Who We Are
The Partnership is led by Associate Professor Renae Kirkham from Menzies, with expertise provided by a range of Chief Investigators and Associate Investigators according to each project within the Partnership. The Steering Committee meets once a quarter to provide oversight on the direction of the Partnership’s program of work and research activities. The Steering Committee includes academics, investigators and representatives of key partners in each region including Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations and the Northern Territory peak body, Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory (AMSANT).
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Reference Committee is chaired by Mrs Valda Wallace and composed of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnership staff members: Norlisha Bartlet, Seileshia Calma Goodrem, Royce Ramsamy, Shiree Mack and Loyla Leysley. Staff members contribute their wealth of lived experience and knowledge, including from the Broome, Darwin, Alice Springs and Far North Queensland regions.
Regions also have Clinical Reference Groups and Working Groups made up of key stakeholders from partner organisations and communities who provide input and guidance on the key elements of each project.
Governance Groups
The Partnership has four groups that meet throughout the year. These groups are the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Reference Committee, the Diabetes in Pregnancy Clinical Reference Group, the Steering Committee, and the Research Leadership Group.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Reference Committee (ATSIRC)
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Reference Committee is chaired by Mrs Valda Wallace and composed of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnership staff members: Norlisha Bartlet, Seileshia Calma Goodrem, Royce Ramsamy, Shiree Mack and Loyla Leysley. Staff members contribute their wealth of lived experience and knowledge, including from the Broome, Darwin, Alice Springs and Far North Queensland regions.
The key function and responsibility of the ATSIRC is to provide strategic cultural advice to ensure research conducted by The Partnership is done so in the correct ways – protecting the interests, knowledge, and rights of participants, their families, and communities. The ATSIRC will provide proficient knowledge, advice, and make recommendations. The ATSIRC is not a decision-making body. The ATSIRC is fortunate to be part of a large cohort of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander staff members who bring their lived experience and access to thousands of years of cultural knowledge to The Partnership research space.
The terms of reference for ATSIRC have been guided by the NHMRC Guidelines, Menzies School of Health Research policies and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander customary laws and lore
Diabetes in Pregnancy Clinical Reference Group
The Diabetes in Pregnancy (DIP) Clinical Reference Group was first established in 2012 by Cherie Whitbread. This reference group has met in various forms over the years and aims to ensure Partnership activities are informed by clinician and health service priorities while providing a forum to translate research findings to changes in policy and practice. The DIP Clinical Reference Group is also an opportunity to support the networking of clinicians working across a broad range of disciplines and health services in the care of women with diabetes in pregnancy.
Meetings are chaired by Partnership clinician-researchers Dr Diana MacKay and Dr Matt Hare, with support from the DIP team. Group membership includes partners in primary care, nursing, midwifery, diabetes education (urban and remote), dietetics, endocrinology, obstetrics, Department of Health corporate systems, and across government, community-controlled, and NGO sectors. If you are interested in joining the group, please get in touch with the DIP team at ntdippartnership@menzies.edu.au
Steering Committee
The overall role of the Steering Committee is to provide strategic direction, leadership and advice on the Partnership’s activities. Members provide advice and make decisions regarding research design and implementation activities of projects within the Partnership.
Membership includes Chief Investigators on the Partnership’s studies and key stakeholders including Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance (AMSANT), Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCHOs), and other organisational representatives.
Research Leadership Group
The Research Leadership Group provides strategic direction to the Partnership in relation to research findings and priorities. Find synergies between different priority areas while allowing us to work together to enhance Partnership sustainability, support each other’s research interests, build each other’s capacity, find efficiencies in our approach to future work, and assist in breaking down project related silos that may inhibit some of this broader thinking.
Membership criteria includes having completed a PhD and/or making significant contributions to the direction of future research (including methodological contributions to research proposals).
