Professor Janeen Baxter is the Director of the Australian Research Council Centre for Excellence for Children and Families over the Life Course, which is administered by the Institute for Social Science Research. Janeen has a long and illustrious career in this field, as not only is she a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia and a former member of the Academy’s Executive Committee, but Janeen is also a former Chair of the Social, Behavioural and Economic Sciences panel for the ARC College of Experts. Janeen’s research dovetails neatly with the concerns of the Centre, as she is particularly interested in the ways that family dynamics impact life course pathways and wellbeing. Such research has significant policy ramifications, as indicated by the relationship between the Centre and several government departments, and especially the Commonwealth Department of Social Services.

In the podcast, Janeen reflects on the way her love of a challenge has contributed to her success in her career, and led her to the opportunities mentioned above. Recognising the increasing difficulties facing Early Career Researchers in developing their careers, in the video Janeen explains the usefulness of collaborating and moving outside of your immediate research interests in order to both network more effectively, and to create your own opportunities. In the podcast Janeen offers advice for more senior academics, particularly on how to ensure cohesiveness within much larger research projects.