Meet our team
- Professor Cath Chamberlain
Midwife/Professor of Indigenous Health, The University of Melbourne
- Dr Graham Gee
Registered psychologist, Murdoch Children's Research Institute
- Professor Judy Atkinson
Southern Cross University and Patron
We Al-li - Dr Janine Mohamed
CEO Lowitja Institute
- Professor Helen Herrman
Professor of Psychiatry, Orygen, National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health and Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne
- Dr Yvonne Clark
Senior Research Fellow, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute
- Associate Professor Caroline Atkinson
Chief Executive Officer, We Al-li and Associate Professor in Indigenous Health, The University of Melbourne
- Professor Helen McLachlan
La Trobe University
- Miss Tanja Hirvonen
Flinders University
- Associate Professor Sandra Campbell
Charles Darwin University
- Associate Professor Kootsy Canuto
Flinders University
- Professor Sue Kruske
Northern Territory Health, Charles Darwin University
- Professor Leonie Segal
University of South Australia
- Res McCalman
Midwife/Researcher, La Trobe University
- Ms Debra Bowman
Research Assistant in Indigenous Public Health
- Dr Elise Davis
Deputy Head of the Unit for Health Equity, Senior Research Fellow
- Dr Kimberley Jones
Research Fellow - Onemda
- Dr Tess Bright
Lead on the Healing the past by nurturing the future project
- Ms Emma Stubbs
Senior Research Assistant
- Leanne Slade
Administrative Assistant, The University of Melbourne
Professor Cath Chamberlain
Professor Cath Chamberlain is a descendant of the Trawlwoolway People (Tasmania), with over 25 years’ experience in reproductive and child health, including program and hospital service management, policy implementation,guideline development, evidence-based practice and research.
Professor Chamberlain was part of both phases of the project.
Dr Graham Gee
Dr Graham Gee specialises in Aboriginal mental health and social and emotional wellbeing, particularly resilience and recovery from trauma among Aboriginal people.
Dr Gee was part of both phases of the project.
Professor Judy Atkinson
Professor Judy Atkinson is a Jiman / Bundjalung woman. She is a national leader in intergenerational and relational trauma, and healing or recovery for Indigenous, and indeed all peoples. Though nominally retired, she continues working with communities in educational – healing work, what she calls educaring.
Professor Atkinson was part of both phases of the project.Dr Janine Mohamed
Dr Janine Mohamed is a proud Narrunga Kaurna woman from South Australia. Over two decades, she has worked in nursing, management, project management, research, workforce and health policy in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health sector, including as CEO at the Congress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurses and Midwives (CATSINaM). Janine is currently the CEO of the Lowitja Institute - Australia's National Institute for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Research. She was awarded an Atlantic Fellows for Social Equity Fellowship in 2019, a Doctorate of Nursing honoris causa by Edtih Cowan University in 2020 and in 2021, a Distinguished Fellowship with The George Institute for Global Health Australia. She is a regular spokesperson on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health issues, including racism, cultural safety, climate change, the social and cultural determinants of health, workforce and Indigenous data sovereignty.
Dr Janine Mohamed was part of both phases of the project.Professor Helen Herrman
Professor Helen Herrman is currently President of the World Psychiatric Association. Her work focuses on community mental health care, promoting mental health and the mental health of marginalised groups, including homeless people, prisoners and youth living in out-of-home care.
Professor Herrman was part of both phases of the project.
Dr Yvonne Clark
Dr Yvonne Clark is a Kokatha and Wirangu Aboriginal woman from South Australia. Yvonne’s experience spans clinical, community, social and academic psychology, predominately with Aboriginal people, in particular with families, children and young people.
Dr Clark was part of both phases of the project.Associate Professor Caroline Atkinson
Associate Professor Caroline Atkinson is an Aboriginal social worker and leader in the area of intergenerational trauma in Indigenous Australia. She developed the first culturally sensitive, reliable and valid psychometric measure in Australia that determines PTSD in Australian Aboriginal peoples.
Associate Professor Atkinson was part of both phases of the project.
Professor Helen McLachlan
Professor Helen McLachlan is a midwifery leader with expertise in research translation and collaborations. She is currently lead investigator on a partnership project with VACCHO and four Victorian maternity services aimed at improving maternity care and health outcomes for Aboriginal mothers and babies.
Professor McLachlan was part of both phases of the project.Miss Tanja Hirvonen
Tanja Hirvonen is a Jaru and Bunuba woman, and grew up in North West Queensland. Tanja is a registered clinical psychologist who specialises in social and emotional wellbeing, health professionals’ self-care and transgenerational trauma.
Tanja was part of both phases of the project.
Associate Professor Sandra Campbell
Associate Professor Sandra Campbell is an Aboriginal researcher with a professional background in nursing and midwifery in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in Queensland, the Northern Territory and Victoria.
