Dr Christine Coumarelos

DIRECTOR, RESEARCH PROGRAM (NCAS)

Dr Christine Coumarelos has more than 25 years’ experience directing research programs in the areas of crime and justice, as well as broader research experience in psychology and health.

Her career has focused on informing justice policy, programs and service delivery, with a particular interest in improving justice and broader life outcomes for disadvantaged and marginalised groups – including people experiencing domestic and family violence, people with a disability, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and people from culturally and linguistically backgrounds.

Christine’s research and evaluation expertise includes major population surveys and spans quantitative, qualitative and mixed-methods approaches. She has provided high-level strategic leadership in all aspects of research and evaluation, including setting research agendas; designing, delivering and quality assuring methods, statistical analyses and reports; securing external research funding; and undertaking research alliances with partner organisations and stakeholders.

Christine led the research programs at the Law and Justice Foundation of NSW from 2003 to 2019 and at the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research from 1993 to 2001. She has also held senior research and policy positions at NSW Police and Worksafe Australia.

At the Law and Justice Foundation of NSW, Christine led the seminal Legal Australia-Wide (LAW) Survey, the largest legal needs survey anywhere in the world. This body of work now underpins justice policy and public legal assistance services in Australia, including the National Partnership Agreement between the Commonwealth Government and public legal assistance services. Christine’s research provided impetus to the drive towards joined-up legal and human services to provide more holistic and enduring outcomes for clients. The Law and disorders research which she led was influential in the movement towards Health-Justice service partnerships in Australia.

Christine has a BSc in Psychology (Honours 1) and a PhD in Psychology from the University of NSW.