DrRachel Knight

Rachel's research focuses on improving outcomes for people experiencing eating disorders and other mental health conditions through collaborative, interdisciplinary and implementation-focused research that bridges academia, clinical practice and health service delivery.

Integrating occupational therapy, health systems thinking and co-design, she develops evidence that strengthens workforce capability, informs service innovation and advances occupationally centred approaches that enhance participation, everyday functioning and recovery. 

She currently leads an innovative university-health service research partnership between Deakin University and Western Health and collaborates with researchers nationally and internationally, establishing herself as a translational researcher in eating disorders, occupational therapy and mental health systems research. 

Her work has informed national workforce capability initiatives, minimum standards for education and training, health service redesign, and the advancement of occupational therapy practice in mental health and eating disorders. She has authored and co-authored multiple publications in leading (Q1) journals and secured more than $180,000 in competitive research funding.