The Gambling, Research, Innovation, and Treatment (GRIT) Group comprises world-leading and emerging researchers undertaking research across all areas of gambling studies, using a wide range of quantitative and qualitative research designs. We conduct research on gambling-related harm, encompassing the experiences of people who gamble and their family members and friends.
Research areas
Our programmatic focus is on three strategic pillars of research addressing the identification, prevention, and treatment of gambling-related harm:
Screening and Assessment
Develop, psychometrically evaluate, and contextually validate screening and assessment instruments that capture gambling-related harm, processes underlying gambling-related harm, and recovery-relevant outcomes across clinical and community settings
Prevention Science Platform
Establish a prevention science platform that provides a robust evidence-based foundation for the design and evaluation of primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention approaches
Development and Evaluation of Evidence-Based Treatments
Iteratively develop innovative, theoretically informed, and evidence-based clinical interventions for gambling-related harm across traditional and digital settings, supported by next-generation trial designs and real-world translation into practice
Our research is guided by five core principles:
- Scientific rigor in study design and methodology
- Co-design and meaningful end-user involvement
- Advanced statistical and analytic approaches
- Systematic research appraisal and synthesis, and
- Knowledge mobilisation and translation to maximise real-world impact.
Our team
Researchers
Researchers
- Dr Chloe Hawker
- Dr Anna Thomas
- Dr Stephanie Dias
- Ms Monique Gandhi
- Dr Georgia Craigie
- Associate Professor Simone Rodda (Honorary, Auckland University of Technology)
- Professor Alex Russell (Honorary, CQUniversity)
Research students
Research students
- Mr Mark O’Shea (Doctor of Clinical Psychology)
- Ms Monique Gandhi (Doctor of Philosophy)
- Ms Rebecca Johnson (Doctor of Philosophy)
- Ms Kirsten Brown (Doctor of Philosophy)
Our partners
We have strong collaborative relationships with Australian and international gambling support and treatment service providers, including the provision and licencing of multiple gambling support apps in routine service provision. We have strong networks with multiple government and statutory agencies internationally, as well as networks with peak bodies and sector organisations, technology partners, large consulting companies, and statistical consulting services. We prioritise lived experience and community partners to support co-design participatory research, ethical governance, relevance, acceptability, implementation, translation, and real-world impact. We are members of multiple formal collaborative networks, such as the International Gambling Think Tank, which brings together researchers, policymakers, and service providers globally to understand and reduce gambling harm. Importantly, we do not accept funding from the gambling, alcohol, or tobacco industries, thereby maintaining independence from industry influence.
