Associate Professor Gemma Read is the Director of the Centre for Human Factors and Sociotechnical Systems at UniSC. She also leads the Transport and Infrastructure theme within the Centre. Gemma completed an Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Research (DECRA) fellowship in 2021. She gained her PhD in human factors from Monash University also holds undergraduate degrees in behavioural science and law. She has worked in the field of transportation human factors since 2006 in both academic and government roles.
Gemma’s main areas of expertise and interest include the application of methods and approaches with a basis in complexity and systems theory to enhance safety. She is also interested in how better translation of human factors research outcomes into real world practice can be achieved.
Professional memberships
- Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (US)
- Human Factors and Ergonomics Society of Australia
Awards
- Early Career Research Excellence Award, 2018, University of the Sunshine Coast
- Vice Chancellor and President's Medal for Excellence in Research (Early Career Researcher), 2017, University of the Sunshine Coast
- Mollie Hollman Doctoral Medal for best thesis, 2015, Monash University Accident Research Centre, Monash University
- Winner, 3 Minute Thesis Competition, 2014, Monash Injury Research Institute
- HFES Student Travel Honorarium, 2012, Human Factors and Ergonomics Society
- Best paper (co-author) – 11th International Symposium of the Australian Aviation Psychology Association, 2012, Australian Aviation Psychology Association
- Australian Postgraduate Award (Industry), 2011–2014, Australian Research Council
- APS Prize for Psychology – Monash University, 2009, Australian Psychological Society
- Women in Transport Scholarship, 2009, Victorian Department of Transpor
Professional Social Media
Potential research projects for HDR and Honours students
- Human factors in transport safety applications (road, rail, maritime)
- Human factors and rail level crossing safety
- Human factors and automation
- Accident analysis
- Sociotechnical systems analysis and design
- Safety regulation
Research areas
- human factors and ergonomics
- transportation safety (road, rail, maritime, aviation)
- sociotechnical systems & systems thinking
- systems approaches to analysis and design
- accident analysis
Dr Gemma Read’s specialist areas of knowledge include transport human factors, the development and application of methods and approaches with a basis in systems theory, translation of human factors research into practice, and transport safety regulation.
In the news
How to build the best human-AI teams: new UniSC research funded
31 Oct 2023Artificial intelligence and humans don’t have an ideal working relationship yet, but new funding will help researchers at the University of the Sunshine Coast search for a solution.