About us

The JCU Digital Wellbeing Group brings together researchers across psychology, technology, and the social and data sciences to advance human wellbeing in the digital age. Based in Northern Queensland, our mission is to ensure that digital technology serves people—especially those living in regional, rural, and remote communities—by improving mental health, safety, learning, and connection.

We conduct research at the intersection of digital mental health, human-centred computing, online media, AI, and community wellbeing. Our work spans foundational research, user-centred design, clinical evaluation, and applied field trials. By working closely with end-users, industry, and healthcare partners, we develop digital tools that are not only technically robust, but also meaningful, ethical, and accessible.

Our research operates through five interdisciplinary streams, allowing us to examine digital wellbeing at multiple levels—from individual experiences to population-level systems—and translate evidence into real-world impact throughout Australia and beyond:

1. Mental Health Stream (Lead: Dr Sam Teague):

Creating accessible and personalised digital assessments and interventions for mental health. This stream’s goal is to ensure that individuals facing mental health difficulties, particularly in underserved areas, have access to effective, timely, and stigma-free care.

2. Human-Centred Technology Stream (Lead: Dr Klaire Somoray):

Pioneering technological solutions that improve the wellbeing of individuals and communities, grounded in human-centred design principles and tailored for underserved populations.

3. Media Effects and Misinformation Stream (Lead: Dr Dan Miller):

Understanding the effect of social media and (mis)information exposure on wellbeing, digital safety and trust. This includes exploring how to detect and mitigate the spread of misinformation online, including deepfake content.

4. Applied HCI and Computational Wellbeing Stream (Lead: Dr Adrian Shatte):

Investigating how digital interactions and traces from personal devices, online activity, and interactive systems can support human wellbeing. This combines human-computer interaction, software engineering, co-design, and computational modelling to design, build and evaluate technology that enhances mental, emotional and social health, with a focus on privacy, ethics and real-world impact for individuals and communities.

5. Online Education and Digital Tools Stream (Lead: Dr Brian Law):

Investigating factors and strategies that support student and educator wellbeing, motivation, and engagement. This includes the use of GenAI and digital tools.