Nicole Peel is a health researcher and educator whose work explores how recreation, play, and structured leisure can foster resilience and wellbeing in individuals and communities experiencing adversity. She is motivated by the belief that we are all interconnected within a dynamic living system.

Nicole earned her Ph.D. from Western Sydney University and holds degrees in Leisure Studies, Health Science, and Business Administration. With over 30 years of experience, she is a well-established clinical recreational therapist and health educator, specialising in supporting individuals with intellectual and physical disabilities, older adults, children and adolescents, and other marginalized populations to improve health across the lifespan. She approaches her work as a scientist, driven by curiosity and a commitment to finding innovative solutions that promote equity and wellbeing.

Building on this extensive practice experience, Nicole’s research focuses on how structured leisure and recreation programs can promote resilience, belonging, and community connection particularly for children, families, and older adults facing adversity. She is especially interested in inclusive, community-based, and intergenerational approaches that activate people’s strengths and support meaningful engagement through everyday activity.

In addition to her work on recreation and wellbeing, Nicole also investigates the intersection of social isolation and health literacy. She examines how these factors shape the wellbeing of marginalized individuals and their families and works to make critical health resources more accessible to diverse caregivers, including foster parents, family members, friends, and support staff.

Nicole’s research sits at the intersection of public health, therapeutic recreation, and community development, and she is actively involved in projects addressing systemic barriers to wellbeing. She currently serves as chief investigator on a longitudinal study examining the health and wellbeing of foster carers. As a registered HDR supervisor, she warmly welcomes inquiries from prospective honours, master’s, and Ph.D. students who are passionate about advancing inclusive, practice-oriented research that makes a difference.