Members

Liz Dale is a Worimi Woman, a practicing Clinical Psychologist, and Associate Professor of Indigenous Health at the University of Wollongong. Liz has significant over 18 year of clinical experience acquiring expertise in the field of addictions (alcohol and other drug use, gambling), eating disorders, trauma and intergenerational trauma and social and emotional well-being. With over 10 years of experience in Indigenous health research, Liz is dedicated to pioneering research that integrates psychology and Indigenous health to articulate and advocate for Indigenous ways of knowing, being, for achieving better Indigenous health and wellbeing outcomes.

View Liz Dale's UOW Scholars profile

Keira is a proud Aboriginal woman from Gamilaraay Country in Northern NSW, and Gia Ngaro, Birri Gubba Countries across the Central Coast and Whitsunday Region of QLD. Keira is an accomplished Educator and brings to the team extensive and knowledgeable experience in facilitating Aboriginal cultural proficiency training and Aboriginal cultural-related education across a range of Government & Non-governmental agencies, and Private and Community Organisations. Keira was recently awarded the Graduate Certificate in Indigenous Trauma Recovery & Practice with University of Wollongong and has also completed the Graduate Certificate in First Peoples Community Practice at Griffith University. Keira has a strong passion for the culturally informed trauma informed healing practices space and working with Indigenous people, families, and communities to help make a positive change in individuals and communities.  Outside of her role at UOW, Keira is a Mother of 5, a We-Al-Li Lead facilitator, Head Teacher at the Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council (AHMRC) and also volunteers in a range of roles and boards in the communities she has strong connections to.

View Keira Edwards's UOW Scholars profile

Bronte Haynes is a proud Wiradjuri and Murawari woman from Western New South Wales. She works on a number of research projects, including the Ironbark Standing Strong and Tall Falls Prevention Program, in partnership with the University of New South Wales. Bronte holds a Master’s degree in Indigenous Health and a Bachelor of Health Science (Indigenous Health). She is a dedicated and passionate advocate for improving the health and wellbeing of First Nation’s communities, with a focus on injury prevention, holistic wellbeing and advancing culturally safe and impactful health research for Indigenous people across all stages of life.

Paul Saunders (MBBS, MPH, GradCert-IRL) is a proud Biripi man, Associate Professor and Academic Lead, Indigenous Health within the Graduate School of Medicine. Paul has experience in clinical medicine, medical devices, and Indigenous Health teaching and research, including research project management. His research interests include the structural and social determinants of Indigenous Health, medical education, as well as care coordination pathways and culturally safe models of care for Indigenous communities. Paul is a past Yarramundi and Lowitja scholarship recipient, a member of the Golden Key International Honour Society, a Board member of Ngaramura Indigenous Corporation, and an Aboriginal representative on the Australian Medical Council’s Medical School Accreditation Committee (MedSAC) and the Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, and Māori Committee.

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Fiona Sheppeard is a Dunghutti, Gumbaynngirr Woman from New South Wales. Fiona was born on Dharawal country and has always lived on Dharawal country. Fiona is a registered psychologist and is also a PhD candidate. Her research explores how Aboriginal concepts of place are considered in mental health and social and emotional wellbeing approaches for First Nations people in Australia.

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Ashlee Williams-Barnes is a proud Wodi Wodi, Wandi Wandian, Dharawal woman and saltwater girl. She serves as the Indigenous Student Recruitment and Outreach Coordinator in the Indigenous Health team at the Graduate School of Medicine, University of Wollongong.

Ashlee holds a Bachelor of Primary Education and brings extensive experience in education and community engagement. She is a Board Director and Secretary of the Dharawal Aboriginal Corporation Community Association, a consumer representative and advisor for Cancer Australia on multiple projects, and a member of the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District Consumer & Community Advisory Council. Beyond her professional roles, Ashlee also coaches women’s rugby league teams, demonstrating her leadership and dedication to community empowerment.

