Nurture NextGen is shaped by a team of people working across multiple disciplines. In this series, we introduce the people behind the project. This week, we’re introducing Dr Erin Turbitt, Project Lead of NurtureNextGen.
Erin is a Senior Lecturer in Genetic Counselling at the University of Technology Sydney. Her academic background spans human genetics and social science, and her work focuses on how families experience and make sense of genomic information, particularly in paediatric and neurodevelopmental contexts.
Beyond NurtureNextGen, Erin leads research and teaching in research methods, education and community-engaged scholarships. She works closely with clinicians, researchers, and people with lived experience to co-design research that is ethically grounded and has clear practical relevance for families and health services.
Her Role in NurtureNextGen
Erin leads the NurtureNextGen project and was responsible for developing the original idea and securing its funding through the Medical Research Future Fund. She provides overall leadership, guiding the research design and ethical approach, and ensuring that genuine partnership with parents is embedded throughout the project.
She is closely involved in the planning and delivery of workshops, shaping their structure, activities, and questions. Erin also supports how parents’ insights are translated into the digital tool being developed. During workshops, she may be facilitating discussions, listening carefully, and helping create a respectful and inclusive space where all perspectives are valued.
Her Motivation
NurtureNextGen grew directly from Erin’s earlier research with parents, where families described a need for support beyond the point of receiving a genetic diagnosis. She was motivated by the opportunity to respond to these experiences by building something practical, collaborative, and grounded in what families themselves say they need.
A key part of her approach is a strong commitment to co-design. She values working alongside parents as partners, rather than positioning them solely as participants, and this philosophy underpins the way the project is designed and delivered.
What Excites Her Most
For Erin, the most compelling aspect of the project is the co-design process itself. She values the opportunity to hear parents reflect on their experiences, share insights with one another, and shape ideas together.
She finds it particularly meaningful to see how parents’ perspectives challenge assumptions and influence the direction of the project in unexpected ways. What makes NurtureNextGen distinctive, in her view, is its attention to the emotional, relational, and ethical dimensions of families’ experiences alongside information and technology.
Hopes for the Project
Erin hopes that NurtureNextGen helps families feel supported as they navigate the ongoing and often uncertain process of making sense of genomic information about their child. She emphasises that this is not a one-off moment, but something families live with over time.
Ultimately, she hopes the project produces a resource that feels validating, trustworthy, and genuinely useful, and that supports families in ways that align with what matters most to them.
Outside of Work
Outside of the project, Erin is a parent to a young child, an experience that has shaped how she thinks about care, time, and meaningful support for families. Becoming a parent has added another layer to how she understands the experiences of families navigating complex health information.
She grew up in New Zealand and maintains strong ties there. Although she has not lived there for many years, it still feels like home, and she enjoys returning while also valuing life in Australia. In her spare time, she enjoys baking, walking her dog, and spending time outdoors with her family.
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