Investigators & Research Team

Co-Lead Investigators

Professor Gail Garvey
The University of Queensland

Professor Gail Garvey, a Kamilaroi woman from NSW, is currently Professor of Indigenous Health Research in the School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine at the University of Queensland. Prof Garvey has extensive experience and expertise in leading successful national research programs. Her strengths lie in her leadership, both nationally and internationally, and her collaborative approach to engaging and bringing key stakeholders together to achieve common goals. Prof Garvey’s research interests lie in understanding the psycho-social aspects of cancer care for Indigenous people, a critical component to improving cancer outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients and their families. Prof Garvey and Prof Howard co-lead the What Matters program of work.

Professor Kirsten Howard
The University of Sydney

Professor Kirsten Howard is a Professor of Health Economics at the School of Public Health, and Co-Director of the Menzies Centre for Health Policy and Economics at The University of Sydney. Prof Howard has considerable experience in health economics and health policy research, with a focus on patient and consumer preference assessment using choice-based methods, QOL/wellbeing measurement and economic evaluation. Prof Garvey and Prof Howard co-lead the What Matters program of work.

Chief Investigators

Dr Kate Anderson ⟶

Menzies School of Health

Dr Kate Anderson is a Senior Research Fellow at the Menzies School of Health Research. She has over 15 years’ experience in Indigenous mixed-methods research and in conducting research with Indigenous people in Australia and Canada – across areas of cancer, kidney disease and wellbeing research. Dr Anderson has extensive experience in facilitating qualitative field work and in training qualitative facilitators. She brings her experience of collaboratively engaging research partners and stakeholders, undertaking qualitative research and successfully project managing large, multi-phase projects. Dr Anderson is also the Lead Investigator on the upcoming WM2Kids project.

Professor Roxanne Bainbridge ⟶

James Cook University

Professor Roxanne Bainbridge is a Gungarri Aboriginal woman from South Western Queensland. She is a medical anthropologist, has a background in Indigenous Australian studies, and is currently a Senior Research Fellow at The Cairns Institute at James Cook University. Prof Bainbridge has multidisciplinary expertise focused around Aboriginal empowerment and wellbeing. She has methodological expertise in participatory research approaches and grounded theory and has worked across a number of project in Aboriginal health and wellbeing, including social and emotional wellbeing. Prof Bainbridge brings experience working with Indigenous Adolescents and developing tools around social and emotional wellbeing to the WM2Youth project.

Dr Tamara Butler ⟶

Menzies School of Health Research**

Dr Tamara Butler is an Aboriginal early-career researcher at Menzies School of Health Research. She received her PhD in Social Psychology and is experienced in qualitative and quantitative research. Dr Butler’s research has focused on reducing the burden of cervical cancer among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, through yarning with women about cervical screening and yarning with adolescents, parents and caregivers, and immunisation providers about HPV vaccination within the school setting. She has established connections nationally with a range of research partners and brings to the WM2Youth project an understanding of the factors that contribute to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s wellbeing, methodological expertise, and advocacy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s health and wellbeing.

Professor Yvonne Cadet-James ⟶

James Cook University

Professor Cadet-James has extensive experience in health and education as a registered nurse and midwife followed by an academic career. She has experience as principal and chief investigator on NHMRC, ARC and other grants. Research interests lie in empowerment; maternal and child health; social, emotional, mental health wellbeing; research benefit and impact. Professor Cadet-James has been involved in national research reform through representation on NHMRC and other committees. She plays a significant advisory and mentorship role in strengthening the research capacity and capability of researchers, organisations, communities and as a Gugu Badhun person provides leadership for the Djima Research Centre.

Professor Alan Cass ⟶

Menzies School of Health Research

Professor Alan Cass is Director of Menzies School of Health Research, with significant experience in the conduct of clinical and health services research. His research has focused on chronic disease prevention and management in Indigenous health, using qualitative techniques relevant to the WM2Adults study. He is a member of the NT Department of Health Clinical Council and Research Committee, and regularly consults with governments to develop strategies for chronic disease prevention and management, especially in relation to better addressing the health and social needs of Indigenous Australians. Prof Cass brings his extensive expertise to the WM2Adults project.

Professor Joan Cunningham ⟶

Menzies School of Health Research

Professor Joan Cunningham is a social epidemiologist and Senior Principal Research Fellow at the Menzies School of Health Research. Her research addresses the social and system determinants of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, with a core focus on equity in health and health care. She has experience in both quantitative and qualitative research, as well as in data development. She has a long history of productive research partnerships underpinned by respectful relationships with Indigenous colleagues and communities, and a strong and sustained record of success in training and mentoring Indigenous and non-Indigenous research leaders.

Dr Michelle Dickson ⟶

The University of Sydney

Dr Michelle Dickson is an Aboriginal academic (Darkinjung/Ngarigo) in the Sydney School of Public Health at The University of Sydney. She is the Program Director and Senior Lecturer on the Graduate Diploma of Indigenous Health Promotion Program, teaching graduate studies to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health professionals. She has worked in mental health and wellbeing, with children, family and school communities, and has a particular interest in combining community development, health empowerment, education and community. Dr Dickson brings considerable experience in community engagement to the WM2Adults and WM2Youth studies.

