saunders, L. The BOD POD GS-X – ORIGINS. NHMRC Infrastructure, ($59,119.46)

2020

-Trost, SG, Golley, R, Christian, H, Byrne, R, Williams, K (2020-2023). Effectiveness of an early childhood intervention to promote healthy child development and prevent chronic disease in families attending community playgroups: A multi-centre cluster randomized trial. 2019 NHMRC MRFF Preventive and Public Health 2020 ($870,950)

-Baxter, J, Ribar, D, Cobb-Clark, D, Cross, D, Kalb, G, Smith, S, Glozier, N, Gleeson, B, Thorpe, K, Sanders, M, Parsell, C, Christian, H, Mamun, A, Tymula, A, Huang, Z (2020-2026). ARC Centre of Excellence for Children and Families over the Life Course, Australian Research Council ($32,100,000)

-Christian H, Stratton G, Gething P, Boruff B, Trost S, Cross D, Rosenberg M, Murray K, Schipperijn J, Beck B (2020-2023). Built Environments And Child Health in WalEs and AuStralia (BEACHES). UKRI-NHMRC Built Environment Prevention Research Scheme ( $797,256)

2019

-Christian H, Trost S, Rosenberg M, Cross D, Shilton T, Schipperijn J, Lester L, Trapp G (2018-2020). Evidence-informed physical activity policy for early childhood education and care. NHMRC, Partnership Project ($946,759).

Program Head, Healthy Behaviours and Environments, Telethon Kids Institute

Team Head, Child Physical Activity, Health and Development, Telethon Kids Institute

Co Director WA Node, ARC Centre of Excellence for Children and Families over the Life Course

Knowledge Transfer Portfolio Lead, ARC Centre of Excellence for Children and Families over the Life Course