People

Health, wellbeing and organisations theme

Dr Asanka Gunasekara

Dr Asanka Gunasekara is a Senior Lecturer in Human Resource Management and People Analytics. Her research focuses on employee wellbeing, mindfulness, emotional intelligence, and migration and identity.

Health, wellbeing and organisations theme

Dr Anna Zhu

Dr Anna Zhu is a Senior Lecturer of economics and the theme Leader for Health, Wellbeing and Organisations in COSC. She leads two Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage grants focused on understanding and enhancing the positive impacts of social and economic policies. Her work brings together insights from machine learning, econometrics, and policy to drive positive change in how individuals thrive. She am committed to advancing evidence-based practices that support better health, greater economic resilience, and improved well-being.

Health, wellbeing and organisations theme

Dr Phuong Hoang

Dr Emmy Hoang is a Senior Lecturer in the Business School at RMIT, Vietnam. Her research and industry collaborations have explored how digital technologies, particularly AI and data-driven platforms, can enhance organisational wellbeing, improve healthcare delivery, and support mental health through more authentic and personalised digital experiences. She has worked with healthcare institutions and social service providers to examine the impact of digital transformation on patient engagement, trust, and service outcomes.

Positive ageing and organisations theme

Professor Bernardo Figueiredo

Dr Bernado Figueiredo is an Professor in Marketing in the School of Economics, Finance & Marketing.

Professor Figueiredo’s research interests focus on understanding how the globalisation of markets and cultures shapes consumption and marketing practices.

Professor Figueiredo has worked on several projects with communities and government including building transformational frameworks, strategic recommendations, and actionable toolkits for community engagement, behavioural change, and consumer wellbeing. He has worked in a variety of industry jobs including marketing positions at Procter and Gamble and Unilever, Science and Technology Analyst for a major research funding institution, Auditor for the Brazilian Government. He has also been and Marketing Director and CEO in two SMEs in the art and culture industry.

Positive ageing and organisations theme

Dr Sarah Sinclair

Dr Sarah Sinclair is a Senior Lecturer in Economics. Her interest areas and projects include Supporting Ageing well at home, the social implications of digital transformation, and the implications of digital technologies on how we interact with 'place'.

Gender equity and organisations theme

Dr Leila Afshari

Dr Leila Afshari is a  Senior Lecturer in the School of Management 

Dr Afshari’s current research interests include Employee Well-being and Performance, High Performing Work Systems, Professional and Organizational Identity, Organizational Leadership, Women in STEM and Leadership, and Professional Development of Migrants.

Her recent research projects with the industry was focused on measuring the effectiveness of the DSTG's collaboration with their strategic alliances.

Gender equity and organisations theme

Dr Pradeepa Dahanayake

Dr Pradeepa Dahanayake is a lecturer in Human Resource Management, with a passion in empowering vulnerable communities including women, migrant women and CALD communities. Her research interests include diversity and inclusion in organisations, and gender-based violence.

Gender equity and organisations theme

Dr Catherine Earl

Dr Catherine Earl is an Associate Professor and qualitative researcher at the School of Communication and Design, RMIT Vietnam. Her research and policy focus includes gender equity and inclusion in contemporary Vietnam and Australia.

Multi-cultural Inclusion and organisations theme

Dr Marian Makkar

Dr Marian Makkar is a Senior Lecturer of Marketing whose research explores how culture, identity, and technology shape diverse consumer experiences and market inclusion. She collaborates with industry, not-for-profits, and communities to foster cultural understanding, social impact, and empowerment.

Multi-cultural Inclusion and organisations theme

Associate Professor My Nguyen

My Nguyen is an Associate Professor of Finance and the Deputy Head of the Finance Department at RMIT. Her research involves how finance intersects with social and organisational contexts, including how organisational practices affect multicultural environments, inclusion and diversity. She investigates how access to finance can empower underrepresented groups, how organisational practices affect innovation and inclusion, and how regulatory and institutional settings shape outcomes across multicultural environments.

Multi-cultural Inclusion and organisations theme

Dr Thao Luong

Dr Thao Luong is a Lecturer and the Interim Senior Program Manager, Human Resources Management for Undergraduate Business Programs at RMIT, Vietnam. Her research examines how multicultural inclusion and equity are fostered within organisations through the lenses of negotiation, conflict resolution, meaningful work and economic empowerment.