Dr Hutchinson’s major research interest is in understanding the developmental origins of mental and behavioural disorders. She has worked as a Clinical Psychologist specialising in pregnancy, postnatal adjustment, child development, and the treatment of mental health and behavioural disorders. She has a particular interest in understanding the causes and consequences of alcohol and other substance use exposure on development.

Dr Hutchinson presently holds an invited Industry-Partner Senior Research Fellowship within the Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development (SEED), at Deakin University. She also holds an Honorary Research Fellow position at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, and the Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, at the Melbourne Royal Children’s Hospital. Dr Hutchinson is also a Visiting Research Fellow at the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC) at the University of New South Wales (UNSW). She has published >70 articles, reviews and reports. She has led and co-led grants to the value of over $8 million in support of her research ideas, including funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and the Australian Research Council (ARC). Dr Hutchinson has supervised >30 research students.

Dr Hutchinson has held leadership roles on the Scientific Program Committee of the Australasian Professional Society for Alcohol and Drugs (APSAD) Annual Scientific Drug and Alcohol Conference; the reference committee of the Australian Centre for Perinatal Science (ACPS) at UNSW; and the Reference Group for an Australian National Council on Drugs (ANCD) review of national policies and practices on the outcomes of identifying alcohol use during pregnancy. She gives invited presentations to schools, hospitals, clinicians; and disseminates her research widely to the community via public media (i-Sentia audience reach >10 million people worldwide).