She holds a PhD in sociology and an MSc in epidemiology. She has led a range of impactful research projects focusing on young people’s alcohol and drug use and sexual health, concentrating specifically on populations of vulnerable young people including street-involved youth and Indigenous youth. She holds an affiliated appointment with the UNSW Practical Justice Initiative, a program of interdisciplinary research focusing on innovative solutions to social problems. Joanne has published over seventy peer review papers and ten technical monographs. She is an investigator on a range of competitive grants, including from the Australian Research Council and National Health and Medical Research Council.