ProfessorMichelle Villeneuve

PhD (Education), MSc (Rehabilitation Science), BSc (Occupational Therapy)

Professor Michelle Villeneuve (PhD, MSc, BSc) is Deputy Director at the University of Sydney impact Centre for Disability Research and Policy. She leads the Collaborating4Inclusion research program that advanced the Person-Centred Emergency Preparedness (P-CEP) framework and process tool and nurtured its uptake into policy and practice across Australia.

Michelle is recognised for her research that brings together health, community, disability, and emergency services sectors to establish cross-sector policy and practice on person-centred and capability-focused approaches to inclusive emergency planning. Her research informs both conceptual and practical dimensions of interprofessional collaboration and resource utilisation.

She brings to this research over 20 years of experience working in regions of conflict and natural hazard disaster to develop community-led programs and services and re-build opportunities for people with disability. Her partnership research and contributions to Disability Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction (DIDRR) in Australia have impacted policy and practice to advance disability inclusive emergency management here in Australia and overseas.

Her co-produced research outputs have been recognised through 18 awards, including the 2023 National Resilient Australia Award for the P-CEP Certificate course. Prof Villeneuve's contributions to transformational change in global health outcomes were recognised with the 2020 Canadian Women in Global Health Award.

Prof Villeneuve is the research lead of Collaborating4Incluion.

Collaborating4Inclusion Mission:

• Our vision is to position Australia as a global leader in implementing DIDRR, setting a benchmark for effective collaborative action, demonstrating inclusive strategies, and nurturing their translation and scaling into policy and practice.
• Our mission is to actively engage, innovate, and collaborate across communities, organisations, and government, advancing inclusive practices through evidence-informed and practice-based solutions that leave nobody behind.
• Our aim is to maximise cross-sector DIDRR capabilities through shared learning and the removal of barriers that increase risks, ensuring the safety and resilience of people with disability in the face of disasters triggered by natural hazard events and other emergencies (e.g., health emergencies like pandemic and housefire).