Associate Professor Giallo leads a productive life course epidemiological and clinical intervention research program focused on optimising the mental health of children and families affected by social adversity and intergenerational trauma. She is particularly passionate about men’s health in early fatherhood, and family-based interventions in the early years of children’s lives to prevent and disrupt intergenerational cycles of poor health within families. This work has been enabled by partnerships with community health services supporting children and their families. Her research is informed by 10 years’ experience as a psychologist working with children and families in educational, hospital and community health settings.

Associate Professor Giallo's vision is to optimise the health of children and their families affected by intergenerational trauma and social adversity across the life course. She is leading research that is informing investment in evidence-based, cost-effective and scalable interventions for families during pregnancy and the critical early years of their child’s development.

Her integrated program of life course epidemiological and clinical intervention research is:

(1) determining the relative contribution of early life adversity, including the COVID-19 pandemic, to poor family health and common child health problems (poor mental health, asthma, obesity) that are of significant burden to children, families and the health care system,

(2) identifying what promotes resilience in children and families experiencing social adversity, and

(3) designing and trialling scalable interventions for harder-to-reach and neglected cohorts such as fathers, families receiving child protection services, and those affected by family violence.

This research program is generating high-quality evidence to reduce health inequalities in socially disadvantaged children and break intergenerational cycles of poor family heath.