Dr. Melanie Zimmer-Gembeck and the Zlab
Current and Past Research Projects
CURRENT RESEARCH FUNDING
New!! 2025-2027 Australian Research Council Discovery Grant (DP250104554).
Cracking the Code: Parent Influences on Adolescent Daily Coping with Stress
Kathryn Modecki, Bep Uink, Allison Waters, Melanie Zimmer-Gembeck, Lara Farrell, Caroline Donovan, Rachel Goldberg, Robert Bradley
This project aims to answer vital questions scientists and parents face as adolescents turn to a modern digital toolbox to cope with growing challenges. By advancing a novel theory-based framework, the project expects to generate new knowledge for parents, helping teens to make the most of opportunities and reduce risk. The project combines a nationwide survey of parents with high-resolution insights into parent and teen daily life via novel data collected from smartphones. Expected outcomes include advancement of a new theory of parenting to support
teens and refined methods for addressing parent and teen daily experiences. This should provide significant benefits to building health and wellbeing of Australian adolescents and caregivers.
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New!! 2025-2028 National Health & Medical Research Council Partnership Project.
Bridging the science-service treatment gap for young people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): Implementation of evidence-based care in community mental health services.
Lara Farrell, Iain Perkes, Jessica Grisham, Allison Waters, Natalie Taylor, Melanie Zimmer-Gembeck, Rob Ware, Josh Byrnes, James Scott, Vlasios Brakoulias
Click here for more information
New!! 2025-2028 Wellcome Fund.
Examining the clinical efficacy and acceptability of personalised treatment for childhood anxiety disorders based on children's cognitive-learning risk markers.
Allison Waters, Lara Farrell, Rob Ware, Otmar Lipp, Melanie Zimmer-Gembeck, Rachel Sluis, Camilla Luck, Michelle Craske.
2024-2028 MRFF Rapid Applied Research Translation grant.
The Tracking Cube: Diagnosing children faster, supporting them sooner.
Dianne Shanley, Erinn Hawkins, Marjad Page, Doug Shelton, Natasha Reid, Robert Ware, Joshua Byrnes, Melanie Zimmer-Gembeck, Naila Khan, Aunty Joan Marshall, Vladislav Madic, Ngaire Brown, Kurt Towers, Sandip Kumar, Sheri Madigan.
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2024-2028 National Health & Medical Research Council Partnership Project.
The Tracking Cube: Improving health equity by screening for fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) in primary healthcare.
Dianne Shanley, Erinn Hawkins, Ngiare Brown, Kurt Towers, CIE Melanie Zimmer-Gembeck, Robert Ware, Joshua Byrnes, Natasha Reid, Sheena Reilly, Doug Shelton.​
2023-2025 Growing Minds Australia Nonresponder Trial
Testing follow-up pharmacotherapy for anxious children who do not respond to first-line psychological treatment
Ron Rapee, Allison Waters, Emma Sciberras, Frances Doyle, Valsamma Eapen, Cathrine Mihalopoulos, Melanie Zimmer-Gembeck et al.
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2022-2025 Australian Research Council Discovery Project
Parenting in an unsteady world across nations
Melanie Zimmer-Gembeck, Jaimee Stuart, Stijn Van Petegem, Bart Soenens, Gregoire Zimmerman
2021-2026 National Health & Medical Research Council Partnership Project Grant
A tiered approach to the diagnosis of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder in Remote Indigenous Primary Care Settings
Dianne Shanley, Melanie Zimmer-Gembeck, Karen Moritz, Sheena Reilly, Rob Ware, Joshua Byrnes, Sharon Rundle-Thiele, Amanda Wheeler, Kerryann Walsh
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2003-2025 Queensland (Australia) Department of Families, Seniors, Disability Services and Child Safety
www.familyinteractionprogram.com.au
The Family Interaction Program: Research and service to improve parent-child relationships
Melanie Zimmer-Gembeck, Director
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PAST RESEARCH FUNDING (SINCE 2012)
2023-2024 Australian Sports Commission Participation Grant.
The RISE Rugby League Development Program.
Hinchey, J., Lawry, C., Castle, M.
Griffith University Life-Fit Team of Allison Waters, Rachel Sluis, Lara Farrell, Caroline Donovan, Kathryn Modecki, Melanie Zimmer-Gembeck.
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2019-2024 National Health & Medical Research Council Project Grant
Increasing access to low-intensity, evidence-based interventions for childhood anxiety disorders: A nationwide randomised controlled trial
Allison Waters, Melanie Zimmer-Gembeck, Michelle Craske, Danny Pine, Caroline Donovan, Sue Spence, Lara Farrell, Downes
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2018-2024 National Health & Medical Research Council Project Grant
One-session treatment for specific phobias in pre-school children: Improving access and long-term mental health outcomes – The POP trial
Lara Farrell, Tom Ollendick, Caroline Donovan, Allison Waters, Sue Spence, Melanie Zimmer-Gembeck​
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2023 Griffith Centre for Mental Health Areas of Strategic Investment.
Neglect, Hostile Environments, and Child Development.
Kathryn Modecki, Jacqueline Allen, Silke Meyer, Ned Chandler-Mather, Katherine Reid, Michola Sheeran, Matthew Gullo, Matthew McKenzie, Paul Harnett, Mark Kebbell, Sharon Dawe, Melanie Zimmer-Gembeck.
