Julia Rosa Bak
Research Assistant/PhD Student
BA (Hons)
julia.bak@thekids.org.au
Julia Rose Bak is a Research Assistant and PhD student under the supervision of Dr Penelope Strauss, Dr Blake Cavve, Dr Michael English, Professor Jeneva Ohan and Professor Helen Milroy AM at The Kids Research Institute Australia and The University of Western Australia. Their PhD aims to understand trans and gender diverse young people’s experiences of dissociation.
Julia has worked across a range of projects related to LGBTQA+ mental health promotion, with a particular focus on LGBTQA+ suicide prevention, under the supervision of Dr Strauss in the Youth Mental Health team. They previously worked on the GENTLE (GENder idenTity Longitudinal Experience) Cohort study in collaboration with the Gender Diversity Service at Perth Children’s Hospital.
Julia holds a Bachelor of Psychology (with Honours) from Monash University. Outside of research, Julia is a skilled facilitator, public speaker, and lived experience advocate, with a commitment to improving mental health outcomes for all marginalised peoples.
Projects
The impact of top surgery: a longitudinal cohort study of dysphoria, mental health, and quality of life of trans Australians following top surgery
This project aims to investigate the long-term impacts of top surgery – a term encompassing both chest reconstructive surgery and breast augmentation – on gender dysphoria, mental health, well-being and quality of life in trans and gender diverse individuals.