Dr Silvia Pignata (She/Her)
Senior Lecturer
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Organisation unit

College of Engineering and Information Technology School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering

Location

Adelaide University
Profile of Dr Silvia Pignata

Available for media comment

Aerospace & aviation
Health and wellbeing

My skills

Aviation human factors
Human Factors
Psychosocial risk management
Wellbeing interventions
Work stress
Full-time Teaching & Research Academic Research Degree Supervisor
Available office hours

About me

Dr Silvia Pignata is a Senior Lecturer in Aviation (Human Factors), and a member of the Centre for Workplace Excellence. She is an interdisciplinary researcher with a background in work and organisational psychology. Silvia has expertise in psychosocial safety and organisational interventions and strategies that incorporate wellbeing and morale building activities, particularly their potential to reduce psychological strain. Her Ph.D research is titled “Stress interventions: Their impact on psychological well-being and work attitudes in Australian university staff”.

Dr Pignata was a Chief Investigator (CI) on a 2019-22  Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Project entitled "Digital communication and work stress in universities: a multilevel study" (DP190100853) together with Professors Maureen Dollard, Tony Winefield, Kurt Lushington, and Arnold Bakker [The Netherlands]. They received income totaling $480K with outputs to date including four journal papers, two manuscripts under review, eight conference presentations, with findings featured in 170+ media outlets.  

Silvia's teaching awards include a 2025 High Commendation Award, for STEM Senior-Career teaching.

Her strong international research impact is shown by a NCI=4.17 (10/11/25). Silvia's research has an applied focus with 45+ publications including co-editor of the "Handbook of Research on Stress and Well-being in the Public Sector" which she edited with Prof. Ronald Burke for Edward Elgar publishers with contributions from 40+ leading international researchers. 

She has presented at numerous prestigious international conferences collaborating and publishing with leading researchers from 13 countries. She has been an invited guest editor for several journals including the 2022-23 Special Issue “Behavioral Health in Adolescence and Young Adults", International J. of Environ. Research & Public Health (Q1, Citescore, 1/5/25). 

Prior to commencing with the University of South Australia, Silvia spent 20+ years working in the public sector and in consultancy. She held a four-year (2012-15) role as UniSA’s Program Director of six online postgraduate programs (Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma, Masters) in Human Factors and Safety Management Systems (SMS) and Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) Management.
Silvia has been teaching Human Factors since 2012

In 2026, Silvia is co-ordinating & teaching: 
AERO2002 Humans in Aviation: People, Systems & Safety (formerly AERO2053 Human Factors 2); 
AERO1009 Human Performance & Limitations in Aviation (formerly AERO1017 Human Factors 1).
She has previously taught courses including: 
AERO3012 Aviation Project; 
AERO2063 Airline Transport Pilot Theory (ATPL) 2; 
AERO1022 Introduction to Aviation.

Silvia's postgraduate & industry teaching includes:
BEHL5095 Management of Work Health and Safety Psychological Risk Course;
Professional Certificate in Human Factors and Incident Investigation Program; 
BEHL5058 Human Factors & SMS Thesis 1;
BEHL5059 Human Factors & SMS Thesis 2;
BUSS5215 Workplace Health & Safety Research Thesis.

Dr Pignata is a Certified Professional, of the Australian Human Resources Institute (CAHRI)

She also holds memberships of the following associations:
Royal Aeronautical Society (MRAeS);
Australian Psychological Society (APS);
International Association of Applied Psychology (IAAP); 
Stress and Anxiety Research Society (STAR);
Healthy Development Adelaide (HDA).

Media experience
Available for media comment
Available for media comment
  • Aerospace & aviation
  • Health and wellbeing
Last updated on 21/01/2026 by Silvia Pignata