Current Members:
- Associate Professor Renae Kirkham
- Dr Angela Titmuss
- Dr Anna McLean
- Dr Anna Wood
- Anthony Gunther
- Dr Diana MacKay
- Dr Elizabeth Barr
- Dr Matt Hare
- Natasha Freeman
- Tara Dias
- Valda Wallace
Research Staff
The Partnership consists of more than 40 staff members and 5 students, including 13 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff across four regions: Central Australia, Far North Queensland, South Australia, and the Top End.
- All
- Northern Territory
- Far North Queensland
- Victoria
Associate Professor Renae Kirkham (PhD, BPsycSc, B.A)
Principal Research Fellow and Lead of the Diabetes across the Lifecourse: Northern Australia Partnership
Renae Kirkham is a leader in public health with expertise in Implementation Science research and qualitative research methodologies. As Lead of the Diabetes Across the Lifecourse: Northern Australian Partnership, Renae plays a key role in supporting a large program of research that aims to work in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to break the cycle of type 2 diabetes and related conditions.
Since joining the Partnership in 2015, she has secured over $12 million in research funding. Renae provides important oversight to the Partnership, which under her leadership has significantly increased First Nations employment to 40% (16/39 staff). She has extensive experience in models of care research, particularly that focusing on increasing appropriateness and accessibility of health services to improve health outcomes for First Nations people.
Renae currently supervises three Ph.D. students (two as primary) and two master’s research project students. She has supervised multiple HDR students to completion (one Ph.D. and five masters).
Dr Angela Titmuss (PhD, B Sci Med Hons, MBBS Hons, MPH, FRACP)
Deputy Lead of the DIABETES across the LIFECOURSE: Northern Australia Partnership; Lead of the Youth Type 2 Diabetes Study
Angela Titmuss is a paediatric endocrinologist and paediatrician at Royal Darwin Hospital and Senior Research Fellow at Menzies School of Health Research, working within the youth type 2 diabetes team of the DIABETES across the LIFECOURSE: Northern Australian Partnership. Her PhD explored the prevalence and characteristics of youth-onset type 2 diabetes among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people in northern Australia. It also explored the impact of maternal hyperglycaemia in pregnancy on the growth, cardiometabolic profile and developmental risk of children, part of the Pregnancy and Neonatal Diabetes Outcomes in Remote Australia (PANDORA) study. Her PhD work was supported by a National Health and Medical Research Council Postgraduate Scholarship, the Royal Australasian College of Physicians NHMRC Woolcock Award, the Channel 7 Children’s Research Foundation, the Diabetes Australia Research Program, and an NHMRC Hot North PhD Completion Scholarship.
She is an Investigator on several studies exploring prevention strategies for obesity and type 2 diabetes in childhood, as well as the development of new models of care for management of youth-onset type 2 diabetes, and youth engagement. She is the only paediatric endocrinologist in the Northern Territory and also provides outreach and clinical support across the region. She sits on multiple regional and national representative bodies regarding youth-onset type 2 diabetes and has been heavily involved in clinical guideline development and workforce education.
Dr Diana MacKay (MPH, MBBS, BA, FRACP)
Deputy Lead of the DIABETES across the LIFECOURSE: Northern Australia Partnership; Lead of the Diabetes in Pregnancy Co-Design and DIP Clinical Register
Diana MacKay is a clinician-researcher within the DIABETES across the LIFECOURSE: Northern Australia Partnership, and is an endocrinologist at Royal Darwin Hospital where she is the Clinical Lead of Diabetes. Diana has research expertise in mixed-methods and program evaluation, in the areas of diabetes and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health.
Diana completing her PhD in 2025, leading the evaluation of the Partnership’s work to improve models of care for diabetes in pregnancy in the NT and Far North Queensland. Diana’s other current research includes a co-design program with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women to reduce the diabetes-related risks before, during and after a pregnancy complicated by diabetes, funded by the Medical Research Future Fund.
Originally from South-East Queensland, Diana moved to the NT in 2017. She has developed and contributed to numerous guidelines relevant to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, including the CARPA Remote Primary Healthcare Manuals. She sits on the Clinical Advisory Committee of the Australian Diabetes Society and the NT Maternal and Neonatal Network, and co-chairs the NT Gender Affirming Care Network.
