Kate Loren Derry, PhD, BSc (Hons) (she/her), is a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Western Australia, based on Whadjuk Noongar Country. Kate completed her PhD in Psychological Science at UWA and now works at the School of Indigenous Studies. She is a stream lead with Transforming Indigenous Mental Health and Wellbeing (TIMHWB; NHMRC MRFF APP1178803) and is a Chief Investigator on the Youth Empowerment Project (NHMRC MRFF APP2035953), the Aboriginal Health Council Western Australia SEWB Pilot Evaluation funded by Western Australian Mental Health Commission, and the Winhangadurinya Project, funded by the Australian National University School of Medicine and Psychology.

Kate has a strong interest in restorative justice and decolonial practice, with her work aiming to broaden the social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB) paradigm to coexist with and complement Western mental health perspectives. She is passionate about supporting Indigenous-led research and has had the privilege of working under the guidance of Professor Pat Dudgeon AM and Professor Helen Milroy AM. Kate’s research is shaped by empowering, reciprocal, and inclusive processes that honor Indigenous knowledges, perspectives, and priorities, with a vision of eliminating colonially driven inequities through capacity-building, cultural respect, and social responsibility.

In five years Kate has published 13 refereed journal articles, 4 book chapters, and 10 reports, including the Lancet Commission on self-harm (2024), two introductory psychology textbook chapters (Wiley, 2024; Pearson, 2023), and the Go8 COVID-19 Roadmap to Recovery: A Report for the Nation (2020). Since 2019, her work has garnered 274 citations (h-index = 9). Kate is also an advocate for knowledge translation. She project managed the inaugural national SEWB Gathering (2021) and has remained on the organisational committee for the following four SEWB Gatherings. She also co-authored the Social and Emotional Wellbeing: A Welcome Guide for the Aboriginal Workforce (2022). 

From 2018–2019, Kate took a two-year break from academia to gain entrepreneurial experience in research commercialisation through the start-up TalentIdentify, which was successfully acquired by CarePage in 2020. During this time she also won two scholarships and an internship through the Center for Entrepreneurial Research and Innovation. These experiences enriched her understanding of research innovation, ethics, and applications to real-world challenges in mental health.