Professor Donna Cross OAM is an Emeritus Professor and Senior Honorary Fellow at the University of Western Australia and Senior Strategic Advisor at the Telethon Kids Institute and the Chief Behavioural Advisor to the NSW government.

Professor Donna Cross is an internationally renowned academic, having contributed to child and adolescent health and education research addressing school-based wellbeing issues related to drug use, road safety, smoking and bullying behaviour prevention and children’s social and emotional development. She has worked extensively across Australia and internationally leading Health Promotion and Education Research teams to improve children’s and adolescents’ wellbeing, with a focus on mental health and social-emotional wellbeing. Donna has an international reputation for developing school and community-based interventions to enhance social and emotional development and reduce anti-social behaviour among children and young people.

Professor Cross’ contribution to children’s research has been recognised by being awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2022 and inducted into the WA Women’s Hall of Fame. She was awarded the 2012 WA Australian of the Year Award and the 2012 Future Justice Prize for Australian leadership and initiative in the advancement of future justice. In 2016 she was awarded a Churchill Fellowship and an NHMRC Research Fellowship and was inducted as a fellow to the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Science 2015. She was appointed as the Chief Behaviour Policy Advisor to the NSW Department of Education in 2023.