Val Wallace
First Nations Research Fellow
Valda (Val) identifies as a Gugu Badhun woman (north Queensland). Val’s work background in North Queensland and the Northern Territory spans over forty-five years and includes health, policing and academia, she has experience in qualitative research, community engagement, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander protocols and research ethics. Val commenced employment with Diabetes Across the LIFECOURSE: Northern Australia Partnership in January 2025. Val believes that despite the challenges facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, our knowledges, strong cultural beliefs, strengths and resilience continue to contribute to innovation and research, community development, provision of appropriate services and improved health and educational outcomes. Working towards improved outcomes drives Val’s passion for working with her people.
Dr Matt Hare (PhD, MBBS Hons, BmedSc Hons, FRACP)
Lead of the Intergenerational Health in the Northern Territory, IMPACT Diabetes NT, and the Screening for diabetes in pregnancy among Aboriginal women in remote NT communities, and the DIP Clinical Register
Matt is a clinician‑researcher focused on addressing the intergenerational impacts of diabetes and related conditions among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. He is a Staff Specialist and Clinical Lead for Remote Services in the Endocrinology Department at Royal Darwin Hospital. He also serves as a Board Director of the Australasian Diabetes in Pregnancy Society and sits on the Research Advisory Committee of the Australian Diabetes Society.
After completing his medical degree, Matt undertook specialist physician training at The Alfred Hospital and Monash Health in Melbourne. He moved to Darwin in 2019 to complete a PhD under Professor Louise Maple‑Brown, examining intergenerational trends in diabetes and cardiometabolic health through a large data‑linkage study.
Matt has a longstanding interest in the epidemiology, determinants, and prevention of non‑communicable diseases, and is committed to collaborative work that reduces health inequalities. He has previously worked with the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute in Melbourne and the MRC Epidemiology Unit at the University of Cambridge. His contributions have been recognised with awards and scholarships from organisations including the Australian Diabetes Society, NHMRC, International Diabetes Epidemiology Group, Australian Academy of Science, Diabetes Australia, and the US Centers for Disease Control.
He currently leads multiple epidemiology and translational projects funded by Diabetes Australia and the Commonwealth Department of Health.
Anthony Gunther
Program Manager of the Diabetes across the Lifecourse: Northern Australia Partnership
Anthony is the Program Manager for the DIABETES across the LIFECOURSE: Northern Australia Partnership at Menzies School of Health Research, bringing a wealth of experience and dedication to his role. Since 2012, he has served as a Project Manager, playing a key role in numerous groundbreaking and impactful projects. Throughout his career, Anthony has been instrumental in the successful execution of innovative projects, including the co-design of enhanced care models for youth with Type 2 Diabetes and the implementation of community health initiatives such as the Healthy Stores 2020 project.
His portfolio also includes initiatives like SHOP@RIC, the BREAD Study, and FoodFox. Anthony is driven by a commitment to improving health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities through strategic planning, effective team leadership, and collaborative stakeholder engagement.
Based in Darwin, Anthony dedicates a significant portion of his time to travelling across Northern Australia, engaging with service providers, health professionals, and community members. His deep commitment to fostering these relationships highlights the importance of collaboration and community engagement in his work.
