Strengthening Community Voices: Aboriginal Advisory Group and Research Guide

This Aboriginal-led initiative aims to develop a practical guide for engaging Aboriginal communities in genuine, community-driven research. A regional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Advisory Group will spearhead the guide’s creation, ensuring that the Indigenous Health Equity Unit (IHEU) conducts research aligned with the needs and priorities of Aboriginal communities in Gippsland, Victoria—a region experiencing significant health inequities.

Grounded in the principles of the NHMRC National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (2023), the project upholds self-determination by fostering meaningful community involvement throughout the research process.

The Advisory Group will play two pivotal roles:

  1. Guiding Research Priorities: Providing input on research aims, methods, and outcomes to shape IHEU’s current and future research funded by existing and forthcoming grants.
  2. Co-Creating a Community-Led Research Guide: Developing a comprehensive resource to support authentic engagement and collaboration with Aboriginal communities.

By placing community voices at the centre of research, this project will enhance the cultural competence of MDHS staff, equipping them with tools to foster respectful and effective Aboriginal community partnerships. Ultimately, the project seeks to cultivate a culture of equity and inclusion within MDHS and contribute to closing the gap in health and wellbeing outcomes for Aboriginal peoples.

Skye Stewart is a proud Wergaia and Wemba Wemba midwife (Australia midwife of the year for 2023) and a research assistant at IHEU, University of Melbourne. She is incredibly passionate about ensuring that research is community-led. She has co-facilitated many training sessions on delivering trauma-informed care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families across two large projects, the Healing the Past by Nurturing the Future and the Replanting the Birthing Trees projects. Skye will lead the facilitation of the advisory group and has some existing relationships with community in Gippsland.

The project will be guided by the head of the IHEU, Professor Catherine Chamberlain, a descendant of the Trawlwoolway people of Tasmania (Palawa). With over 25 years of experience in the health sector, Professor Chamberlain has secured over $35 million in competitive research funding and leads multi-disciplinary projects focused on improving health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families. Her work has been recognised with prestigious awards, including the NHMRC Rising Star and Lowitja Research Leadership Award.

Early-career researcher Shakira Onwuka recently completed her PhD. She is currently a Research Fellow at IHEU, University of Melbourne and has a strong commitment to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health equity. Shakira has over 20 peer-reviewed publications with an h-index of 10 and significant experience in public health research, including experience using both quantitative and qualitative analysis methods, and community engagement. She has secured over $320,000 in competitive funding and is dedicated to building meaningful partnerships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Research Fellow Dr Helen Henderson is an early career researcher with the IHEU. Helen is a public health professional specialising in sexual and reproductive health & rights. She has extensive experience working with community in the co-design of research projects, with a focus on participatory and qualitative research methodologies. She has helped design and manage health and research projects across the Asia-Pacific region. This includes a five-year, $12 million project about improving sexual and reproductive health, funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Dr Ee Pin Chang, is a mid-career researcher, coordinates the IHEU’s latest project, Relighting the Firesticks. She has extensive experience in culturally responsive research and is committed to decolonising research practices to enhance social and emotional wellbeing outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. She was a recipient of the nationally competitive Suicide Prevention Australia Post-Doctoral Fellowship, has secured over $440,000 funding, and was instrumental in securing refunding of $3m for the Centre of Best Practice in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention.

Dr Kim Jones, a Senior Research Fellow, coordinates the IHEU’s Healing the Past by Nurturing the Future project which aims to improve support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families. With a background in evidence synthesis, clinical trials, and trauma research, Kim is passionate about improving health equity in priority populations. She has 27 peer-reviewed publications with over 1400 citations and has secured over $11 million in research funding.