Close-up portrait of a woman with shoulder-length brown hair and blue eyes, smiling slightly against a neutral background.
A woman with long, curly brown hair and light skin, wearing a white collared shirt under a dark red sweater, standing against a plain brown background.
Close-up photo of a young man with glasses, short brown hair, wearing a black shirt.

  • Lead Investigator

    David is a cultural geographer who is fascinated by how transformations in work, mobility and housing are reshaping people's lives. He develops concepts that help to better understand these transformations. He aims to help communities and stakeholders navigate these transformations in inclusive and socially-just ways.

  • Investigator

    Leah Ruppanner is a Professor of Sociology and Founding Director of The Future of Work Lab and the Gender Equity Initiative at the University of Melbourne. She was awarded the top in field for Gender Studies (2022 and 2023) and Sociology (2023) for all of Australia. Professor Ruppanner is a leading expert on COVID-19 and its impact on gender inequality in US and Australia. Her current book, Drained offers a new way to understand the mental load and is forthcoming in 2025 (Penguin Random House USA, Allen and Unwin Australia, Atlantic Books, UK).

  • Investigator

    Brendan is a sociologist researching in the areas of work and employment, family, youth and gender. His current research program focuses on the changing nature of work and employment for young people, women and families with a particular interest in how the future of work will unfold and impact these groups. He is also researching the gendered dimensions of the gig economy in Australia. Brendan is a quantitative researcher with expertise in quantitative social research design and analysis, including longitudinal data analysis and multi-level modelling. He has designed several surveys, including the Scrolling Beyond Binaries (2016, 2020), Making it Work in the Gig Economy (2018, 2020) and the Work and Care in the Time of COVID-19 survey (2020).

  • Research Fellow

    Elisabetta is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Human Geography. Her research examines how people navigate and are affected by workplace and industrial change. She is particularly interested in how gender and disability shape these experiences. Through this research, she aims to provide communities, industry partners, and governments with qualitative insights that inform more inclusive and equitable futures of work.

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