Sandra was part of both phases of the project.
Associate Professor Kootsy Canuto
I am a Torres Strait Islander (Wagadagam tribe) and Associate Professor, Flinders University, College of Medicine and Public Health, Rural and Remote Health – NT. All my research concentrates on increasing and improving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander male health and wellbeing with a particular focus on engaging, utilising and streamlining primary health care services and programs, fatherhood, and co-designing social and emotional wellbeing programs. I am privileged to be part of this team under Professor Chamberlain’s leadership
Kootsy Canuto was part of phase two.
Professor Sue Kruske
Sue Kruske is a non Indigenous woman with a background in midwifery and child health nursing. She is the Professor of Primary Health Care as a joint appointment between Northern Territory Health and Charles Darwin University. She has a long history of working intermittently the Northern Territory since the mid 1990s and currently lives in Mparntwe (Alice Springs). Her primary areas of interests are childhood trauma and its impact on parenting, trauma-informed care, cross-cultural parenting, primary health models of care, and supporting the health workforce in working more effectively with First Nations women and families.
Sue Kruske was part of phase two.
Professor Leonie Segal
Professor Leonie Segal is the Chair, Health Economics and Social Policy at the University of South Australia. She has 30 years of research experience in the design and conduct of studies to address complex health and social policy questions and expertise in economic evaluation.
Leonie Segal was part of phase two.
Res McCalman
Res is a Ballarong Noongar woman with Irish, Scottish and Cornish descent. She is a registered midwife and works in research on the NHMRC funded Baggarrook Yurrongi, Nurragh Manma Buliana (Women's Journey) project, as well as the Healing the Past by Nurturing the Future project.
Res was part of phase two.
Ms Debra Bowman
Research Assistant in Indigenous Public Health
Debra will be support the project with cultural leadership, resource development (including stories for parents) and more. Debra Bowman is a proud Ngemba woman from Brewarrina, NSW. She is currently studying her masters degree with the University of Melbourne and The Dulwich Centre in Adelaide in Narrative Therapy & Community Work, which she is very passionate about as storytelling and yarning comes natural to her cultural ways of being and keeps her grounded and connected to her cultural heritage.
Dr Tess Bright
Lead on the Healing the past by nurturing the future project
Dr Tess Bright is a non-indigenous researcher living on Wurundjeri Country of the Kulin Nation. Tess is a Research Fellow with expertise in quantitative research and evidence synthesis. She is a clinical audiologist by background, holding a Masters of Clinical Audiology from the University of Melbourne. Tess completed a PhD in Epidemiology in 2020 at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and focused on building the evidence on epidemiology of hearing loss in low- and middle-income countries. Tess’ research to date has focused on improving access to health services for marginalised groups, in particular people with disabilities. Tess has extensive experience in systematic reviews, quantitative analysis and project design and implementation.
Dr Elise Davis
Deputy Head of the Unit for Health Equity, Senior Research Fellow
Dr Elise Davis is a public health researcher who is passionate about supporting child and parent mental health. She particularly enjoys evaluation and outcome measurement as well as qualitative interviewing and analysis. Elise has worked in university settings and non-government organisations for the past 20 years.
Dr Kimberley Jones
Research Fellow in the Indigenous Health Equity Unit
Dr Kimberley Jones is a non-indigenous researcher born on Awabakal Country, now living on Wurundjeri Country in the Kulin Nation. Kim is a Research Fellow with expertise in evidence synthesis and trauma research. Kim’s research interests are focused on health equity in marginalised populations. She is passionate about improving health and wellbeing outcomes in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations. Kim completed undergraduate studies in biomedical science, a PhD in Neuroscience studying the effect of stress-related immune responses in the brain, and a Master of International Public Health at UNSW. Kim’s background includes work in health behaviour research, knowledge translation, clinical trials, chronic illness translational research, and trauma-related mental health research. Kim has extensive experience in guideline development, evidence synthesis, and research project design and implementation.
Ms Emma Stubbs
Senior Research Assistant
Emma Stubbs is a Pitjantjatjara, Yankunytjatjara, Arabana and Adnyamathanha woman working and living on Arrernte Country in Alice Springs with Central Australian Aboriginal Congress. Emma has more than ten years’ experience working in community services, case management, advocacy, administration and community development roles. She has experience working in a trauma informed way, with organisations that work Malparara Way (side by side) in making things better for Anangu (Aboriginal) people. Emma is new to working in research, but believes that all Aboriginal people are researchers by nature, as we follow a 60000 year-old framework for sharing Tjukurpa (stories) and knowledge..
Ms Leanne Slade
Administrative Assistant, The University of Melbourne
Leanne is an administrative officer with extensive experience working in administration at a cultural institution. Leanne has a background in early childhood education delivering nature-based programs to children and also has an educational background in psychology.