Chez has over 20 years’ experience conducting research and evaluation in university and community contexts. After working as a sessional academic and Research Officer on mental health, housing affordability and homelessness projects, she was appointed Post-Doctoral Fellow on a Marsden-funded project addressing the social, cultural and emotional dimensions of homelessness. After moving to Australia in 2011, Chez returned to the community sector working in disability research before moving to her current role as Research & Knowledge Translation Manager at UnitingCare in 2015. At UnitingCare, Chez is responsible for developing and managing research projects, which are usually conducted in partnership with university-based researchers and students, and building organisational capacity to improve practice based on evidence. In addition to the current project on coercive control in family law programs, Chez has managed and contributed to projects addressing men’s behaviour change programs, child-inclusive practice, staff wellbeing, responses to loneliness and elder abuse. She is experienced in co-design and participatory approaches, knowledge translation and the engagement of practitioners and clients in research.
Dr. Chez Leggatt-Cook
