DrRachel Knight

Rachel is an occupational therapist, educator and translational researcher specialising in mental health, eating disorders and health service innovation. Drawing on more than 20 years of clinical experience across Australia and the United Kingdom, her research integrates occupational therapy, systems thinking and co-design to develop evidence that improves the quality, accessibility and integration of mental health service delivery, ensuring people receive the right care, in the right place, at the right time.  

Her research is grounded in co-design, partnering with people with lived experience, carers, clinicians and health services to develop inclusive, sustainable and clinically relevant solutions. Rachel’s research is characterised by its strong translational focus, generating evidence that strengthens workforce capability, informs health service redesign and advances occupationally focused approaches to care to improve outcomes for people with eating disorders and other mental health conditions. 

Rachel’s research has contributed to national approaches targeting workforce capability and training in eating disorders, strengthened the occupational therapy role in mental health and informed health service system redesign and reform. She has published in leading (Q1) journals, secured competitive research funding from Occupational Therapy Australia and the Australian Eating Disorders Research and Translation Centre, and established interdisciplinary clinical and research partnerships across Australia and internationally.  

Currently, Rachel leads the co-designed Eating Disorders Early Intervention and Integration project, a strategic partnership between Deakin University and Western Health. This innovative project applies systems thinking to strengthen the healthcare response for people with eating disorders, supporting both early intervention and integrated models of care.  

Alongside her research, Rachel is an experienced university educator recognised for designing authentic, student-centred learning that prepares graduates for contemporary occupational therapy practice.