Emily Bray
What is your general research or work expertise?
Emily's PhD research examined the experience of young people with spinal cord injuries and parents/caregivers in their transition from paediatric to adult healthcare services. This study led to the co-design and development of the ‘SCI Healthcare Transition’ website that aims to support young people with spinal cord injuries and their parents/caregivers through the healthcare transition process.
What is your current area of interest/ what current research do you have at the moment?
Emily is interested in research that focuses on quality of life after spinal cord injury and finding meaning and purpose in life with a disability.
What was your employment experience prior to becoming a researcher?
Prior to starting her PhD, Emily worked as a Peer Support Mentor for Spinal Cord Injuries Australia (SCIA) and after completing her qualifications, as a Social Worker for Royal Rehab in Sydney. She continues to work with SCIA as a Social Worker developing and facilitating their community health and wellbeing programs.
What inspires you in your work?
The disabled community inspires Emily in the work that she does. It is a community she feel proud to identify with. They are strong, powerful, smart, articulate, artistic, athletic, and passionate. But it is often not easy to see this, as disability is shrouded by ableist views of people with disability not being as capable or as valuable as people without disabilities. So, she asks herself in the work that she does, "how can I change these perceptions and support people with disabilities to thrive in life"?
What is something people would find surprising about you?
Emily was once a body double for Naomi Watts.
What do you do for fun in your spare time?
She enjoys spending time with family, reading fiction, and watching shows about archaeology.
Click here to view Emily's Griffith Experts profile.
Click here to view Emily's Google Scholar.
