ABOUT / MEET LAURA

A research perspective.
A practical understanding.

Disaster Resilience Researcher | Keynote Speaker | Research & Evaluation

Dr Laura Murphy’s expertise centres on disaster resilience and recovery. Her work explores how people, communities and organisations navigate crises and disasters, respond to disruption and adapt over time.

Her doctoral research examined how resilience develops following disaster. Through narrative inquiry, she traced the psychological, relational and organisational processes that shape recovery, revealing how people interpret disruption, mobilise support and translate adaptive responses into organisational action. These insights provide a foundation for exploring broader psychosocial resilience and recovery priorities.

Laura brings more than 20 years of professional experience in strategy and organisational leadership, including roles at Crown Melbourne, Victoria’s largest single-site private employer.

Her work experience also spans higher education, lecturing master’s degree subjects and developing tertiary course materials as a subject matter expert. Alongside her corporate and research experience, Dr Laura regularly provides psychosocial support to disaster-affected communities. Her approach connects research with practical priorities for Victorian councils and community organisations, including social recovery planning, community wellbeing, psychosocial support and learning from recovery experiences.