Two future leaders in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health
Congratulations to the two most recent graduates of The George Institute’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Program, Dr Anne-Marie Eades and Dr Caroline Lukaszyk, who both graduated with PhDs as part of the University of Sydney’s graduation ceremonies on 30 April 2018.
Dr Eades’ PhD study was on the roles and responsibilities of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women within their family and community and their impact on chronic disease management.
Dr Eades’ research found that the high burden of stress that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women dealt with daily was too great to overcome and the informal support networks to support these women are inadequate.
Dr Eades is the second Aboriginal PhD student to graduate from The George Institute and continues to work with us having secured a highly competitive Scientia Fellowship through UNSW. Dr Eades has an interest in women’s issues and children in out of home care.
Dr Lukaszyk’s PhD study was on the pilot of the Ironbark falls prevention program and focused on understanding the impact and outcomes of falls among older Aboriginal people.
Dr Lukaszyk’s research found that fall-related hospitalisations among older Aboriginal people are increasing at more than double the rate than for other older Australians and there is a high demand for an Aboriginal-specific fall prevention program.
Dr Lukaszyk continues to work at The George Institute on injury prevention projects in Australia, India and Bangladesh. Dr Lukaszyk’s research interests surround the development and implementation of community-based health programs and services to provide appropriate and effective care to meet the needs of specific populations.
The Ironbark pilot study has been expanded to a large-scale randomised control trial funded by the NHMRC to test the effectiveness of the Ironbark Program in reducing falls across 60 Aboriginal community sites in Australia.
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Program has a strong program of research with a number of students currently enrolled in PhD studies embedded within the program, including five Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander students.
With an expanding research agenda in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health research The George Institute has opportunities for students and post-doctoral fellowships, particularly for interested Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals. Find out more about studying with us.
