Celebrating our
family man

Professor Matthew Sanders, an older man, sitting and smiling at a desk in an office in front of two full bookshelves and a small filing cabinet

Professor Matthew Sanders AO. Image: Jenny Cuerel

Professor Matthew Sanders AO. Image: Jenny Cuerel

From a converted brick house near Chancellor’s Place at St Lucia, a dedicated team of researchers from UQ School of Psychology’s Parenting and Family Support Centre (PFSC) supports families in Australia and around the world to navigate the highs and lows of parenting.

Having developed the globally renowned Triple P – Positive Parenting Program that has helped countless families from all walks of life with its evidence-based parenting strategies, the PFSC’s work is recommended by governments in 52 countries – and counting.

And it was all born from a PhD thesis that Professor Matthew Sanders AO, FASSA completed with UQ’s School of Psychology in the early 1980s.

Now, after 27 years at the helm, Professor Sanders has retired from his role as the PFSC’s Foundation Director.

Contact spoke with Professor Sanders to reflect on his remarkable career and his lasting legacy in the field of parenting research.

An old long brick building with six columns across its front windows. 'The Medical School' is carved above the columns.

Where it all began

Professor Sanders began his academic career in New Zealand, completing undergraduate study in psychology and education.

“My father was a principal, Mum was a teacher, my 2 elder sisters are teachers, my brother’s a teacher, and my wife's a teacher,” Professor Sanders said.

“Though teaching wasn't for me, I was still very interested in education, learning and child development.”

This interest led him to commence a PhD focusing on parenting intervention and child behaviour problems in Auckland.

In 1979, Professor Sanders relocated with his young family to Brisbane to continue his PhD study with UQ’s School of Psychology part time while undertaking a full-time a lecturing role in the Department of Psychiatry at Herston.

His thesis developed a behaviour intervention program for preschool-aged children with disruptive behaviour problems.

That thesis marked the beginning of what would become a worldwide parenting phenomenon – but it took years of hard work to launch it to the world.

“We didn’t call it Triple P in those days,” Professor Sanders said.

“We only gave Triple P the name in 1993. It actually started off as the Positive Parenting of Preschoolers Program – the 4 Ps.

“We dropped ‘Preschoolers’, and it became Triple P.”

The program was officially launched in 1996, going on to train practitioners and help families the world over.

More than 1,700 academics across 539 research institutions have contributed to growing the program from a thesis to a global movement of evidence-based parenting support.

The program is licensed through UQ’s commercialisation arm, UniQuest, to be published and disseminated through Triple P International.

A global impact

For 27 years, the PFSC has developed programs for parents in all kinds of circumstances and with children of all ages.

“The things we do can alter the life trajectories of children,” Professor Sanders said.

Under his leadership, Triple P developed specialised programs for parents who'd experienced trauma in their own childhoods, for families who've experienced natural disasters, and for parents at risk of harming their children, among others.

They also developed a program for parents of children in the United States who have experienced school shootings. 

Professor Sanders says the social and behavioural science innovations from PFSC have produced policy and social impact.

“We have offices in 9 countries now, and there are millions of families who've benefited from the program,” he said.

“If we're serious about reducing the prevalence of social–emotional behavioural problems in children, we have got to make evidence-based parenting program widely accessible to as many parents as possible.”
A shelf full of books. All have their spines facing outwards except for the book 'The Power of Positive Parenting' by Matthew Sanders, which has its cover facing outward.

An environment of innovation

The COVID-19 pandemic presented a slew of new, unfamiliar challenges for parents – and Professor Sanders and his team leapt into action to provide support.

“During COVID, we realised rapidly that there weren't any resources and tools being developed for parents when this was all new,” he said.

“We developed a range of COVID parenting resources, including a downloadable guide to parenting, which is free and in the public domain.”

Along with downloadable resources, his team also produced the Parenting in a Pandemic podcast, an avenue for parents facing the uncertainty of COVID-19 to ask experts their questions.

Professor Sanders also featured on the acclaimed Parenting in a Pandemic television series, which aired on Channel 7.

Another of Triple P’s recent projects was collaborating with the Queensland and National Rugby League to create an online intervention program for parents with children playing junior rugby league.

“The program promotes good spectator behaviour and parents supporting their kids and reducing competition,” Professor Sanders said.

Professor Sanders and the PFSC intend to continue researching and deploying new resources for parents.

“The PFSC is an environment of innovation. And so Triple P is never staying still. We're always evolving and developing, looking for better ways of doing things, including how to work with First Nations and Indigenous populations globally.”

Even after 45 years, Professor Sanders’ passion for his work remains steadfast.

“There is nothing more important than the kind of parenting and family life a child experiences,” he said.

“You can have good schools, you can have early childhood education, and good health services, but nothing trumps the importance of parenting.

“Kids are spending so much time with their families, and when parents are not functioning well, or when they're stressed out, they're harsh and inconsistent and unpredictable. Kids really do suffer, and they don't develop the capabilities they need to actually do well at school and beyond.”

Professor Matthew Sanders AO. Image: Jenny Cuerel

What's next for Professor Sanders?

Professor Sanders is grateful for having great colleagues and students at UQ, as well as the support of his family over the course of his career.

“The School of Psychology at UQ has been very well led for the last 10 years by Professor Virginia Slaughter,” he said.

“My wife, Trish, and my family have supported my career and provided the kind of family and emotional support that anyone needs over the long haul to make a contribution. That’s been very important to me and continues to be.”

As Professor Sanders steps down, he leaves the PFSC in the capable hands of Associate Professor Alina Morawska, who has been appointed as the new director.

And although he’s leaving his directorship role, he won’t be stepping away from his 45-year career at UQ.

“I've still got research grants, including 5 years of grant funding from the ARC,” Professor Sanders said.

“I’m still working 50 per cent hours this year and next year, and I’ll go Emeritus after that – I’ll be 72 then.”

Professor Sanders is also busy planning the International Congress on Evidence-based Parenting Support, which will be held online and streamed around the world this June.

“We’ve received submissions from about 48 countries, so there's going to be a rich program of research and presenters, and it should be great.

“This event is about creating change agents to ensure research has meaningful policy and social impact.”

After the Congress is over, he is looking forward to spending more time with his own family, including 5 grandchildren.

But he also plans to continue researching for as long as it still brings him purpose.

“As long as you keep your neurons firing, enjoying what you’re doing and it gives you a sense of meaning, you don’t have to stop.”
Professor Matthew Sanders, an older man, wearing a suit and tie standing with his hands in his trouser pockets and smiling. Sandstone columns are visible behind him.

Professor Matthew Sanders AO. Image: Jenny Cuerel

Professor Matthew Sanders AO. Image: Jenny Cuerel