Overview
Key publications
Research funding
Supervising & teaching
Career
Section: Overview
Overview
Key publications
Research funding
Supervising & teaching
Career

Key details

Areas of expertise

  • Sociology
  • Chronic conditions
  • Qualitative research
  • Health workforce

Available to supervise research students

Available for media queries

About Karen Willis

Karen is Professor of Public Health, College of Sport, Health and Engineering, Course Convenor MPH VU Online, and a member of the Institute for Health and Sport. Her research examines how individual health behaviours are linked to the broader social and political context. Current research examines loneliness in people with chronic health conditions and 'Future-proofing' frontline health workers during crises.

Karen's PhD research examined the social and political context of mammography screening in Australia. 

Funded research includes:

  • Staying Healthy: behaviours and services used by farmers and fishers 
  • How consumers negotiate between complementary and conventional health systems 
  • How Australians navigate the healthcare maze: the differential capacity to choose 
  • Establishing pathways to implement and sustain evidence based fall prevention in primary care
  • Goal setting and chronic condition self management.

Karen's publications include:

  • a health sociology textbook
  • two edited books
  • multiple book chapters
  • >90 peer reviewed articles.

She has supervised 8 PhD students to completion. She regularly contributes to The Conversation and is active on Twitter.

Karen is editor in chief of Health Sociology Review.

Qualifications

  • PhD (La Trobe University)
  • GradDip Health Promotion (Curtin University)
  • MA (Science and Technology Studies) (Wollongong University)
  • BA (Deakin University)

Key publications

Year Citation
2023 WILLIS, K. (230101). Rhetorics of participation and choice in healthcare: citizen rights or responsible citizenship? In Giarelli, G. ;. (Ed.) (pp. 113-124). Milan, Italy: FrancoAngela.

Year Citation
2024 Maple, J. -L., Willis, K., Lewis, S., Putland, M., Baldwin, P., Bismark, M., Harrex, W., Johnson, D., Karimi, L., & Smallwood, N. (240401). Healthcare workers perceptions of strategies supportive of their mental health. Journal of Medicine, Surgery, and Public Health, 2 (100049-100049).

doi: 10.1016/j.glmedi.2024.100049
2024 Maple, J. L., Whiteside, M., Smallwood, N., Putland, M., Baldwin, P., Bismark, M., Harrex, W., Johnson, D., Karimi, L., & Willis, K. (240201). Culture, conditions and care support mental health of healthcare workers during crises.. Occupational medicine (Oxford, England),

doi: 10.1093/occmed/kqae002
2024 Lewis, S., Willis, K., Smith, L., Dubbin, L., Rogers, A., Moensted, M. L., & Smallwood, N. (240201). There but not really involved: The meanings of loneliness for people with chronic illness. Social Science and Medicine, 343

doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.116596
2023 Smallwood, N., Bismark, M., & Willis, K. (230901). Burn-out in the health workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic: Opportunities for workplace and leadership approaches to improve well-being. BMJ Leader, 7(3), (178-181).

doi: 10.1136/leader-2022-000687
2023 Moensted, M. L., Lewis, S., Willis, K., Dubbin, L., Rogers, A., & Smith, L. (230601). Friendship, connectedness and (in)authenticity for those with chronic illness: Trading in one social gain for another. SSM - Qualitative Research in Health, 3

doi: 10.1016/j.ssmqr.2023.100246
2023 Holmes, O. S., Ellen, S., Smallwood, N., Willis, K., Delaney, C., Worth, L. J., Dolan, S., Dunlop, L., McDonald, G., & Karimi, L. (230501). The Psychological and Wellbeing Impacts of Quarantine on Frontline Workers during COVID-19 and Beyond. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(10),

doi: 10.3390/ijerph20105853
2023 Franklin, M., Willis, K., Lewis, S., & Smith, L. (230301). Chronic condition self-management is a social practice. Journal of Sociology, 59(1), (215-231).

