Dr Lauren Costello

Dr Lauren Costello is Director of the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI) Research Synthesis Service and has been in this role since February 2012.

Lauren is a research specialist who holds a Bachelor of Arts (Geography, Sociology) from the University of Wollongong; a Bachelor of Arts (Honours in Geography) from the University of Newcastle; a PhD from Monash University; and a Graduate Diploma in Health Promotion from James Cook University.

Lauren began working for AHURI in April 2011 as a Senior Analyst in the Research Synthesis Service. Prior to working at AHURI, Lauren has worked for a number of universities in both research and teaching positions, including as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Melbourne on a research project investigating high-rise housing and the development of student housing for an international student market. Lauren has also undertaken research on youth homelessness and resident action groups. Most recently, Lauren was a lecturer at Monash University where she taught urban/social geography and research methods to undergraduate students. In her eight years at Monash University, she undertook research on the impacts of urban-rural migration on housing markets and community cohesion. Lauren’s research has been published in numerous Australian and International peer reviewed journals.