2023 Griffith Centre for Mental Health Grant Development Scheme.
Protective Factors in Mental Health: Identifying Cognitive and Social Factors that can Reduce the Negative Impact of Upward Social Comparisons Online.
Melanie Zimmer-Gembeck.
2023 School of Applied Psychology (Griffith University) Research Development Scheme.
Approaches to supporting school media literacy education among adolescents.
Riley Scott, Melanie Zimmer-Gembeck, Sarah Prestridge, Jaimee Stuart.
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2023 School of Applied Psychology (Griffith University) Research Development Scheme.
Closing the gap: A randomized controlled trial of staged- care treatment for children and young people with obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Lara Farrell, Allison Waters, Caroline Donovan, Melanie Zimmer-Gembeck, Matthew McKenzie, Gabrielle Simcock.
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2019-2023 Australian Research Council Discovery Project
Uncovering the Toolbox for Youth Resilience: Flexible Coping Responses to Stress
Melanie Zimmer-Gembeck, Kathryn Modecki, Allison Waters, Amanda Duffy, Lara Farrell, David Shum, Ellen Skinner
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2022 Griffith University Health Group Seed Grant
Am I not attractive enough? Pathways, perpetuating factors, and protective behaviours in response to appearance-based cybervictimisation in young adults
Veya Seekis, Amanda Duffy, Melanie Zimmer-Gembeck
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2019-2021 Rotary Mental Health Grant
Improving the mental health of young Australians in sport: A partnership project with the National Rugby League
Allison Waters, Wayne Usher, Lara Farrell, Caroline Donovan, Kathryn Modecki,
Melanie Zimmer-Gembeck, Ron Castle, Mike Hinchey
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2019-2020 Griffith University and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Collaborative Research Grant
Development of a novel imagery intervention to change implicit theories about willpower: Evaluation in Australian and Chinese university students
Kyra Hamilton, Jacob Keech, Martin Hagger, Melanie Zimmer-Gembeck, and Zhu Tsang
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2018-2019 Griffith University and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Collaborative Research Grant
Mindsets, individual differences, coping, and health: An investigation among Australian and Hong Kong university students
Kyra Hamilton, Melanie Zimmer-Gembeck, and Zhu Tsang
2018-2020 Australian Federal Government FASD Diagnostic Services and Models of Care Grant Opportunity
Development and delivery of evidence-based models of care in communities at high risk of FASD
Sharon Dawe, Doug Shelton, Webster, Featherstone, Kruske, Burns, Paul Harnett, Mary Katsikitis, Frances O’Callaghan, Melanie Zimmer-Gembeck
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2019 Dutch University Visiting Travel Fellowship
Nederlands Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research)
Melanie Zimmer-Gembeck & Susan Branje
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2017-2019 Australian Research Council Discovery Project
Dissatisfied, Preoccupied, and Distressed about Appearance: Teasing and Victimisation as Toxic to Adolescents
Melanie Zimmer-Gembeck, Allison Waters, Haley Webb, Lara Farrell, Drew Nesdale, Geraldine Downey, Wyndol Furman
2013-2017 Australian Research Council, Linkage Grant
Empowering and protecting children by enhancing knowledge, skills and well-being: A randomised trial of Learn to BE SAFE with Emmy™
Melanie Zimmer-Gembeck, Dianne Shanley, Kerryann Walsh, Russell Hawkins, Katrina Lines, ACT for Kids
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2014-2016 National Health and Medical Research Council Project Grant
Improving outcomes of evidence-based behaviour therapy for paediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder: a translational efficacy trial of d-cycloserine augmented intensive behaviour therapy
Lara Farrell, Allison Waters, Eric Storch, Brett McDermott, Harry McConnell, Jennifer Hudson, Daniel Geller, Thomas Ollendick, Melanie Zimmer-Gembeck, Evelin Tiralongo
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2014-2016 Australian Rotary Mental Health Grant Scheme
Helping young Australians to “Look for Good”: A school-based trial of positive attention training to increase children’s emotional health and prevent anxiety and depression
Allison Waters, Melanie Zimmer-Gembeck, Karin Mogg, Brendan Bradley, Michelle Craske
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2013-2015 Australian Research Council Discovery Project
Appearance-based Rejection Sensitivity from Childhood to Adolescence: Victimisation, Mental Health Consequences, and Rejection Resilience
Melanie Zimmer-Gembeck, Allison Waters, Drew Nesdale, Lara Farrell, Geraldine Downey
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2012-2014 Australian Research Council Discovery Project
The Future of Childhood Anxiety Treatment: Translating Cognitive-Neuroscience Insights into Clinical Practice
Allison Waters, Melanie Zimmer-Gembeck, Daniel Pine, Michelle Craske, Karin Mogg, Brendan Bradley
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2012-2013 Funded by Areas of Strategic Investment, Griffith Health Institute, Griffith University
Enhancing outcomes for children with anxiety disorders: An interdisciplinary approach to innovative treatments
Allison Waters, Lara Farrell, Laetitia Hattingh, Harry McConnell, Melanie Zimmer-Gembeck, Caroline Donovan, Thomas Ollendick
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2010-2012 Australian Research Council Discovery Project
Rejection Sensitivity in Children and Adolescents: Antecedents, Consequences, and the Promotion of Rejection Resilience
Drew Nesdale, Melanie J Zimmer-Gembeck, Geraldine Downey
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