Technology and new media have dramatically changed the way in which young people interact with their world, shaping relationships and redefining ‘being connected’. The flip side of the technology revolution is the rise of serious challenges for young people: cyberbullying, social isolation and discrimination.

An unprecedented opportunity exists to create technology-savvy tools to address cybersafety, mental health and wellbeing online.   

The Cooperative Research Centre for Young People, Technology and Wellbeing (YAW-CRC), led by the Inspire Foundation, unites young people with researchers, practitioners and innovators from 63 partner organisations across the not-for-profit, academic, government and corporate sectors.  Through an international research agenda, YAW-CRC will create tools and strategies for young people to participate safely and confidently online, with the aim of ensuring all young Australians are safe, happy, healthy and resilient.

Associate Professor Jane Burns is the Chief Executive Officer of The Cooperative Research Centre for Young People, Technology and Wellbeing. The establishment of the CRC is a culmination of Jane’s work in suicide and depression prevention over the last decade which has focused on international and national partnerships with academic, government, corporate, philanthropic, not for profit and community sectors. Most recently Jane was Director of International Partnerships, Research, Policy and Practice at the Inspire Foundation.   

Jane holds a VicHealth Principal Research Fellowship at Orygen Youth Health Research Centre, Centre for Youth Mental Health at the University of Melbourne and an Honorary Fellowship at the Brain & Mind Research Institute, University of Sydney. She was a Commonwealth Fund Harkness Fellow in 2004-2005 at the University of California, San Francisco. She joined beyondblue: the national depression initiative in its start up phase and established and managed the youth agenda (2000-2004). Jane completed her PhD in Medicine (Psychiatry and  Epidemiology) at the University of Adelaide (1994-1996).