Personal profile
Research Biography
I conduct applied ethnographic and mixed-methods research on the relationship between organisational culture and worker health, safety, and wellbeing, and on the socio-cultural dimensions of complex human, animal, and environmental issues.
My current research is focussed on workplace interventions for reducing the harms of alcohol, tobacco and other drug (ATOD) use, as well as workforce development in the ATOD sector.
My skills in mixed-methods research and project management research have been applied to a diverse range of fields including: organisational change and safety/risk management, risk perception, academic leadership, natural disaster preparedness, One Health, personal biosecurity practices, human behaviour change for animal welfare, human-animal relations and large animal technical rescue.
Specific projects have included: the culture of alcohol in Australian rules football, metropolitan train driver fatigue, passenger railway crowding, domestic food waste, ECR development and research leadership pathways, zoonotic disease prevention in the Thoroughbred horse breeding industry, COVID-19 measures in residential aged care, personal protective behaviours of horse riders, the impact of menstruation on participation in equestrian sport, children's conceptualisation of healthy food, the socio-economic impact of an alternative place of detention in SA, access to driver licensing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, dog-bite prevention programmes, and the impact of roster changes to ambulance personnel and government employees.
My publications portfolio includes over 100 peer-review articles, chapters, edited volumes, manuscripts, reports and magazine articles (Scopus h index = 21 from 108 works (115works on ORCID). I have published five articles in The Conversation, am a regular social science contributor to Horses and People Magazine, co-authored ‘(Un)Stable Relations: Horses, Humans and Social Agency’ (Routledge, 2018) and co-edited 'Equestrian cultures in global and local contexts' (2017).
I also co-created an episode of 'All in the Mind' on equine-assisted therapy during my residence for being one of ABC Radio National's 'Top 5 Under 40' scientists in 2015.
For a full list of publications, please visit https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kirrilly-Thompson
Completed Supervisions
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PhD |
Meredith Chapman |
2025 |
CQUni |
Co |
Investigating a Workplace Health and Safety Framework to Reduce Human Horse-related Injuries and Fatalities in Work, Sport and Leisure |
|
PhD |
Joshua Trigg |
2018 |
CQUni |
Primary |
Archetyping the pet-owner connection: Using relational dimensions of human-animal bonds to understand risk propensity and risk-taking behaviour in disaster contexts |
|
PhD |
Lily Hirsch |
2016 |
CQUni |
Primary |
It’s a jungle in here: Conceptualising the crowdedness experience of Mumbai’s railway commuters |
|
PhD |
Lynette Browning |
2016 |
CQUni |
Co |
Growing your own: Building research capability in higher education |
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PhD |
Sandra Davison |
2015 |
UniSA |
Co |
Developing, delivering and evaluation a psychology based informational intervention for reducing food waste in households |
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PhD |
Vicki Mavrakis |
2014 |
Flinders |
Co |
The generative mechanisms of 'food waste' in South Australian household settings |
|
PhD |
Christian Reynolds |
2014 |
UniSA |
Co |
Quantification of Australian Food Wastage with Input-Output analysis |
|
PhD |
Valerie O’Keeffe |
2013 |
UniSA |
Co |
Nurses’ sensemaking: The social context of occupational health and safety decision making |
|
Master of Safety Science |
Meredith Chapman |
2015 |
CQUni |
Primary |
WHS & Equestrian Safety |
|
Master of Psychology |
Mikaila Crotty |
2012 |
UniSA |
Co |
Exploring Responsibility and Accountability In Clinical Handover |
|
Honours (Clinical Exercise Physiology) |
Concetta Amuso |
2024 |
UniSA |
Co |
Experiences and Impacts of Urinary Incontinence on Australian Female Horse Riders Application |
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Honours (Psychology) |
Tessa Benveniste |
2012 |
CQUni |
Co |
Children’s sleep knowledge and behaviour |
|
Honours (Psychology) |
Chanel Nesci |
2010 |
UniSA |
Primary |
Eventers’ risk perception |
Education/Academic qualification
PhD, PhD Social Sciences (Cultural Anthropology), University of Adelaide
Award Date: 30 Jul 2007
External positions
Honorary Lecturer, University of Newcastle, Australia
