DrNicole Downes

Dr Nicole Downes is a Lecturer in the Bachelor of Early Childhood Education and serves as Course Director for the Graduate Certificate of Education (Trauma Responsive Education) at Deakin university, where she provides academic and strategic leadership in curriculum innovation, delivery, and continuous improvement. She teaches across undergraduate and postgraduate programs in the areas of trauma-informed practice, child safety and wellbeing, and teacher wellbeing, with a strong emphasis on relational approaches that support educator capacity and sustainable professional practice.

Nicole has demonstrated leadership in the design and implementation of impactful, institution-wide initiatives. Most notably, she was a key contributor to Safer Learners, a compulsory child safety training program embedded across Initial Teacher Education at Deakin University. Since its implementation in 2023, the program has certified over 7,000 pre-service teachers and continues to generate research and sector engagement. This initiative was recognised with a Deakin University Vice-Chancellor’s Award in 2023, evidencing its institutional and sectoral significance.

Dr Downes has also contributed to the internationalisation of Deakin’s curriculum through her role in the Bachelor of Education (International) program in Singapore, including curriculum design and delivery over a five-year period. She maintains ongoing engagement with international partnerships, supporting the global reach of trauma-informed and relationship-centred education through research collaboration and mentorship.'

With an emerging national profile in trauma-responsive education, child safety, wellbeing, and relational pedagogies, Nicoles research is distinguished by a sustained commitment to understanding and addressing the impact of trauma across educational contexts, and to advancing safe, relationship-centred learning environments for children, educators, and communities. Nicoles work demonstrates a developing track record of research outputs and growing recognition through her publications and presentations at national and international conferences, such as the Trauma Aware Education Conference, the Australian Association for Research in Education, the European Early Childhood Education Research Association. Her research contributes to an expanding evidence base that informs child safe policy, practice, and curriculum development in trauma-responsive education.

Dr Downes is an active contributor to interdisciplinary collaborations addressing trauma across education and health sectors, including the Trauma Aware Higher Education Leadership Network (TAHELN), Intergenerational Trauma Aware Geelong (IN-TAG), and the Deakin Trauma Aware Collective (DTAC). Through these partnerships, she contributes to cross-institutional research and knowledge translation activities that extend the impact of her work beyond the university.

Across teaching, research, and leadership, Dr Downes advances Deakin University’s commitment to innovation, excellence, and integrity and demonstrates a strong trajectory toward leadership in trauma-responsive and relational education, evidenced by her Faculty of Arts and Education Industry and Community Award and Distinguished Teacher Award.  She actively advances children’s rights, and promotes educational practices that prioritise safety, wellbeing, and the central role of relationships in learning and development.