Dr Elizabeth Barr (BPod, GradDipPod, MPH, PhD)
Lead of the Cardiovascular Risk in Indigenous People Study
Elizabeth is a senior epidemiologist within the DIABETES across the LIFECOURSE: Northern Australian Partnership. Elizabeth holds appointments at Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, and Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute. Her PhD work provided the first Australian national data on the cardiovascular and mortality risks associated with diabetes and intermediate hyperglycaemia, with findings providing an important rationale for developing diabetes prevention programs. Elizabeth’s work also contributed to international consortiums: The Emerging Risk Factor Collaboration, headed by a Cambridge University group; and specifically as a means of validating the Globorisk international cardiovascular risk score. Elizabeth received the 2021 Australian Diabetes Society Jeff Flack Diabetes Data Award for the development of epidemiological data systems for chronic conditions. Elizabeth established the Cardiovascular Risk in IndigenouS People (CRISP) study, a collaboration of five epidemiological studies of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, a key translational project, and collaborates on the NHMRC-funded projects: The eGFR3 study and the Pregnancy And Neonatal Outcomes in Remote Australia (PANDORA) studies. Elizabeth works in partnership with several Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community stakeholders to embed community support and priorities within research and translation strategies to improve the lives of people with diabetes, especially Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. Elizabeth is committed to capacity building in public health and epidemiology and provides mentorship to research staff and students.
Dr Anna McLean (PhD, MBBS, FRACP)
Chief Investigator
Dr Anna McLean is a consultant endocrinologist and clinical lead of the Diabetes in Pregnancy team at Cairns Hospital, which is the major referral centre for the Cairns and Hinterland, Cape York and Torres Strait Hospital and Health Services.
She completed her PhD in 2024 on the topic of improving management for women with diabetes in pregnancy, which focused on enhancing models of care and use of continuous glucose monitoring for women with type 2 diabetes in pregnancy.
Dr McLean has been involved with the Northern Australia Diabetes Across the Lifecourse Partnership since 2015 and continues to be involved as a Senior Research Fellow with Menzies School of Health Research.
Dr Anna Wood (BaBCom, MBBS, PhD)
Lead of the PANDORA Wave 2 and Coronary Artery Calcium (CAC) Studies
Dr Anna Wood is Head of Department of Endocrinology at Royal Darwin Hospital and a Senior Research Fellow with Menzies School of Health Research in Darwin. She works within the Diabetes Across the Lifecourse Partnership at Menzies, and leads the PANDORA study. Dr Wood also leads the weight management service in the NT with expertise in cardiometabolic health. Dr Wood is a Director of the Australian Diabetes Society and serves on the steering committees for the National Association of Diabetes Centres and the Obesity Collective.
Tara Dias
Project Manager – Youth Diabetes
Tara joined the team in late 2019 and is based in Darwin. She commenced with the Youth Team in mid-2025 after working as part of the Diabetes in Pregnancy Co-Design study. She has a Masters Public Policy, Masters of Public Health and has experience in community development, organisational development. She has also worked in health policy and consumer/systemic advocacy.
Alison Simmonds
Project Officer of the Pregnancy and Neonatal Diabetes Outcomes in Remote Australia Study (PANDORA)
Trained as a Physiotherapist, Alison has enjoyed the transition to project work and has worked on quite a few studies at Menzies in her more than 10 years with the organisation.
She has worked on all stages of the PANDORA study excluding the initial recruitment of participants.
Amelia Hosking
Project Coordinator of the Diabetes in Pregnancy and Youth Type 2 Diabetes Studies
Amelia is the Project Coordinator for the Diabetes in Pregnancy, and the Youth Type 2 Diabetes Programs based in Cairns. Amelia has a strong background in community development and health promotion in the NGO sector with over 15 years of experience working in communities across Cape York and in the Torres Strait Islands.
Demicia Booth
Peer Support Facilitator of the Youth Type 2 Diabetes Study
Edwina Murphy
Peer Support Facilitator of the Youth Type 2 Diabetes Study
Ellie Strahley
Project Officer of the Pregnancy and Neonatal Diabetes Outcomes in Remote Australia Study (PANDORA) and Project Coordinator of the Coronary Artery Calcium Scoring In Women Trial Study
Ellie is based in Larrakia Country (Darwin) and her background is in Exercise Physiology. Her keen interest in remote health and commitment to improving health outcomes for those living with chronic disease led her to join the Diabetes Partnership in January 2023.
Dr Harshana Munasinghe
Biostatistician
Harshana Munasinghe is a biostatistician and researcher who joined the DIABETES across the LIFECOURSE: Northern Australia Partnership, contributing biostatistical expertise across projects focused on diabetes and chronic disease.
