Associate ProfessorLaura Gray

Laura Gray's research is driven by a central question: why do educational systems enable some learners to thrive while creating barriers for others, and how can those systems be redesigned to better support participation, belonging and success? Working within health professions education, she is particularly interested in the social, structural and institutional factors that shape educational experiences and outcomes, especially for learners whose circumstances or pathways may not align with traditional assumptions embedded within educational practice.

This program of research emerged through her educational leadership roles, particularly within the Deakin MD program, where questions relating to assessment, learner wellbeing, professionalism and participation became increasingly central to her work. As her responsibilities in curriculum reform, accreditation and student support expanded, she made a deliberate shift in research focus from neuropsychopharmacology to health professions and higher education research, seeking greater alignment between her scholarship, teaching and leadership.

Her earlier research in foundational and clinical neuroscience provided strong methodological and analytical foundations that continue to inform her work. Building on these foundations, she has developed a collaborative program of scholarship examining disability inclusion, neurodiversity, widening participation, assessment and professional identity formation. Across this work, she seeks to understand how educational structures, policies and cultures influence access, participation and success.

A defining feature of this research has been its translational focus. Through collaborations with educators, researchers, students and professional organisations across Australia and New Zealand, she has sought to generate evidence that informs educational practice, accreditation, policy and systems-level change. Ultimately, her goal is to contribute to more equitable, inclusive and socially accountable approaches to health professions education and higher education more broadly.