Rhys Mantell is a final-year PhD candidate at the School of Population Health, UNSW, and a researcher with the Justice Health Research Program (JHRP). His doctoral research, conducted within the NHMRC-funded ASCAPE project, focuses on the co-design and evaluation of digital health tools (particularly game-based cognitive assessments; GBCAs) for older people in prison. His work explores how innovative digital technologies can improve cognitive screening and health outcomes for older adults involved in the justice system, with a strong emphasis on trauma-informed and culturally appropriate design, development and implementation.

In addition to his PhD, Rhys works closely with Dr Jane Hwang on a growing program of research exploring the reintegration journeys of older people leaving Australian prisons. This includes qualitative and mixed-methods studies examining health literacy, digital exclusion, and the emotional dimensions of post-release recovery. He was recently awarded a Seed Grant Unpacking strengths-based emotional healing and trauma recovery for older Australians with a recent experience of incarceration, to investigate how older people define and navigate emotional healing after prison, and how services can better support this process.

Rhys was recently involved in the ReINVEST trial- one of the world’s largest studies evaluating pharmacological interventions for men with histories of violence- where he supported qualitative research and knowledge translation efforts. He has also contributed to multiple large-scale national evaluations and policy projects across ageing, mental health, and justice health sectors during his time at Deloitte Consulting and Australian Healthcare Associates (AHA).

A key interest of Rhys’ is critical realism, which he applies to unpack complex social and psychological phenomena in justice health. This approach underpins much of his qualitative work, particularly in understanding the lived experiences of marginalised and underserved populations, and in generating practical, theory-informed insights for service design and policy reform.

He is committed to applied, interdisciplinary research that turns knowledge into action- supporting trauma-informed, culturally safe and user-accepted solutions for marginalised populations.

Areas of Expertise & Research Interests

• Reintegration and post-release outcomes for older people
• Trauma recovery and emotional healing in justice-involved populations
• Digital health innovation and game-based cognitive assessment
• Co-design and participatory research with marginalised communities
• Critical realism and complex qualitative methodologies
• Health and digital literacy in correctional and post-custodial settings
• Justice health policy, service design and reform
• Equity-focused approaches to ageing and incarceration