Her doctoral research examines the epidemiology and burden of diabetes in Sri Lanka, undertaken through a joint PhD program between the University of Kelaniya and University College London.
Harshana’s academic and research interests span epidemiology, biostatistics, and public health, with a particular focus on diabetes and non‑communicable disease epidemiology. She is committed to applying advanced statistical methodologies to address pressing public health challenges and to strengthen evidence‑based decision‑making in diverse health systems.
Isabella Marovich
Project Manager of the Cardiovascular Risk in Indigenous People (CRISP), Intergenerational Health in the Northern Territory (I-HiNT), IMPACT Diabetes NT, and the Screening for diabetes in pregnancy among Aboriginal women in remote NT communities study
Isabella Marovich is based in Melbourne, Victoria. She has a background in public health and epidemiology, and has worked in research and government roles relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health since 2019. She is passionate about knowledge translation and data-driven policy-making.
Isabella is the Project Manager for Epidemiology and Clinical Diabetes projects and has previously worked in the Diabetes and Pregnancy team in the Partnership. She is currently studying for her Master of Public Health at Charles Darwin University.
Jo Kelaart
Project Manager of the Youth Type 2 Diabetes Study
Jo is based in Mparntwe, Alice Springs. Jo has extensive experience working in Central Australia as a Nurse in a variety of clinical settings. She is committed to working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and communities to improve health outcomes for those living with chronic disease.
Jo joined the Partnership in 2016 and is currently the Project Manager for the Merne Mwerre Artweye Areye-ke program. A family-based prevention program for obesity and diabetes in childhood.
Professor Louise Maple-Brown (MBBS, FRACP, PhD)
Principal Chief Investigator and Partnership Mentor
Louise Maple-Brown is a Senior Endocrinologist at the Royal Darwin Hospital (NT, Australia), Deputy Director of Research (April 2023), and Senior Principal Research Fellow at Menzies. Louise established the Diabetes across the Lifecourse: Northern Australian Partnership.
After completing the majority of her physician and endocrinology training at St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney, Louise moved to Darwin in 2002 to pursue her passion of working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities to improve health outcomes. Louise was Head of the Department of Endocrinology at Royal Darwin Hospital (2012-2022) and founded the NT Diabetes Network in 2018 (inaugural Chair 2018 -2022). She was a member of the Australian Diabetes Society Council (2014-2022) and the Council of the Australasian Diabetes in Pregnancy Society (2011-2014). Louise has been providing clinical diabetes services to urban and remote NT communities for over 20 years. She is a current member of the NT Clinical Senate.
In 2020 Louise was awarded the Australian Diabetes Society Ranji and Amara Wikramanayake clinical Diabetes Mid-Career Research award and in 2021, Louise was elected as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences.
Loyla Leysley
Cultural & Community Advisor
Loyla is a Traditional Torres Strait Islander woman from the Western Island region with ancestorial heritage reaching from Ngaripai (Horn) Island, Badu (Mulgrave) Island, Wiaben (Thursday) Island and Kubin (Moa) Island.
Loyla moved to Darwin in the 1970’s and began her journey with Menzies School of Health Research a few years ago as a receptionist. Since that time, she has completed a Bachelor of Indigenous Health Studies and worked on research projects across almost all parts of the body, including a Heart and Health Study, Rheumatic Heart Disease and Rheumatic Fever, Healthy Skin Study, DRUID Diabetes Study and many more. She has previously lectured at Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education and is very passionate about supporting and mentoring the next generation of Indigenous Health professionals.
Luzanne Scheepers
Clinical Research Manager of the Pregnancy and Neonatal Diabetes Outcomes in Remote Australia Study (PANDORA)
A Registered Nurse, Lu has extensive clinical experience in paediatric and intensive care nursing, providing care across a range of acute healthcare settings in South Australia and the Northern Territory.
