Diversity and Inclusion

Welcome message from the Associate Dean Diversity and Inclusion

It is my pleasure to welcome you to the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences website for Diversity and Inclusion. This website was established to celebrate our diversity, share resources, and provide an opportunity for staff involvement in our diversity and inclusion initiatives across the Faculty.

As your Associate Dean Diversity and Inclusion, I am passionate and committed to equity and will use my role to advocate for people, their purpose, and for medicine and science.

We all have the right to a diverse and discrimination free workplace, where gender, sexuality and sexual orientation, disability, health issues, ethnicity and race, and an individual’s background should not be a barrier to reaching their full potential. My resolute goal is to continue to develop and bring new ideas to lead key initiatives that will enhance our Faculties progression towards Diversity and Inclusion.

Our Faculty is ranked among the top in the world for its impact, innovation, education, prosperity and growth. I believe we are ready to also be known for celebrating our diverse and outstanding people.

Professor Natalie Hannan
Associate Dean Diversity and Inclusion

MDHS Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee (DIAC)

The MDHS Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee (DIAC) is made up of individuals across the Faculty who are committed to cultivating a work and study place where diversity is valued, respected and affirmed. We do this by sharing and promoting key learnings about emergent or embedded Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives in the Faculty.

The Committee has representation from each of our Schools, professional and academic staff, early career researchers and senior leadership. Importantly, we have a range of diverse experiences, attributes, skills and expertise which lend themselves to robust collaboration.

We are guided by the University’s Athena Swan (SAGE) Gender Equity Bronze Award, the Diversity and Inclusion Strategy 2030, and the Faculty’s Strategic Plan Advancing Health 2030. You can read our Terms of Reference here.

Please email DIAC with any questions or initiatives you'd like included on the MDHS Diversity and Inclusion website at mdhs-diversityinclusion@unimelb.edu.au.

DIAC Committee L–R: Kirsten Deane; Megan Sharp; Natalie Hannan; George Taiaroa; Jacqui Olney; Richard Duke; Claudia Marck; Alexandra Devine; Nury Emniyet; Rachel Toovey; Rita Hardiman; Sarah Bendall; Shakira Milton; Odette Mazel; Christian Nicholas; Jessica Heerde; Kath Sellick; Josh Cubillo and Liz Brentnall.

News and Events

Our Faculty is the sum of its people.
Here are some of their stories.

Sav Zwickl

Sav is a gender and sexuality researcher in the Trans Health Research Group in the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences. Their interest is in the social and environmental drivers of health inequalities, with a strong focus on improving healthcare experiences for trans and gender diverse people in Australia.

Photo of Dr Asiel Sanchez on a bright teal background

Dr Asiel Adan Sanchez

Dr Asiel Adan Sanchez (they/them) is a GP with an approach to diversity that is very much grounded in a human-rights framework. They have a quiet determination to change attitudes and breakdown barriers that prevent people from engaging in healthcare systems.

Dr Jess Heerde

Jess is a research leader in youth homelessness based in the Department of Paediatrics in the Melbourne Medical School. Homelessness remains, in many respects, a hidden issue. Rates of homelessness are rising among the young, with devastating effects on their health and wellbeing. Homelessness remains a wicked problem that straddles both the health and social sciences, meaning it has been a challenging area in which to build a research program.

Dr Kate Filia

Kate is an exceptional researcher and emerging leader in the field of social inclusion and mental health, an area of critical significance for those living with mental ill-health. She has developed a novel measure of social inclusion, and a research program dedicated to understanding differences between, and improving, social inclusion across psychiatric diagnoses, developmental stages, in caregivers, and at-risk population groups.

Dr Ada Cheung is a clinician scientist and holds a NHMRC Fellowship and a Dame Kate Campbell Fellowship in the Department of Medicine (Austin Health), The University of Melbourne. She is also an endocrinologist in private practice and at Austin Health. She combines her physician expertise with her research skills to improve medical services for transgender Australians.

Gwenda Freeman

Gwenda is a Lecturer in Aboriginal Health Education in the Aboriginal Health Team at the Department of Rural Health (UDRH), University of Melbourne. Her work includes teaching, providing student support, conducting research and leading community projects.

Zoe Stephenson

Zoe is a Strategic Partnerships Specialist for the Centre for Cancer Research and is the Communications Lead on the University of Melbourne Pride in Action Network.

Chris McKay

Chris is a Wiradjuri man and PhD candidate at the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health. He is based in the Indigenous Epidemiology and Health research group and his research focuses on the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adolescents.

What is SWiM?

The Supporting Women in MDHS (SWiM) program aims to promote gender equity and support academic promotion of women in our Faculty.

SWiM aims to encourage women to step into leadership roles in their academic careers, as well as strategically prepare them for academic promotion.

SWiM: Inspiring Stories

In this monthly seminar series, Professor Natalie Hannan, Associate Dean Diversity and Inclusion, invites leading women to reflect on their careers and share their advice, knowledge and experience. The series is open to all staff and honoraries in the faculty.

SWiM: Mentoring for Promotion Program

The SWiM Mentoring for Promotion Program is a tailored program of support for female and non-binary staff who are eligible for academic promotion.

Momentum Fellowships

The Momentum Fellowships support the research development, career progression and retention of Level B and C research fixed-term and continuing (research contingent) academic staff with extraordinary and compounding personal circumstances.