Parenting in the Digital Age – Presenter Bios

The Beacon Project Bec Nguyen Digital Projects Manager Telethon Kids Institute

Bec Nguyen is the Digital Projects Manager with the Health Promotion and Education Research team at Telethon Kids Institute, overseeing all digital health projects including managing the Beacon Project. She is a Curtin University graduate with a Bachelor of Commerce (Information Systems and Technology), Bachelor of Arts and a UX-Design Thinking.

The Beacon app is an initiative by Telethon Kids Institute and Bankwest - a cyber safety evidence-based app providing parents and carers with personalised support, ideas and strategies to navigate the ever-changing online world. This presentation will cover the Beacon Project’s background, introduction to Beacon’s features, and some practical tips and strategies for common cyber-related issues.

Stream One – Parents of Primary School-Aged Children (up to 13 years)

ARILITY: augmented reality safety learning app David Gribble Chief Executive Officer Constable Care Foundation

David has been CEO of the Constable Care Foundation for ten years, leading the iconic WA organisation through the most significant period of innovation and change in its 30+ year history. David’s career in NGO management in Victoria and Western Australia spans the disability, health, aged care, arts and community sectors, and most recently includes senior executive roles with VisAbility, Alzheimer’s WA and CBM International. David is a graduate and post-graduate of Curtin University, a graduate of RMIT University, a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management. He is Deputy Chair of the Curtin University MBA and Executive Education Advisory Panel, and is a graduate and facilitator of the Curtin Ignition Entrepreneurship Program. David has been recognised for his work in the not for profit sector receiving an AACSB Global Influential Leader Award in 2021 and a Curtin Alumni Professional Achievement Award Business and Law in 2019. In his spare time David mentors undergraduate and post-graduate university students and serves as a non-executive director on non-profit Boards.

The Sun Safe app: an online tool developed with young teenagers as co-researchers Dr Shelley Gorman Group Leader of the Cardiometabolic Sunhealth team Telethon Kids Institute The Cardiometabolic Sunhealth team investigates mechanisms by which sunlight and ultraviolet light modulates metabolic dysfunction, inflammation, and immunity. We aim to improve our understanding of biological processes modulated by sun exposure, provide an evidence-base for research in humans and help health policy makers give better-informed sun exposure advice. Our research has identified that low dose sun exposure or induced mediators like vitamin D and nitric oxide could be used to treat obesity and associated cardiometabolic disorders such as type-2 diabetes. We have also provided evidence for clinical trials that test whether vitamin D supplementation, or controlled exposure to ultraviolet light, could prevent the progression of chronic diseases and autoimmunity. Our team has recently moved into the digital health space, through development of Sun Safe, an iOS app co-designed with young teenagers, which aims to provide them with information and improve their sun health practices in a fun and engaging way.

Cyber Friendly Primary Schools Project Candice Browne Project Coordinator Telethon Kids Institute Candice Browne is a child health researcher at the Telethon Kids Institute. Candice has qualifications in Psychology and Addiction Studies, and previous experience working in a variety of research fields relating to education, alcohol, other drug use, neurodisability and pregnancy. She is passionate about community engagement and the promotion of child health, specifically in the areas of social and emotional learning, mental health, and developmental disorders including Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.

Heather McKee Project Coordinator Telethon Kids Institute

Heather McKee is the Project Coordinator for two Healthway-funded research projects within the Health Promotion and Education Research team at Telethon Kids Institute.

Cyber Friendly Primary Schools project seeks to better understand schools’ and parents’ needs around children’s use of digital technology, and what information and help they need. The intervention includes a website with resources and videos to help parents, schools and P&C/P&F committees to promote positive digital technology use by children in Years 4-6.

Stream Two – Parents of Secondary School-Aged Children (+13 years)

SPARX-T Yael Perry Giorgetta Family Fellow Telethon Kids Institute

Yael Perry is the Giorgetta Family Fellow in the Youth Mental Health team at Telethon Kids Institute. She conducts research into the prevention of mental health difficulties in young people, with particular interest in marginalised groups and the use of digital technology to improve mental health outcomes.

SPARX-T is a digital serious game designed to prevent depression in trans and gender diverse young people. In collaboration with trans young people, the original SPARX game was adapted to fit the specific needs of this population. This presentation will cover the co-design process, including a demonstration of key adaptations made to the game, and plans for future research involving the SPARX-T app.

ARILITY: augmented reality safety learning app YOUR CALL: virtual reality interactive films David Gribble Chief Executive Officer Constable Care Foundation

Online self-compassion training for chronic conditions Dr Amy Finlay-Jones Starlight Fellow and Head of the Early Neurodevelopment and Mental Health Team Telethon Kids Institute

Dr Finlay-Jones co-leads the 0-5 Mental Health Stream within the EMBRACE program at the Telethon Kids Institute. Dr Finlay-Jones is a registered psychologist and health economist, and her research interests and expertise span the spectrum of clinical research through to health systems research, policy development, and economic evaluation. Her work focuses largely on early identification and intervention for children at risk of mental health problems. She has significant experience translating research into practice and working with policy and practice stakeholders to support research translation and impact.

Dr Finlay-Jones will present the findings from an Australian Rotary Health funded study examining the effectiveness of an online self-compassion training for improving mental health and wellbeing among young people with chronic conditions.

Supporting Family Conversations Dr Robyn Johnston Research Officer Telethon Kids Institute

Dr Robyn Johnston works as a Research Officer with the Health Promotion and Education Research team at Telethon Kids Institute, and oversees two research projects related to parents and adolescent alcohol use. Supporting Family Conversations is a Healthway-funded research project to support parents to delay and reduce their child’s drinking and includes a website for parents, plus school-based resources for parents and children. These resources provide practical strategies to assist parents to talk with their children about alcohol and online safety. This presentation will cover the Supporting Family Conversations project’s background and provide some practical ideas and facts to support family conversations about alcohol.