After joining Menzies School of Health Research in 2022, Lu worked across projects in child & maternal health. A growing interest in chronic disease and the burden of disease across Northern Australia led her to join the DIABETES across the LIFECOURSE Partnership in 2026.
Lu is passionate about supporting collaborative research that improves health outcomes for women, babies and families across Northern Australia.
Michelle Scerrie (MBBS, FACRRM)
Clinical Project Coordinator
Michelle is the Clinical Project Co-ordinator for the INSPIRE project. She has been working in the Northern Territory since 2003, mostly as a General Practitioner in the Aboriginal Community Controlled Sector. In her clinical work, she witnessed an increase in the number of young people developing Type 2 Diabetes, which led to a desire to explore better ways to meet the changing health needs of her clients, including new models of care. She helped to establish a peer-support program for young people living with Type 2 Diabetes at Wurli-Wurlinjang Health Service in 2020. This work led on to a role supporting and training young people with Type 2 Diabetes to work as Peer Facilitators in the Doing It Together project.
Natasha Freeman
Evaluation Lead
Natasha has worked within the Diabetes Across the Lifecourse Northern Australia Partnership as a qualitative researcher and evaluator since 2018. She currently works as an evaluator for the Youth Type 2 Diabetes Team, which focuses on co-designing youth-friendly, culturally appropriate models of care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people with type 2 diabetes aged 10-25. Natasha has both led and contributed to several evaluations for various teams, since commencing with Menzies in 2016. Before working at Menzies, Natasha worked in rural and regional centres in Western Australia and Far North Queensland focusing on health promotion and building workforce capacity.
Norlisha Bartlett
Project Officer of the Diabetes in Pregnancy Co-Design Study
Norlisha is a Bardi and Jabirr-Jabirr woman from the Kimberley. Norlisha has nine years of experience working in remote communities in the Northern Territory and Western Australia, including work in the Diabetes Partnership.
Norlisha has been with the Diabetes Partnership for four years and is now a Project Officer in the Diabetes in Pregnancy team and Stakeholder Engagement.
Norlisha is passionate and committed to working with communities to improve health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, families, and communities.
Philippe Freidel (Pharm D)
Project Manager of the integrated care in Diabetes in Pregnancy study (iCARE)
Originally trained as a pharmacist, Philippe has been contributing to therapeutics development and improving health systems across the pharmaceutical industry and the not-for-profit sector for the past 25 years.
He recently moved to Darwin after having lived in Central Australia for 10 years, where he was involved with developing health resources for Purple House and the update of the CARPA Remote Primary Healthcare Manuals.
His interest in reducing First Nations health inequities led him to taking on a research project at Menzies.
Renee Tasman-Algy
Peer Support Facilitator of the Youth Type 2 Diabetes Study
Royce Ramsamy
Project Officer on the Pregnancy and Neonatal Diabetes Outcomes in Remote Australia Study (PANDORA)
Royce Ramsamy is a Project Officer on the PANDORA team as well as the AIMHI mental health team and AOD team. He is currently a student of the Ramaciotti centre studying a Bachelor of Biomedical Science at Charles Darwin University.
Rosemary Graham
Project Officer of the Coronary Artery Calcium Scoring In Women Trial Study
Rosemary is a local Indigenous woman. Her country is Roper River (Ngukurr) which is located in the Katherine Region. She has worked in the NT Government for 33 years in three different departments and completed an Associate Degree in Community Development and Management at Curtin University, West Australia. She has worked mostly in Housing, Urban, and Remote.
Samyia Shark
Peer Support Facilitator of the Youth Type 2 Diabetes Study
Seileshia Calma Goodrem
Project Officer of the Coronary Artery Calcium Scoring In Women Trial Study
Seileshia is a proud Kungarakan Aboriginal woman who is a local to Darwin. For the past seven years, she has dedicated herself to working at her nana’s cherished shop, Paperbark Woman, a beloved local establishment that sells Aboriginal fabrics.
