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Research

CWSA People

Neelam Naikar

Neelam is the lead scientist at the Centre for Cognitive Work and Safety Analysis (CWSA). She joined the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) as a Research Scientist in 1996 and was promoted to Senior Research Scientist in 1999. Some of Neelam's major projects at DSTO have involved the extension of Cognitive Work Analysis to support the acquisition of complex, military systems, such as Airborne Early Warning and Control and F/A-18, and the application of AcciMap Analysis and the Critical Decision Method to enhance safety in complex, military systems, such as the F-111. Her current research interests include the development of theories and methods for analysing cognitive work and safety in complex systems. Neelam obtained a BSc (Hons) in Psychology from the University of New South Wales, Australia, in 1993 and a PhD in Psychology from the University of Auckland, New Zealand, in 1996. Neelam is a member of the Board of Editors for the International Journal of Aviation Psychology.

David Crone

David is currently on a short term corporate secondment and is Director Program Office (Air Force, Navy and Defence Support Group). He will return to his role as a Senior Human Factors Engineer in 2009. He joined DSTO in 1998 after working at British Aerospace in Bristol and Farnborough, United Kingdom, from 1990-1998. David has been Task Manager for Project Echidna (the development of an indigenous Electronic Warfare capability) with the responsibility for some of the Human-Machine Interface assessments and has been involved in a number of ergonomic assessments of the Black Hawk helicopter, the F-111C and the C-130H fixed-wing aircraft.  David is currently involved in research that aims to develop a process for evaluating complex future systems. Part of this work is being is undertaken as a part-time PhD at the University of Queensland, Australia. He obtained a Bachelor of Science degree with Honours in Psychology from the University of Plymouth, United Kingdom, in 1990 and a Master of Science degree in Advanced Systems Engineering from Salford University, United Kingdom, in 1995.

Ben Elix

Ben joined the Centre for CWSA in 2006 as part of the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) graduate recruitment program. He graduated with a Bachelor of Psychology degree with Honours in 2004 from the Flinders University of South Australia. Ben conducted his honours thesis in collaboration with the Land Operations Division of the DSTO (Edinburgh) where he investigated the possibility of using electroencephalogram (eeg) recordings as a real world measure of Situation Awareness. At Air Operations Division, Ben’s major projects will include the evaluation of competing design proposals for the replacement of Australia's P-3C maritime patrol aircraft and the analysis of aircraft accidents.

Sandra Lambeth

Sandra joined the team at the Centre for CWSA in December 2007. She received her commercial pilots licence in 2000 before graduating with a three year Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in psychology at the University of Melbourne in 2006. Between her third and fourth years of study she was one of Air Operations Division’s Summer Vacation Scholarship recipients, working in the Night Vision Laboratory testing visual acuity of night vision devices. In 2007, she completed a fourth year Post Graduate Diploma in Psychology at La Trobe University and conducted her fourth year thesis project with Air Operations Division investigating visual attention. Sandra is currently applying CWA to design a team for a future maritime surveillance system and to assist with Air Force redesign.