2023 → …
Supervision
- Registered
Research Areas
- Sociology
Supervisory Interests
- Qualitative research
Keywords
- H Social Sciences (General)
- GN Anthropology
- BF Psychology
- RA0421 Public health. Hygiene. Preventive Medicine
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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SDG 1 No Poverty -
SDG 2 Zero Hunger -
SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being -
SDG 4 Quality Education -
SDG 5 Gender Equality -
SDG 6 Clean Water and Sanitation -
SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy -
SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth -
SDG 9 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure -
SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities -
SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities -
SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production -
SDG 13 Climate Action -
SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions -
SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals
Fingerprint
- 1 Similar Profiles
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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Considering alcohol and other drug screening, brief intervention and referral to treatment in two safety-sensitive industries in Australia: An exploratory qualitative study
Thompson, K., Hart, T. & Bowden, J., Jun 2026, In: Addiction. 121, 6, p. 1434-1444 11 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile1 Downloads (Pure) -
Correction: Present but Overlooked: A Scoping Review of Instruments and Approaches for Measuring Presenteeism Related to Alcohol, Tobacco, and Drug Use (Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, (2025), 10.1007/s10926-025-10317-z)
Thompson, K., Ahad, M. A., Di Censo, G., Hines, S., Rich, N., McEntee, A. & Bowden, J., 1 Mar 2026, In: Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation. 36, 1, p. 329-330 2 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Comment/debate
Open AccessFile5 Downloads (Pure) -
Corrigendum to “Identifying predictors of Australian workers’ illicit substance use: A nationally representative study”(Addictive Behaviors, (2025), 170, C, (108417), (S0306460325001789), 10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108417)
Di Censo, G., Thompson, K. & Bowden, J., Jan 2026, In: Addictive Behaviors. 172, 1 p., 108511.Research output: Contribution to journal › Comment/debate
Open AccessFile1 Downloads (Pure) -
Equipped for the Frontline? Alcohol and other Drug-Related Competencies among Australian Social Workers
Censo, G. D., Bowden, J., Hudson, S., Peters, W., McLaren, H., Cameron, J. & Thompson, K., 11 Mar 2026, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Australian Social Work.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Illicit cannabis use among workers in Australia: A nationally representative cross-sectional analysis of prevalence, determinants, and associated absenteeism
Di Censo, G., Thompson, K. & Bowden, J., 1 Mar 2026, In: Drug and Alcohol Dependence. 280, 7 p., 113057.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile1 Downloads (Pure)
Projects
- 2 Active
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Alcohol, Tobacco, E-cigarette and Other Drugs (ATEOD) Research and Evaluation Program
Bowden, J. (Chief Investigator (Project Lead)), Edwards, R. (Chief Investigator), Bartram, A. (Chief Investigator), Kostadinov, V. (Chief Investigator), Ullah, S. (Chief Investigator), Bonevski, B. (Chief Investigator), Hefler, M. (Chief Investigator), Walker, N. (Chief Investigator), Trigg, J. (Chief Investigator), Smith, J. (Chief Investigator), Hughes, C. (Chief Investigator), Ryder, C. (Chief Investigator), Mackean, T. (Chief Investigator), Karnon, J. (Chief Investigator), Thompson, K. (Associate Investigator), Azizi, H. (Associate Investigator) & Roseleur, J. (Associate Investigator)
1/01/26 → 31/12/28
Project: Research
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Health and Wellbeing Survey of the New South Wales Non-Government Organisation Alcohol and Other Drug Workforce
Thompson, K. (Chief Investigator (Project Lead)), Bowden, J. (Chief Investigator), Di Censo, G. (Chief Investigator) & Kostadinov, V. (Chief Investigator)
27/06/25 → 31/12/26
Project: Research
Prizes
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CQUni Vice Chancellor's Award for Outstanding Mid Career Researcher
Thompson, K. (Recipient), 2015
Prize
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Radio National and UNSW’s Top 5 Under 40 Scientist
Thompson, K. (Recipient), 2015
Prize: Other distinction