She is a social and environmental psychologist whose research is broadly focused on two interlinked areas: 1) identifying the determinants of individuals’ environmental and risk-related perceptions, attitudes and behaviour; 2) developing effective ways to engage with communities about risk and environmental issues, including developing effective communication and behaviour change programs. She takes an interdisciplinary approach to her research working with researchers from a range of disciplines and leading interdisciplinary cross-institutional research teams. As part of her commitment to interdisciplinary research she co-founded the Network of Environmental Social Scientists at UQ. Kelly has been a visiting scientist at CSIRO and has worked closely with industry partners in her research including local and state government agencies.