doi: 10.1177/14407833211038059
2023 Kuhlmann, E., Lotta, G., Fernandez, M., Herten-Crabb, A., Mac, Fehr., Maple, J. L., Paina, L., Wenham, C., & Willis, K. (230203). SDG5 Gender Equality and the COVID-19 pandemic: A rapid assessment of health system responses in selected upper-middle and high-income countries. Frontiers in Public Health, 11

doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1078008
2023 Gu, A., Willis, K., Kay, M., Hutt, K., & Smallwood, N. (230201). 'We are largely left out': workplace and psychosocial experiences of Australian general practitioners during the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Australian journal of primary health, 29(1), (47-55).

doi: 10.1071/PY22103

Research funding for the past 5 years

Please note:

  • Funding is ordered by the year the project commenced and may continue over several years.
  • Funding amounts for contact research are not disclosed to maintain commercial confidentiality.
  • The order of investigators is not indicative of the role they played in the research project.

Adapting to extreme weather events: knowledges and practices in culturally diverse communities in Melbourne’s West
From: Lord Mayor's Charitable Foundation (LMCF)
Other investigators: Dr Anne Venville, Dr Jerome Rachele, Ms Dianne Stevens, Ms Jaimie-lee Maple
For period: 2022-2023
 $49,882

Future proofing the frontline strategies to support frontline workers during times of crisis
From: Lord Mayor's Charitable Foundation (LMCF)
For period: 2021-2023
 $299,780

Acknowledgements

Many thanks to the following organisations for their support and essential contributions to my research:

  • Australian Research Council

    2020-2022 Sick, lonely and left behind? A sociological study of loneliness (DP200101872) Dr Sophie Lewis (UNSW), Prof Karen Willis (VU), Prof Lorraine Smith (Uni of Sydney), Prof Anne Rogers (Uni of Southampton), Dr Leslie Dubbin (Uni California, South Francisco). $381,875

  • Lord Mayors Charitable Foundation

    2021-2023: Future Proofing the Frontline: Strategies to support frontline workers during times of crisis: Prof Karen Willis (VU); A/Prof Natasha Smallwood (Monash Uni)

Supervision of research students at VU

Available to supervise research students

Available for media queries

Currently supervised research students at VU

No. of students Study level Role
1 PhD Principal supervisor

Currently supervised research students at VU

Students & level Role
PhD (1) Principal supervisor

Other supervision of research students

Karen has supervised Masters and PhD students to completion.

Key academic roles

Dates Role Department / Organisation
Aug 2017 - Jun 2021
Professor, Allied Health Research
La Trobe University
Jul 2014 - Jul 2017
Associate Dean, Learning and Teaching
Faculty of Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University
Jan 2012 - Jul 2014
Associate Dean, Learning and Teaching
Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney
Jun 2021 - Present
Professor, Public Health
College of Health and Biomedicine, Victoria University
Show more academic roles
Dates Role & Department/Organisation
Aug 2017 -
Jun 2021
Professor, Allied Health Research
La Trobe University
Jul 2014 -
Jul 2017
Associate Dean, Learning and Teaching
Faculty of Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University
Jan 2012 -
Jul 2014
Associate Dean, Learning and Teaching
Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney
Jun 2021 -
Present
Professor, Public Health
College of Health and Biomedicine, Victoria University
Show more academic roles

Key industry, community & government roles

Dates Role Department/Organisation
Jul 2019 - Jul 2023
Consumer Advisory Panel member
Victorian Legal Services Board and Commissioner
Jul 2019 - Jul 2023
Research member
DHHS Ethics Committee
Jan 2019 - Dec 2022
Editor in Chief
Health Sociology Review
Dates Role & Department/Organisation
Jul 2019 - Jul 2023
Consumer Advisory Panel member
Victorian Legal Services Board and Commissioner
Jul 2019 - Jul 2023
Research member
DHHS Ethics Committee
Jan 2019 - Dec 2022
Editor in Chief
Health Sociology Review

Professional memberships

  • Academic Member, The Australian Sociological Association