Meri Grajdan
Research Assistant, HDR Student Teaching Fellow, PhD Candidate
Meri is a PhD candidate, Higher Degree Research (HDR) Student Teaching Fellow, and Research Assistant in the School of Applied Psychology and the Hopkins Centre. Her Honours research examined the interplay between child temperament and parenting factors in relation to child sleep. Her PhD programme uses participatory research methods to explore how parents of anxious children can be supported within digital cognitive behavioural therapy interventions.
Meri has a background in healthcare and previously completed a Bachelor of Registered Nursing in Finland. At the Hopkins Centre, she works part-time as a Research Assistant on a vocational peer support project for individuals with spinal cord injury.
Prior to becoming a researcher, Meri worked for a UnitingCare Health private hospital for many years, gaining expertise in medical records management and patient administration.
In her lesuire time Meri enjoys walking her dog, gardening or going to gym fitness classes and has recently taken on archery with her teenage daughter.
Publications
Grajdan, M. M. V., Etel, E., Farrell, L. J., & Donovan, C. L. (2024). A systematic review of parental involvement in digital cognitive behavioural therapy interventions for child anxiety. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 28, 22-70. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10567-024-00505-3
Shin, I., Hudson, F., Etel, E., Grajdan, M., Chawla, J., & Donovan, C. (2025). P057 Clinician perspectives on online sleep program for children with neurodisabilities. SLEEP Advances, 6(Supplement_1), A42-A42. https://doi.org/10.1093/sleepadvances/zpaf053.117
Grajdan, M. M. V., Etel, E., Shiels, A., Farrell, L. J., & Donovan, C. L. (2026). The challenges of parenting a child with anxiety: Insights from a qualitative lived experience study. Child Psychiatry & Human Development. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-026-01964-1
Current Projects
Featured Publications
Group Singing Has Multiple Benefits in the Context of Chronic Pain: An Exploratory Pilot Study
Published 5th September 2019