Shiree Mack
Community Liaison Officer of the Youth Type 2 Diabetes Study
Shiree is an Arrernte woman employed during the formative work of this project (community consultation and adaptation of TTP). She has prior research experience with the formative work for the Youth Type 2 Diabetes project and continued to develop her capacity significantly during her time on this work in Central Australia. She completed a range of capacity-building activities during the community consultation and adaptation of TTP and is formally involved as a co-researcher on the team and will continue to develop her research capacity. She mentors and supports new Aboriginal community-based members of the team who are employed on projects. Shiree is also a member of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Group.
Tucker Tucker
Project Officer on the Pregnancy and Neonatal Diabetes Outcomes in Remote Australia Study (PANDORA)
Tucker is a proud First Nations woman and Project Officer on the PANDORA Study, which focuses on diabetes in pregnancy. She brings experience from a diverse background and is currently studying Medical Laboratory Science at Charles Darwin University. Tucker is passionate about improving health outcomes for First Nations communities and uses her diverse background and cultural insight to support research that makes a real difference.
Waylon Murphy
Peer Support Facilitator of the Youth Type 2 Diabetes Study
Dr Winnie Chen (PhD, MPH, MBBS, FRACP)
Senior Research Fellow of the Intergenerational Health in the Northern Territory (I-HiNT), IMPACT Diabetes NT, and the Screening for diabetes in pregnancy among Aboriginal women in remote NT communities study
Dr Winnie Chen is a clinician with research interests in health economics and health informatics. Winnie recently completed her PhD with the Territory Kidney Care team at Menzies. She is developing skill sets in health economics (modelled economic evaluations), health informatics (EHR/clinical decision support), and data analysis (Python/R).
Winnie works clinically as a GP and is a lecturer at Flinders NT. Previously, she worked as a medical editor (Medical Journal of Australia) and clinical guidelines editor (Northern Territory Primary Health Network).
Students
- All
- Northern Territory
- Far North Queensland
- Victoria
Dr Edith Waugh – PhD Candidate (MBBS, FANZCA, MPH&TM, MMed(Periop), GChPOM)
PhD Project: Perioperative Outcomes in First Nations Peoples and non-First Nations Peoples in the Northern Territory.
Edith Waugh is a specialist anaesthetist with an interest in perioperative medicine at Royal Darwin Hospital. Her doctoral research uses a mixed-methods approach to examine perioperative outcomes for First Nations people in the Northern Territory. Her work focuses on postoperative mortality and complications, the contribution of cardiometabolic conditions such as diabetes, and the structural and health-system factors that shape surgical risk and outcomes. Edith’s research integrates population-level data analysis with qualitative inquiry to inform culturally safe and equitable models of perioperative care for people living in Northern Australia.
Emma Weaver – PhD Candidate (MPH, BA)
PhD Project: “Exploring effective strategies to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people and children to prevent and manage type 2 diabetes in Central Australia”
Emma is an evaluator in the youth diabetes team based in Mparntwe, Alice Springs. She has a particular interest in the social determinants of health and how these intersect with youth-onset type 2 diabetes prevention and management. Since joining the Partnership in 2019 she has supported the use of participatory evaluation approaches to strengthen project outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
Dr Emily Papadimos – PhD Candidate (MBBS)
PhD Project: “The influence of in-utero diabetes exposure on growth outcomes and cardio-metabolic risk in early childhood: follow-up of the PANDORA cohort”
Emily is a paediatrician and paediatric endocrinologist who is currently undertaking a PhD at the Menzies School of Health Research. Her clinical experience of the increasing burden of type 2 diabetes mellitus in children, particularly in remote communities led her to pursue further research in the field. Her PhD will describe the epidemiology of youth-onset type 2 diabetes in Indigenous populations and will evaluate the contribution of hyperglycaemia in pregnancy on childhood growth and cardiometabolic parameters. She is supported by a NHMRC Postgraduate Scholarship and the Douglas and Lola Douglas Scholarship in Medical Science from the Australian Academy of Science. Emily enjoys learning about Indigenous culture and is passionate about improving the health of Indigenous children.
