Advisory board

Director of the Ngangk Yira Institute for Change and Professor in Aboriginal Health, Rhonda leads a multidisciplinary team and a range of research projects addressing Aboriginal peoples’ questions of research priority. Her personal mantra is “nothing about us without us”.

As Nyungar Elder, Marie Taylor descends from a long line of storytellers and has inherited this family gift. Aunty Marie is a woman of many talents, roles and identities. She is a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and has been a junior state hockey representative, Bible College graduate, housing officer, evangelist, a course author and teacher at Murdoch University. As part of the Honorary Elders Group for Murdoch University and member of the Ngangk Yira Advisory Board, Auntie Marie shares her wisdom and cultural guidance for research directions and the future of the University.

Biography pending.

Biography pending.

John Challis trained at the Universities of Cambridge, Harvard and Oxford, was appointed as MRC Scholar at McGill, and later inaugural Director of the Lawson Research Institute and Founding Director of the MRC Group in Fetal and Neonatal Health and Development at UWO. He became Chair of the Department of Physiology and later Vice President Research and Associate Provost of the University of Toronto and was inaugural Scientific Director of the CIHR Institute for Human Development, Child and Youth Health.

Trained in maternal and child health, epidemiology and public health, Fiona has spent her eminent career researching the causes of major childhood illnesses, including in Aboriginal populations.

Biography pending.

Wendy belongs to the Karajarri and Yawuru people from the West Kimberley region. As the Director of Aboriginal Health Policy Directorate, Department of Health, Wendy has led the development of several key strategic policy initiatives for the Department including the WA Aboriginal Health and Wellbeing Framework 2015-2030 and more recently the Closing the Gap agenda for the WA Health system.

Learne Durrington is at heart a social worker who happens to be the CEO of WA Primary Health Alliance. She is known for saying ’if you keep doing the same thing you will get the same results’. This statement reflects how Learne leverages her role at WA Primary Health Alliance to improve outcomes for people and the community. She is guided by the principles of collective impact and a commitment to social justice.