Deputy Director
Christel is the inaugural Deputy Director of the Australian Centre for Behavioural Research in Diabetes – a partnership for better health between Diabetes Victoria and Deakin University – and a Senior Research Fellow at Deakin University.
Christel trained as a clinical psychologist at the Brussels Free University (Belgium). She has a PhD in psychology, awarded by Royal Holloway University of London, for her research on the psychological impact of screening for type 1 diabetes. She joined the Centre in 2011. Throughout her career, Christel has been actively involved in both the clinical care of people with diabetes and in research. After her PhD, Christel joined the diabetes team of the Diabetes Clinic at the Brussels University Hospital, counselling adults with diabetes and people with obesity or eating disorders. She coordinated international research programs on novel treatments for type 1 diabetes at the Diabetes Research Centre (Free University Brussels). Through these experiences, Christel developed her interests in the key topics of her research today:
- the psychological antecedents and consequences of hypoglycaemia
- the perceptions of people with type 1 diabetes about novel treatments and technologies.
In addition to her research, Christel is actively involved in training health professionals in how to address the emotional aspects of living with diabetes. She is the lead author of ‘Diabetes and Emotional Health: A Handbook for Health Professionals Supporting Adults with Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes’. She is also co-author of ‘Enhancing your Consulting Skills’. Both books are published by the National Diabetes Services Scheme.
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