Academy Fellow

Angela Nickerson is a clinical psychologist who undertakes research into the psychological and social mechanisms underlying refugee mental health. Her research program draws on longitudinal, experimental and intervention studies to identify key drivers of psychological symptoms in refugees. Her research has advanced theoretical models of refugee wellbeing, bringing together previously siloed areas of research to propose causal pathways by which refugees’ environment, psychological skills and social context can influence mental health. Angela’s empirical work has focused on the systematic testing of pathways laid out in these theoretical models. She has elucidated the impact of restrictive immigration policies such as temporary protection, immigration detention and offshore processing on refugee mental health. She has also undertaken basic research to examine the role of key psychological processes, such as moral injury, emotion regulation and self-efficacy on refugee wellbeing. This experimental and longitudinal work has provided a platform for the development and testing of novel psychological interventions for posttraumatic stress disorder in refugees.

Angela has published more than 160 journal articles, book chapters and edited books on the subject of refugee and post-traumatic mental health. Her impact on the field is demonstrated by the awards and prizes, including the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies Chaim and Bela Danieli Award (2017) the Edgeworth David Medal from the Royal Society of NSW (2018), and the Australian Association of Cognitive and Behavioural Therapies Mid-Career Award (2023). Angela has been elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of NSW (2019), and as President of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (2024), for which she also served on the Board of Directors (2018 to 2025). Angela has received numerous research fellowships throughout her career, including the NHMRC Investigator Leadership Grant, NHMRC Clinical Career Development Fellowship, and NHMRC Clinical Early Career Fellowship.

Angela’s work has had a significant impact on policy and practice with refugees. Her research was used to inform the repealing of Temporary Protection Visas for refugees in 2023, and increased community awareness about the mental health effects of restrictive immigration policies. She works closely with leading Australian and international refugee settlement and clinical services to increase access to evidence-based care for refugees, and to inform targeted interventions at an individual and community level. 

Professor, School of Psychology, UNSW Sydney (2020 to present)

Director, Refugee Trauma and Recovery Program, School of Psychology, UNSW Sydney (2013 to present)

Associate Professor, School of Psychology, UNSW Sydney (2018 to 2019)

Senior Lecturer, School of Psychology, UNSW Sydney (2015 to 2018)

Lecturer, School of Psychology, UNSW Sydney (2014 to 2015)

Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Boston University (2011 to 2012)

Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Harvard Medical School (2010 to 2011)

Immediate Past President, International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (2024 to 2025)

President, International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (2023 to 2024)

UNSW Faculty of Science Impact-Drive Partnership Award for Pathways to Refugee Wellbeing Team at Refugee Trauma and Recovery Program (2024)

President-Elect, International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (2022 to 2023)

Australian Association for Cognitive and Behavioural Therapies Mid-Career Award (2023)

Australian Society for Mental Health Research Psychosocial Research Team Award for Refugee Trauma and Recovery Program (2020)

Vice President, International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (2019 to 2020)

Elected Member, Board of Directors, International Society for Traumatic Stress studies (2018 to 2025)

Royal Society of New South Wales Edgeworth David Medal (2018)

International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies Chaim and Bela Danieli Award (2017)

Australian Institute of Policy and Sciences Young Tall Poppy Science Award (2014)

First Prize in Australian Society for Traumatic Stress Studies Research Excellence Awards (2009)

Nickerson, A., Mai, V., Keegan, D., Willoughby, C., Humphreys, K., Im, J., Sundram, S., Procter, N. Seidler, Z. E., Scharpf, F. & Liddell, B. J. (2024). A systematic review of protective and promotive factors in refugee mental health. Nature Mental Health, 2 10.1038/s44220-024-00336-9

Nickerson, A., Kurt, G., Liddell, B. J., Keegan, D., Nandyatama, R., Yuanita, A., Argadianti, R., Hoffman, J., Kashyap, S., Mastrogiovanni, N., Mai, V., Camilleri, A., Susanty, D., Tricesaria, D., Rostami, H., Im, J., Gurzeda, M., Khakbaz, M., Funnell, S., Pestalozzi, Z. & Specker, P. (2025). The longitudinal relationship between psychological symptoms and social functioning in displaced refugees. Psychological Medicine, 55, e40

Nickerson, A., Byrow, Y., O'Donnell, M., Bryant, R A., Mau, V., McMahon, T., Hoffman, J., Mastrogiovanni, N., Specker, P. & Liddell, B. J. (2023). The mental health effects of changing from insecure to secure visas for refugees. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 57, 1486-1495, https://doi.org/10.1177/00048674231177950.

Nickerson, A., Byrow, Y., Hoffman, J., O’Donnell, M., Bryant, R. A., Mastrogiovanni, N., McMahon, T., Benson, G., Mau, V. & Liddell, B. J. (2020). The longitudinal association between moral injury appraisals and psychological outcomes in refugees. Psychological Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291720004262

Nickerson, A., Byrow, Y., Pajak, R., McMahon, T., Bryant, R. A., Christensen, H. & Liddell, B. J. (2020). Tell Your Story: A randomized controlled trial of an on-line intervention to reduce mental health stigma and increase help-seeking in refugee men with posttraumatic stress. Psychological Medicine, 50(5), 709-712. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291719000606