DrKate Lycett

Kate Lycett is an emerging international leader recognised for her expertise in subjective wellbeing. Her research aims to place people’s wellbeing at the centre of policy decision-making, advocating for its use alongside traditional economic measures as an indicator of societal progress. Her methodological expertise spans randomised controlled trials, ecological studies, longitudinal studies, surveillance data, and citizen science approaches.

Kate leads the Australian Unity Wellbeing Index, one of the longest-running wellbeing studies globally, which annually tracks the subjective wellbeing of 10,000 Australian adults. These findings provide nationally representative insights that inform policy and public health strategies.

She is also the research lead for the Future Healthy Countdown 2030, a collaboration with young people, policy experts, and researchers that tracks the health and wellbeing of children and young people (0–24 years). In this role, she has served as a Coordinating Editor for three Medical Journal of Australia supplements, overseeing 21 publications.

Dr Lycett is frequently invited to speak at conferences, policy forums, and community events. With over 100 publications (85 peer‑reviewed; h‑index 24 (Scopus)), she bridges academia and practice through effective research translation across media, government, and industry. Her work has been cited in over 65 Australian and international policy documents (Overton).