Dr Nicki Brake
Senior Lecturer
Faculty of Education and Arts
Areas of expertise: Mental health, sexual health, child protection, nutrition, self-concept, indigenous health, relationships, consent, self-concepts, physical activity, holistic health, wellbeing
Phone: 0297014230
Email: [email protected]
Location: ACU Strathfield Campus
Nicki Brake is a Senior Lecturer in Personal Development, Health and Physical Education and has been teaching at ACU for over 20 years in the areas of PHDPE, Creative Arts, Human Development and Education.
Nicki has qualifications in PDHPE, Dance Education, Educational Psychology and attained a PhD (Medicine) from the University of Sydney in 2006.
Select publications
Journal publications
- Gordon, C. S., Brake, N., Hammond, S. P., Picton, I., Notley, T., Rowston, K., Gutierrez, A., Basarkod, G., Costello, K., Gupta, M., West, M., & Dicke, T. (2026). Adolescent flourishing in a digitally connected world: A qualitative systematic review and meta-synthesis. Educational Research Review, 52, 100808.
- Humphrey, S., Stosic, D., Barrington, T., Brake, N., & Pagano, R. (2024). Transdisciplinary perspectives on &lsquothe narrative&rsquo and &lsquothe analytical&rsquo for critical literacy. Australian Journal of Language and Literacy.
- Brake, N. My Body: Physical self-concepts in adolescent girls, Journal of Catholic School Studies, 84(2), Dec 2012, 40-52.
- Brake, N. Investing in health and well-being: Holistic view of self-concepts in Australia's young people. Emerge Publication 2009, EIDOS. ISSN 1837 - 1833
- Bornholt, L, Brake, N, Thomas, S, Russell, L, Madden, S, Anderson, G, Kohn, M, Clarke, S. Understanding affective and cognitive self-evaluations about the body for adolescent girls, British Journal of Health Psychology, 10 (4) Nov 2005, 485-503.
- Brake, N. A. & Bornholt, L. J. Personal and social bases for children's self-concepts about physical movement, Perceptual and Motor Skills, 98 (2) Apr 2004, 711-724.
- Brake, N. A. Physical self-concepts in young people, Education Connect, 5, 2006, 14-15.
- Brake, N. A. & Bornholt, L. J. (2002) Optimal physical self concepts for children, Primary Educator, 2, 2003, 18-23.
Book Chapters
- Brake, N. A. (2008). Chapter 2 Physical activity for health, p26-In Move Into PASS (Physical Activity and Sport Studies). Macmillan.
- Brake, N. A. (2008). Chapter 3 Physical Fitness, p42-In Move Into PASS. Macmillan.
- Brake, N. A. (2008). Chapter 5 Nutrition and physical activity, p75-In Move Into PASS. Macmillan.
Conference publications
- Brake, N. Physical self-concepts and gender differences in children, adolescents and young adults. AARE Refereed Conference Proceedings November 2007, Adelaide.
- Brake, N. Physical self-concepts and body experience in children, adolescents and young adults. International Council of Health, Physical Education and Recreation Refereed Conference Proceedings October 2006, Wellington, New Zealand.
- Brake, N. Thinking, feeling and knowing the body: The role of experience in adolescent physical self-concepts. Hawaii International Conference on Education Conference Proceedings January 2006, Honolulu.
- Brake, N. Effectiveness of Sexual Education for Preservice Primary Teachers, Hawaii International Conference on Education, January 2014, Honolulu.
- Brake, N. Physical Self-concepts in Young Adults, International Conference on Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, July 2010, University of Cambridge, UK.
- Brake. N. & Heap, T. Introduction to a free online diet and exercise tracking service for the prevention of obesity. Australian Council of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, 2007, Fremantle.
- Brake, N. Adolescents and their bodies: what they really think. 19th Biennial Meeting International Society for the Study of Behavioural Development, July 2006, Melbourne.
Projects
- Humphrey, S., Barrington, T., Brake, N., Pagano, R. (2020). Designing a reflexive multiliteracies pedagogy for health literacy in an initial teacher education program.
- An Evaluation of Consent and Respectful Relationships Education in Catholic Schools in Victoria ($277,000.00 funded by VCEA - led by Dr Chloe Gordon, 2025-2029)
- CSNSW CRRE: Situational analysis of the current Consent and Respectful Relationship Education landscape in Catholic schools in NSW ($126,500.00 funded by CSNSW - led by Dr Chloe Gordon, 2024-2025)
- ACU FEA Faculty Research Discovery Grant 2025 - Primary Teacher Agency Concerning Disciplinary Specialisations: A Cultural Psychological Approach ($7190 - led by Dr Jenny Martin)
- ACU Teaching Development Grant 2020 ($7,935 - led by Dr Sally Humphrey)
Awards
- Excellence in Teaching Faculty of Education and Arts Executive Dean Commendation 2020 to 2026
- Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (2025)
- Faculty of Education and Arts Excellence in Teaching Award 2024
- ACU Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning 2024