Dr Darren Garvey ⟶

Edith Cowan University

Dr Darren Garvey, a Torres Strait Islander man, is a senior lecturer at Edith Cowan University. He has a background in psychology, health promotion and education, and his research focus includes Indigenous mental health and psychology. He currently works within the Kurongkurl Katitjin Centre for Indigenous Australian Education and Research and specialises in the areas of cultural competence and cultural agility. Dr Garvey works closely with Indigenous communities and has collaborated extensively with Indigenous and non-Indigenous colleagues from around Australia. He brings an expert understanding of the components of social and emotional wellbeing to the WM2Youth project.

Dr Martin Howell ⟶

The University of Sydney

Dr Martin Howell is a Senior Research Fellow in Health Economics at the Sydney School of Public Health, The University of Sydney. Dr Howell’s research area focuses on applied health economics, predominately in the areas of assessment of discrete choice and best worst scaling methods and economic evaluations. He has applied these methods in several projects, including kidney transplant recipients’ outcomes after transplantation and a large international consensus survey for the COVID-19 core outcomes study. Dr Howell has worked closely with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, specifically with children and young people around kidney disease, and brings this experience to the WM2Youth study.

Patrick McGorry ⟶

AO / University of Melbourne | The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health

Professor Patrick McGorry AO is the Executive Director of Orygen, the National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, and Professor of Youth Mental Health, at the University of Melbourne. He led the development of headspace, the national youth primary mental health program, now in over 100 communities nationally. Professor McGorry is an expert and advocate for youth mental health and plays a key advocacy and advisory role to government and health systems. He has a strong track record of translation into policy and practice, and his work has played a critical role in the development of safe, effective treatments for and innovative research into the needs of young people with emerging mental disorders. Professor McGorry brings this expertise, significant national and international networks, and collaborative experience to the WM2Youth project.

Professor Brendan Mulhern ⟶

University of Technology Sydney

A/Prof Brendan Mulhern is a Senior Research Fellow in the Centre for Health Economics Research and Evaluation at University of Technology, Sydney. His research interests include the development of both generic and condition specific preference based measures for use in economic evaluation, and the development and testing of new and innovative methods for valuing health. His research interests include the development of both generic and condition specific preference based measures for use in economic evaluation, and the development and testing of new and innovative methods for valuing health. A/Prof Mulhern has previously worked as a health psychology researcher in the UK, developing online interventions for alcohol use. He brings his expertise to the WM2Adults project.

Professor Julie Ratcliffe ⟶

Flinders University

Professor Julie Ratcliffe is Professor of Health Economics and the Health and Social Care Economics theme lead in the Caring Futures institute at Flinders University. Prof Ratcliffe has significant research expertise in the measurement and valuation of quality of life, economic evaluation and the translation of research findings into policy and practice. She has conducted multiple cost effectiveness analyses alongside multi-centre randomized controlled clinical trials for a range of health and social care interventions. Prof Ratcliffe provides expertise in best-worst and discrete choice methods to the WM2Adults project.

Professor Allison Tong ⟶

The University of Sydney

Professor Allison Tong is a Principal Research Fellow at the Sydney School of Public Health, The University of Sydney and holds a National Health and Medical Research Council Investigator Fellowship. Prof Tong has experience in patient-centred outcomes research in chronic disease and an interest in patient and public involvement in research, including in the context of research priority setting and establishing core outcomes. She contributes her methodological expertise in qualitative research to the WM2Adults study.

Professor Rosalie Viney ⟶

University of Technology Sydney

Rosalie Viney is Professor of Health Economics and Director of the Centre for Health Economics Research and Evaluation at the University of Technology Sydney. She has extensive experience in health economics, health services and health policy research. Her research interests include health technology assessment and priority setting, measurement and valuation of quality of life and health outcomes, consumer preferences for health and health care, evaluation of health policy, and the impact of funding arrangements on utilisation and outcomes of health care. Rosalie brings her experience to the WM2Adults study.

Associate Professor Lisa Whop ⟶

Australian National University

Associate Professor Lisa Whop is a descendant of the Goemulgal people of Mabuiag Island in the Torres Strait and based at the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health at Australian National University. A/Prof Whop is a trailblazer in cervical cancer control for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, working extensively in the areas of screening and vaccination. She brings research experience working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in meaningful and community driven ways to the WM2Adults study.

Professor Anna Williamson ⟶

The University of Sydney

Dr Anna Williamson is the Head, Innovation at the Sax Institute, with a conjoint appointment at The University of Sydney. She is a behavioural scientist with expertise in mental health and social and emotional wellbeing. She has a long history of working in Aboriginal health research, the research-policy interface, interventions, evaluation, cohort studies and psychometrics. Dr Williamson brings experience establishing measures of social and emotional wellbeing, pathways for mental health care, and evaluating local mental health systems for Aboriginal children and adolescents to the WM2Youth team.