About me
I am a Senior Principal Research Fellow and the Director of the Coolamon Research and Advocacy Centre at the Ngangk Yira Institute for Change, Murdoch University. The Centre aims to address issues in environmental and planetary health and social determinants to improve outcomes in maternal, child and adolescent health, mental health, and social and emotional wellbeing for Aboriginal families and communities. I am also a Chief Investigator on several NHMRC grants aimed at promoting the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal families and communities.
I have extensive experience working with organisations and community groups to identify problems and develop solutions at individual, organisational and community levels. My work also involves promoting system‑level change and individual and organisational cultural competence.
I have co‑edited the Working Together: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mental Health and Wellbeing Principles and Practice with Professor Pat Dudgeon and Helen Milroy, and I have co-authored over 165 publications, including refereed journal articles, book chapters, evaluation reports, submissions, educational texts, clinical handbooks and ethical guidelines. I have presented at national and international conferences and continue to be involved in research on environmental pollutants and health.
In 2016, I was honoured to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Australian Public Health Association (WA Branch) in recognition of my outstanding contributions to research aimed at addressing inequities in health, particularly among Aboriginal people.