Biography and expertise
Biography
Professor Mark Hughes is a social worker and has worked in health, aged care and mental health settings in both Australia and the UK. He has also worked at the University of Queensland, the University of New South Wales, and Goldsmiths College, London. Professor Hughes is a former Chair of Academic Board and Dean of Arts and Social Sciences at Southern Cross University. He is currently Editor-in-Chief of Australasian Journal on Ageing (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/17416612) and is a former Editor of Australian Social Work. He is also a member of the Australian Research Council College of Experts.
Professor Hughes' work contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals
Research
Professor Mark Hughes's research centres on ageing and the delivery of health and aged care services to older people. He has previously researched conflict and violence in care-giving relationships, dementia and care-giving, older people's transitions through health and community care systems, and educational initiatives to facilitate reflective practice with older people. He has also published broadly on social work education, social work organisations and the impact of social work research.
Professor Hughes is currently engaged in a program of research on ageing in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) communities, which has included projects on health and wellbeing, loneliness, sexual identity expression in health and aged care, experiences accessing services, and care networks. He is currently leading a MRFF grant on co-creating rainbow inclusive care in residential aged care and is the Australian collaborator on the Global Pride Project.