Joan Gains

Joan is a parent with a 25 year old son Nicholas, who has CP and an ID. For the past 20 years, she has been involved with many organisations associated with improving outcomes for people with CP and their families. With a professional background in Early Childhood Education, Joan has been working in research for the past 10 years. Firstly, as a Consumer Representative and then as a Research Assistant at Melbourne University, working primarily around research into the mental health of mothers of children with CP. Joan is a trainer and speaker on the benefits of community engagement in research.