DrMary-Ann O'Donovan

Associate Professor O’Donovan (PhD) holds a conjoint position of Associate Professor of Disability Studies in the University of Sydney and Executive Director of the Centre for Disability Studies, a research affiliate of the University. O’Donovan has a breadth of research experience involving management of national disability databases, analysis of large datasets, qualitative research, and policy content analysis. O’Donovan has a particular interest in housing for people with intellectual disability including de-institutionalisation, housing mobility and housing stability, homelessness, choice and impact of housing and where one lives on health and health service utilisation. O’Donovan has been in involved in and secured funding for large research projects that have studied the health and wellbeing of people with intellectual disability.

Most notably O’Donovan held the position of Project Manager for the Intellectual Disability Supplement to the Irish Longitudinal Study of Ageing (IDS-TILDA) for the third wave of data collection, securing ethics at Faculty level and from 138 service providers; leading training and management of a large national research team; data collection and reporting. Since departing this role, O’Donovan has maintained lead responsibility for transitions and health service utilisation thematic areas and supported the successful application for both wave 4 and wave 5 data collection. Other funded research projects include: 1) Responsive and inclusiveness of homelessness policy and systems to people with intellectual disabilities in Australia; 2)Mixed methods study of homelessness and people with intellectual disability and/or Autism in Dublin; 3) Lead C.I on ARC funded examination of reality versus rhetoric of the NDIS for people with intellectual disability; 4) co-CI on AHURI funded study on individual supported living models for people with intellectual disability and high support needs 5) EIT Health (European) funded for two phases of intervention to develop programme for People with Intellectual Disability as Physical Activity Leaders 6) Co-lead applicant on Department of Health (Ireland) Evidence review on the quality of life and cost outcomes following de-institutionalisation. In addition, O’Donovan has been hired to undertake discrete research and evaluation projects for government agencies, disability providers and university partners.