Professor Bruck has particular expertise and interests in sleep/wake behaviour, mental health, chronic fatigue, arousal thresholds, human behaviour in emergencies and the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

Professor Bruck has an international research reputation, with over 70 peer-reviewed full-length publications, some 700 citations, over $2 million in competitive grant income and 23 invited international and national professional speaking engagements. She has received numerous awards and prizes, including a highly prestigious US award in 2009.  Professor Bruck has been an international legal expert witness and her research has been regularly featured in the media, including Time Magazine and New Scientist.

The research of Professor Bruck and her colleagues at VU has led to new standards for smoke alarm signals being adopted by the US National Fire Protection Association for people who are hard of hearing and all commercial bedrooms. Similar new standards are currently under consideration for Australia.

She is a founding Director of the Sleep Health Foundation and on the national advisory committee for Community Fire Refuges.

In 2013 Professor Bruck led a research program within the Centre for Cultural Diversity and Wellbeing, exploring issues that arise between wellbeing (encompassing psychosocial and physical health) and living in a multicultural society.

Portfolios

Areas of expertise

  • Chronic fatigue syndrome
  • Cross-cultural aspects of mental health
  • Depression & anxiety
  • Human behaviour in emergencies
  • Sleep and sleep disorders

Contact details

(03) 9919 2158
[email protected]

Recent publications

Refereed journal articles

Professor Bruck is an author on more than 70 full-length articles in scholarly journals and proceedings. The five below include the most recent.

Morandin M and Bruck D (2013) Understanding Automatic Behavior in Narcolepsy: New Insights Using a Phenomenological Approach, Open Sleep Journal, 6, 1-7.

Clever M and Bruck D (2013) Comparisons of the sleep quality, daytime sleepiness and sleep cognitions of Caucasian Australians, Zimbabwean and Ghanaian black immigrants. South African Journal of Psychology 43(1) 81 - 93.

Jackson M and Bruck D (2012) Sleep Abnormalities in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis: A Review, Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, Dec 15; 8(6):719-28.

Bruck D and Astbury J (2012) Population study on the predictors of sleeping difficulties in young women. Behavioural Sleep Medicine, 10(2), 84-95.

Bruck D and Thomas I (2012) Community-based research on the effectiveness of the home smoke alarm in waking up children. Fire and Materials 36(5-6), 339-348 (Invited contribution)

Refereed conference proceedings

Professor Bruck' research has been presented at over 100 national and international conferences.  A recent selection is below.

Bruck D and Jackson ML (2013) The complex interplay between sleep and adolescent mental health and implications for clinical practice. 25th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Australasian Sleep Association, Plenary session.

Jackson ML, Diamond NT, Sztendur EM, Bruck D (2013) The Role of Sleep Difficulties in the Subsequent Development of Depression and Anxiety in a Longitudinal Study of Young Australian Women, American Professional Sleep Societies Scientific Meeting, Baltimore, MA Selected for an Honorable Mention Award and 25th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Australasian Sleep Association, Brisbane, October.

Bruck D and Jackson ML (2013) Does the simultaneous management of sleep health and mental health improve outcomes? Inaugural APS Health College Conference, Cairns.

Thomas I and Bruck D (2011) Smoke alarms in dwellings: Occupant safety through timely activation and effective notification. Suppression, Detection and Signaling Research and Applications Conference, Orlando, USA. Selected as a keynote presentation.

Astbury J, Bruck D and Loxton D (2010) Sexual violence as a predictor of sleep difficulties in a community sample of young women. 20th Congress of the European Sleep Research Society, Lisbon, Portugal, 14-18 September and 22nd Annual Scientific Meeting of the Australasian Sleep Association, Christchurch, New Zealand, 21-23 October and Australian Health and Medical Research Congress, Melbourne, 14-18 November 2010. Awarded Australasian Sleep Association Prize for the Best Presentation.

Monograph

Bruck D (2006) Teenage Sleep: Understanding and helping the sleep of 12 to 20 year olds.  (E- book,  ISBN 1 86272 667 1) Wellness Promotion Unit, Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia.

Research reports

M Grossman, Bruck, D, Stephenson, P, Dwyer, R, Roose, J (2013) Learning to Engage: A Review of Victoria Police Cross-Cultural Training Practices, Centre for Cultural Diversity & Wellbeing, Victoria University.

 

Postgraduate research students & fellows

Completions (principal supervisor): eight PhD, six DPsych, three MA

Current supervision (principal supervisor): two PhD, three DPsych, two MPsych