Meet the Team

Dr Jackie Davis is the Co-Director of ORIGINS at The Kids Research Institute Australia, where she oversees strategic and operational functions across multiple sites.

Dr Davis recently completed her PhD at the University of Western Australia's School of Medicine, focusing on engagement in digital mental health and wellbeing programs during pregnancy. Her research emphasized the importance of early intervention using contemplative practices like mindfulness and self-compassion to support emotional wellbeing in the perinatal period

In collaboration with researchers at The Kids, Dr Davis co-developed the Mums Minds Matter study, a custom mental health app designed to enhance long-term wellbeing skills among perinatal women. The study found that the app boosted long-term skill use 12 months after the study concluded.

As a Curtin University Research Fellow, Dr Davis has evaluated federal government-funded services, including suicide prevention, homelessness, and Aboriginal health services, guiding policy and practice changes in Australia. She is also a Clinical Senior Lecturer at the UWA Medical School, Paediatrics. 

Dr Davis is currently accepting PhD students and welcomes inquiries.

Professor Desiree Silva Co-Director of ORIGINS and Professor of Paediatrics at The University of Western Australia. She is the inaugural Director of Research at Joondalup Health Campus and also provides a rural paediatric service. 

She has a strong interest in neurodevelopmental disorders with over 25 years experience in managing children diagnosed with ADHD, autism, anxiety and developmental disorders. 

Professor Silva has been involved in a number of strategic reviews including the impact of swimming pools in Aboriginal communities and paediatric planning for Western Australia.  She worked with the WA Health Department on a Needs Analysis which has enabled her to be part of translational research with the Paediatric Implementation Plan which provides state-wide service level recommendations, strategies and actions for Western Australia.

She recently completed her PhD and published a number of articles on the early environmental risk factors and education and justice outcomes for children diagnosed with ADHD in Western Australia. Her PhD on risk factors and outcomes for ADHD enabled her to recognise the limited up to date information available for parents and teachers and published the ADHD Go-To Guide for teachers and parents through UWA Publishing that is currently one of their top selling books. She has been a strong advocate in understanding early brain development, nature-relatedness and improving the lives of children and parents who have mental health conditions.

Professor Silva is on the board of Nature Play WA and St Marys Anglican Girls' School. She is a strong advocate of having a healthy lifestyle, good work life balance and a sense of adventure.