As a dedicated cultural mentor, Ashlee is passionate about outreach and teaching, fostering cultural safety within educational and health settings. Her mission is to inspire and support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to pursue careers in medicine, with the goal of seeing more mob become doctors and improve healthcare outcomes for Indigenous communities.

Ashlee’s work reflects her unwavering commitment to equity, cultural advocacy, and representation in health and education, embodying her dedication to creating opportunities and making a meaningful impact.

Professor Kathleen Clapham leads the Ngarruwan Ngadju research program. Kathleen is an Aboriginal Australian; a descendent of the Murrawarri people of north-western NSW.

Kathleen holds a BA (first class honours) and PhD in Anthropology from the University of Sydney. She is an Honorary Professorial Fellowship in the Injury Division of The George Institute for Global Health.

Within the broad area Indigenous health research Kathleen has a strong research interest in improving the safety, health and wellbeing of Indigenous children and young people, research targeting the social and cultural determinants of health, and health services research aimed at improving the health of Indigenous people across the life span. Community based participatory action research projects which she leads involve with Indigenous people in urban, regional and remote communities, collaborations with research, government and non-government organisations.

Kathleen has been chief investigator on 12 NHMRC and ARC funded studies and has led or contributed to government funded health services research, with grants totalling more than $17.5 million. Based at the University of Wollongong she has developed strong collaborative partnerships with Aboriginal community organisations across south eastern NSW. She currently leads an ARC research project focused on developing a place based model for community led solutions to complex health and social issues. She also leads a collaboration addressing Aboriginal community research and evaluation capacity building.

She is guided by a strong commitment to social justice, health equity and Indigenous human rights. She brings specific expertise and skills in Indigenous research methodologies, qualitative research methods, ethnography, and evaluation of community interventions. She employs a critical Indigenous research methodological approaches in which community engagement, sustainable partnership, research benefit to Aboriginal communities and capacity building are crucial components.

Through her work, Kathleen has achieved tangible benefits to Aboriginal people through undertaking research which will have impacts in terms of reduced harm, social and health improvements, and capacity development. She has specific skills and expertise in community engagement and translation research.

View Kathleen Clapham's UOW Scholars profile

Dr Karen Fildes is a Senior Lecturer in Medical Science at the University of Wollongong’s School of Medical, Indigenous and Health Sciences.

Valerie Harwood is Professor of Sociology and Anthropology of Education. Valerie’s research is centred on a social and cultural analysis of participation in educational futures. This work involves learning about collaborative approaches and in-depth fieldwork on educational justice with young people, families and communities.

Maria Mackay is a proud Wiradjuri woman with ancestral ties to Blaney, NSW. She is a registered nurse and midwife, with extensive clinical and leadership experience. Maria is currently a Director on the Person-centred Practice International Collaborative of Practice CIC. Her research is focused on collaborating with local Aboriginal Communities to address and improve health outcomes. Maria is passionate about challenging traditional approaches to healthcare learning and teaching, emphasising the art of healthcare practice and incorporating transformational approaches, including Indigenous knowledges and person-centredness.

Kate Senior is Acting Director, Institute for Regional Futures, and Professor in the School of Humanities, Creative Industries and Social Sciences, at the University of Newcastle, Australia. Kate is a medical anthropologist with extensive (20 years+) experience working in remote Aboriginal communities. Her work focuses on how people live and understand health and wellbeing and the barriers they face when accessing health services, and the health and wellbeing of Indigenous adolescents.

Kate Senior's UOW Scholar profile

• Nyssa Murray
• Jacinta Mackay
• Lana Draper
• Meg Kelly
• Tylah Emslie

• Ryan Dashwood
• Kelly Lambert
• Luke Molloy
• Christine Metusela
• Kelly Marriott- Statham
• Judy Mullan
• Andrew Bonney
• Colin Cortie
• Rowena Ivers
• Jodi Edwards
• Peter Kelly
• Bronwyn Fredericks
• Zsuzsoka Kecskes