Kylie Hopkins – PhD Candidate (MPHTM, M Nutr&Dietet, BSc Health Promotion, BSc Nutrition, APD)
PhD Project: “Informing culturally safe and resonant care practices for type 2 diabetes mellitus and obesity; an exploratory study into the perspectives and knowledges of First Nations people in the Kimberley, Western Australia”
Kylie is an Accredited Practicing Dietitian with 16 years’ experience, living and working throughout remote Northern Australia, though calling Kununurra home since 2010. Prior to this role Kylie held senior clinical and management positions gaining experience in primary health, private practice, tertiary and rural/remote settings. Her career has been strongly focused on improving nutritional access and nutrition educational opportunities for regional communities. With a passion for mentoring, teaching and research, Kylie transitioned into academia lecturing in nutrition, public health, rural/remote health care and health promotion at Charles Darwin University in 2020. With a keen interest in research, Kylie began Doctoral studies in 2022. Her research aims to contribute to the development of culturally safe care practices for First Nations people with T2DM and obesity.
Dr Mary Wicks – PhD Candidate (BTh Philosophy, BHSc, MPHC Indig Health, MBBS Hon, GradCert Clin Ultrasound, FRACP)
PhD Project: “PANDORA Wave 2, Diabetes and Pancreatitis in Central Australia (DAPINCA) & Diabetes Phenotypes”
Mary is a specialist physician based in Alice Springs. She has been heavily involved in providing specialist care to both urban and remote Aboriginal people in the NT since 2012. Currently, she works with Pintupi Homelands Health Service in Kintore and provides specialist clinics to the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress in Alice Springs. Her areas of research focus on providing better healthcare to Aboriginal peoples of Central Australia through contributions to understanding intergenerational and atypical diabetes as well as intercultural relationships and communication.
Marylin Cariño – PhD Candidate (MPH, PMP, BSc)
PhD Project: “Exploring the social and emotional wellbeing of First Nations young adults in Northern Australia and Central Canada”
Marylin has been working with the youth diabetes team as a Project Coordinator for the Top End region and has been with the Partnership since 2022. Previously based on Treaty 1 Territory, the ancestral lands of the Anishinaabeg, Anishininewuk, Dakota Oyate, Denesuline and Nehethowuk (Ininew) Nations and the Homeland of the Red River Métis, she is now based on Larrakia Country. She has over 10 years of experience coordinating projects in North America, Europe and Africa. She is also a certified Project Management Professional (PMP®).
Stuart Mobsby – PhD Candidate (MNg(NPrac), MRemoteIndigHlth)
PhD Project: “Exploring the adaptive co-creation of Aboriginal Health Coaching in primary health care across Katherine West Health Board Communities”
Stuart is a nurse practitioner, who is currently undertaking a PhD through the Menzies School of Health Research. Over the last 20 years, his clinical work has focused on the delivery of primary health care in remote communities across the Top End. Stuart has an interest in supporting people living with chronic conditions, with a strong focus on self-management support. He is currently employed by Katherine West Health Board as the evaluation coordinator of the Aboriginal Health Coaching program. Stuart’s PhD will explore the development of the Aboriginal Health Coaching program to inform the future employment pathways for Aboriginal people to enter primary health care and support people living with chronic conditions.
Ethics
All components of the Partnership have current approval from the relevant Human Research Ethics Committee. The Human Research Ethics Committee of Northern Territory Health and Menzies School of Health Research (NT HREC) regarding any complaints or concerns about any of the Partnership projects:
Phone: (08) 8946 8687 or (08) 8946 8692
Email: ethics@menzies.edu.au
Funding
Thank you to Central Australian Academic Health Science Network, Diabetes Australia, Flinders University, National Health and Medical Research Council, Medical Research Future Fund, Menzies School of Health Research, University of Melbourne, University of Sydney, and Sylvia and Charles Viertel Charitable Foundation.
Stay up to date
For program updates, newsletters and upcoming events in each area, please visit the Menzies website.