NATIONAL rECONCILIATION WEEK 2024
Join us for a special OneTRI event. National Reconciliation Week (27 May - 3 June) is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.
Our TRI Partners will showcase projects advancing indigenous health outcomes. It will also include a Welcome to Country and Didgeridoo Solo from Song Man, Derek Oram-Sandy, including an opening presentation from Professor Scott Bell. Closing comments will be provided by Aunty Beryl Meiklejohn, a proud Quandamooka woman, Elder and retired nurse for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health in both Community and Queensland Health and academic health at QUT.
EVENT DETAILS
Date: Tuesday 28 May 2024
Time: 10:00am - 11:30am. Followed by bush tukka treats in the Atrium.
Location: TRI Auditorium, Level 2, 37 Kent Street, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102
Registration: Not required
speakers
Associate Professor Kym Rae, Principal Research Fellow in Indigenous Health at Mater Research Institute
Presentation title: Actively losing control – actions for Reconciliation
We are taught from a young age to maintain control – as researchers, this is constantly re-enforced by ethical guidelines and strict research protocols. Kym will be sharing how her lessons around losing control have been an important part of the pathway to Reconciliation for her research, but also for other researchers, research institutes and health professionals.
Associate Professor Shivashankar H Nagaraj, Group Leader Genomics and Computational Biology, Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, School of Biomedical Sciences, QUT
Presentation title: Indigenous health research at QUT: Towards closing the gap
Indigenous Australians are the world's longest continuously surviving culture. Despite this, they are disproportionately affected by serious chronic diseases, resulting in reduced life expectancy. One of the goals for Indigenous health research at QUT is to improve health outcomes through personalized medicine is to transform the early detection, diagnosis, and management of chronic diseases. To achieve this, we combine genomics and data science with clinical medicine. Our co-designed research programs follow community-guided frameworks, establishing community ownership and developing a mutually respectful partnership, with a strong commitment to capacity building among Indigenous communities in genome sciences. In my talk, I will provide an overview of these efforts with representative examples.
Associate Professor Aideen McInerney-Leo, Group Leader – Integrating Genomics into Medicine, Frazer Institute, The Faculty of Medicine, UQ
Ryan Galea, Research Assistant at Frazer Institute, UQ
Presentation title: Reconciliation at Frazer Institute – Reflections and Aspirations
Frazer Institute strives to highlight Blak excellence, engage authentically with First Nations communities, and enable its people to contribute to Reconciliation. We will reflect on initiatives Frazer Institute has introduced (including NAIDOC Week events, National Science Week events, and partnering with CareerTrackers), discuss future aspirations, as well as highlight opportunities for the OneTRI community.
Dr Bena Brown, Research and Education Manager, Southern Queensland Centre for Excellence (Inala) in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Primary Healthcare (video recording of presentation)
Presentation title: First Nations Research in Primary Health Care – the Inala Way
Bena will present on behalf of Metro South Health and the presentation will include current First Nations research being undertaken at the Centre of Excellence and the Community Jury function and processes.
Bios
Associate Professor Kym Rae, Principal Research Fellow in Indigenous Health At Mater Research Institute
Associate Professor Kym Rae is the Principal Research Fellow in Indigenous Health at Mater Research Institute (appointed in 2020), collaborating with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled health sector across the country. Her outstanding track record in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health research allows her to partner with communities to co-design research projects that meet community health needs. She is internationally recognised for her extensive expertise in successfully developing cohorts with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families. She has a particular interest in understanding the origins of health and disease; and highlighting the strengths and resilience for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people that has seen them survive as one of the longest continuous cultures.
As
sociate Professor Shivashankar H Nagaraj, Group Leader Genomics and Computational Biology, Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, School of Biomedical Sciences, QUT
A/Prof Shiv Nagaraj’s primary focus is on applying state-of-the-art genomics, bioinformatics, and artificial intelligence approaches to enhance the health outcomes of Indigenous Australians. He leads a multidisciplinary team of Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers across the fields of human genetics, statistics, computational biology, artificial intelligence, and medicine. His team concentrates on understanding the genetic basis of complex, long-term, serious chronic diseases, including kidney disease, heart disease, and diabetes, among Indigenous Australians. Their work aims to enable early detection, diagnosis, and management to facilitate personalized medicine and equitable health outcomes. He serves as the Program Leader for Chronic Disease Genomics within the Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health at QUT and is a Chief Investigator for the Queensland node of the Australian Alliance for Indigenous Genomics (ALIGN) consortium. Additionally, he contributes to the Advisory Committee of the Carbal Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Research (CIHR) and the Translational Research Institute Reconciliation Action Plan Working Group. His research is funded by the NHMRC, the MRFF Genomics Health Futures Mission, and the Australian Centre for Accelerating Diabetes Innovations (ACADI).
Associate Professor Aideen McInerney-Leo, Group Leader – Integrating Genomics into Medicine, Frazer Institute, The Faculty of Medicine, UQ
A/Prof McInerney-Leo’s research is focused on democratising access to genetic testing and she leads her group, Integrating Genomics into Medicine, which develops educational interventions for clinicians and patients, to facilitate access to genetic testing. Aideen chairs the Frazer Institute Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee and is a vocal advocate for creating a safe, nurturing environment in which diversity is embraced and celebrated.
Ryan Galea, Research Assistant at Frazer Institute, UQ
Ryan is a proud Kamilaroi man, with family connections to Dirranbandi and Mungindi. He has been at Frazer Institute for the past 12 years, and has led First Nations initiatives with the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee since 2018. Ryan has been part of the TRI Reconciliation Action Plan Working Group since its inception in 2022. He advocates for cultural humility and believes that Reconciliation is a valuable shared journey for all Australians.
Dr Bena Brown, Research and Education Manager, Southern Queensland Centre for Excellence in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Primary Healthcare
Dr Bena Brown is the Research and Education Manager at the Southern Queensland Centre of Excellence in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Primary Health Care – Inala CoE, and an adjunct Senior Research Fellow at the School of Public Health, UQ. Bena’s research interests are focussed on optimising health service delivery to best serve the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, families and Communities.
