Staff Profile

Career Summary

Qualifications

• Doctor of Philosophy, University of Newcastle, 08/08/2012
• Bachelor of Applied Science (Occupational Therapy), University of Sydney
• Master in Cognitive Science, University of New South Wales

Research

Research keywords

• Aboriginal Health
• Children
• Nutrition
• Physical Activity
• Youth

Research expertise

My Public Health Research experience is in the field of Aboriginal Health which is my research area of interest and has been so since I established the Many Rivers Diabetes Prevention Project in 2001. I have developed a systematic program of research designed to ensure that the current (and future) intervention programs (health promotion strategies is our preferred term) are developed with rigor and community control /guidance.

This program of research aims to reduce the unacceptably high prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes in Australias Indigenous communities by focusing on supporting children and young people to access healthy foods and participate in physical activity. Whilst an improvement in both of these lifestyle risk factors will influence the future prevalence of many chronic diseases, the partner communities have a particular concern regarding the extent of Type 2 Diabetes and this is the disease that is the specific focus of prevention for the Many Rivers project. The Many Rivers project takes a whole of community approach, and as such participants are from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous communities.

This work has included both qualitative and quantitative research. The Qualitative research included interviews with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous adults with Type 2 Diabetes, focus groups with children, interviews with their parents and community focus groups regarding determinants and barriers to physical activity participation and access and availability of healthy foods.

The quantitative research has involved the development of self report surveys on food intake and physical activity participation for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous rural children (both of which have been validated), a parent questionnaire exploring the determinants for their children and a diabetes knowledge questionnaire.These surveys have been used to evaluate health promotion programs delivered to 2 rural NSW communities by the Many Rivers team of Aboriginal community project officers. I am currently analysing the data from the 2000 non-Aboriginal and 500 Aboriginal children who participated, and their parents. I have also described the physical activity and food and nutrient intake of 215 rural children ( 47% of whom where Aboriginal children) using data gathered by accelerometer and by 24 hour recalls.

I have directed a productive research partnership between the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service (ACCHS) sector and the University of Newcastle since 2001. This partnership has evolved a governance structure that is widely respected and regarded as innovative in the tools that it uses to ensure Aboriginal Community Control of the research process. These tools include Data Access Agreements with external experts who assist with analysis, MOUs with the experts place of employment and regular convening of Aboriginal community reference groups who advice on all aspects of the project from the information and consent process to feedback on journal articles and conference presentations.

Fields of Research

Administrative

Administrative expertise

Subject and course co-ordination involves every type of administrative function known to the academic world!

Teaching

Teaching keywords

• Aboriginal Health
• Occupational Theraph
• Rural and Remote

Teaching expertise

I taught in the undergraduate Occupational Therapy degree at the University of Newcastle from 1992 to 2005. I have been subject and course co-ordinators- including that of the honours stream, and head of discipline. I have developed new modules of learning and a post-graduate subject, and assessed students using methods ranging from Viva's to group presentations to examination formats. I have undertaken a review of the degree course and mentored students. From 2002 to 2005 I was involved in the establishment of the joint teaching program with the Department of Rural Health in Tamworth, establishing videoconferencing as a method of teaching rural health issues between sites. Since 2002 I have mentored rural undergraduate students and from 2010 onwards have tutored in the Global Health elective of the 3rd year Bachelor of Medine program. In 2011 I tutored in the undergraduate public health courses offered by the Discipline of Health Behaviour across the Faculties of Health and Education. Since 2012 I have participated as an interviewer as part of the admissions process to the Joint Medical Program at the Unversity of Newcastle.