Dr. Louise Byrne

Dr Louise Byrne is a leading international expert on Lived and Living Experience, acknowledged as a thought-leader in workforce development and the change management strategies required to build authentic, effective and impactful Lived Experience (Peer) workforces. Louise’s name is synonymous with highest quality, evidence-informed work, setting benchmarks for best practice, and enhancing understanding of authentic Lived Experience principles and practice. 

Louise’s work is informed by her personal (consumer) Lived and Living Expertise and her experience in a diverse range of designated work roles across sectors and settings since 2005.

Louise held one of the earliest full-time Lived Experience academic positions in Australia and for seven years led the co-ordination, design and teaching of an online Lived Experience led course – teaching personal recovery concepts to thousands of undergraduate and post-graduate nursing students. Significant empirical research found the training had transformative impacts on the attitudes of students towards people with lived experience.

Louise trained in Intentional Peer Support, and since 2010 has led an internationally ground-breaking body of research on Lived Experience workforce development, culminating in numerous frameworks, policies and models including the Australian ‘National Lived Experience (Peer) Workforce Development Guidelines’. Louise is a Fulbright alumni, has been awarded multiple research fellowships, and holds an Associate Professor Adjunct position at Yale University.

Louise’s program of research has created a theory of change for how to advance understanding, respect and leadership opportunities for the Lived and Living Experience workforces.