Associate Professor Kristy Coxon is Head of Discipline for Occupational Therapy and Podiatry in the School of Health Sciences at Western Sydney University. She is a registered Occupational Therapist with a PhD in Public Health from the University of Sydney and training in driver assessment. She has more than 25 years of experience spanning clinical practice, higher education, research, and academic leadership. Associate Professor Coxon has a strong connection with Western Sydney University, having graduated with First Class Honours and the University Medal from the first cohort of occupational therapy students at Western.

Before joining academia, she worked as an occupational therapist across acute, rehabilitation and community health settings in Western Sydney, contributing to service development, program evaluation and multidisciplinary initiatives aimed at improving health outcomes and access to care.

Since commencing her academic career at Western Sydney University in 2005, Associate Professor Coxon has held a range of leadership positions, including Academic Course Advisor, Director of Academic Program and, currently, Head of Discipline for Occupational Therapy and Podiatry. She has extensive experience in curriculum development, student learning and preparation for practice, and is committed to developing future health professionals through high-quality education and research supervision. She supervises PhD, Masters and Honours students and is a member of the Translational Health Research Institute (THRI).

Associate Professor Coxon's research focuses on participation, mobility and safety across the lifespan, with particular expertise in driving, transport, rehabilitation and injury prevention. Her research has examined the safety and mobility needs of older drivers, the impact of emerging vehicle technologies, driving participation following illness and injury, and broader issues relating to community mobility and independence. She has led and collaborated on research projects funded through government, industry and university partnerships and has established a national and international research profile in occupational therapy, road safety and mobility research.

Associate Professor Coxon has contributed to policy and practice developments in driver assessment and rehabilitation and works closely with clinicians, researchers and community stakeholders to translate research findings into practice. Her broader interests include occupational participation, rehabilitation, pressure care management, health service innovation and the use of technology to support independence and community engagement.

Associate Professor Coxon is Chair of the Western Sydney University Human Research Ethics Committee and is actively involved in research governance, mentorship and capacity building for emerging researchers. She has authored more than 50 peer-reviewed publications and reports and regularly presents at national and international conferences.