Associate ProfessorDanielle Hitch

A/Prof Danielle Hitch is an experienced allied health clinician and researcher, with a strong track record in complex care needs, mental health, and knowledge translation. She has been an occupational therapist for over 25 years, and an educator and active researcher over 15 years. A/Prof Hitch has been employed at Deakin University since 2009 in the Occupational Science and Therapy Department.

In her current joint role with Western Health, she leads research related to Long COVID, occupational therapy, health systems, consumer engagement and clinical education. In July 2018, she was appointed to the inaugural Allied Health Research and Translation Lead role funded the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services. In this role, she provided mentorship and leadership to allied health clinicians across 11 distinct disciplines and established the Western Health COVID-19 Recovery Collaborative. Her previous role was Lead Occupational Therapy Researcher at NorthWestern Mental Health, where she collaborated with multidisciplinary colleagues and consumers on psychosocial rehabilitation and translation studies.