Murru Minya

Murru Minya

Connecting research and community

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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are the knowledge holders, it is our job to appropriately capture their voices, experiences and directives to improve the conduct of health research.Lead researcher, Michelle Kennedy, Wiradjuri
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The only way to build a relationship and create real understanding is to see with your ears and listen with your eyes.Uncle Max, South Coast NSW
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About Murru Minya

Murru Minya is a national research project that commenced in 2022 looking at how health research has been conducted with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people through the voices of our communities. This is the first time research will travel across the country to ask Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities first hand, “what has been your experience of health research”.

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    The Murru Minya project is led by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander researchers with the desire to improve the way all researchers work with, and for, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to conduct research respectfully and with integrity to inform meaningful health policy.

    Research has a long and negative history with Indigenous people globally. Since 1987 researchers have had guidelines and processes to follow to ensure that research with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is conducted with respect and integrity.

    The project aims to better understand how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health research has been implemented in accordance with these guidelines and processes. Do our communities still have a distrust in research?

    This work positions Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities as the knowledge holders and drivers of the work to ensure that all researchers working in the field of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health research are guided by communities on how research should be done.

    Murru Minya is about truth telling and explaining a way forward for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health research.

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Stay informed about new and current projects at Murru Minya

Latest Updates

Read about the latest updates for Murru Minya

Our Logo

The colours represent the sea, sand, land and waterways of our island home. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are represented by the center circles, the knowledge holders who guide the Murru Minya (explain the path) forward.

Each state and territory is represented in the 8 sections of the larger circles representing the areas this work will travel to privilege the knowledges of our communities. Within each state storylines can be found if you look closely, these stories will be shared across our Murru Minya to inform our Murru Minya. A path with no end point, but a continual process of ensuring respect and integrity of research working with the oldest living culture in the world.

Upcoming Events

Lowitja Institute’s 3rd International Indigenous Health and Wellbeing Conference is coming up in June on the tropical lands of the Gimuy-walubarra Yidinji and Yirrganydji peoples in Cairns, Queensland, Australia. It will be the Lowitja Institute’s first conference as a community-controlled organisation, supporting Indigenous-led research for and by our peoples. The three-day gathering a space for sharing innovative ideas and transformational research grounded in our ways of knowing, being and doing. This year’s themes are TRUTH, RIGHTS, and RESPONSE. Click here for Lowitja conference website


Meet the Team

The Murru Minya research project is led by the following team members.

A/Prof Michelle Kennedy

University of Newcastle 

Wiradjuri

A/Prof Michelle Kennedy

University of Newcastle 

Study leader / NHMRC Fellow

Michelle is a Wiradjuri woman from central NSW. Michelle is an NHMRC early-career researcher, partnering with Aboriginal communities to place the power in their hands and address an important area to improve Indigenous health: smoking during pregnancy. Michelle’s research is fuelled by a genuine desire to collaborate with Indigenous communities, listen to people’s experiences and share their stories. In 2019, Michelle’s work was recognised for its contribution to community health when she received the nationally prestigious Lowitja Institute Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student Award.

Prof. Catherine Chamberlain 

University of Melbourne

Palawa Trawlwoolway

Prof. Catherine Chamberlain 

University of Melbourne

Catherine is a descendant of the Palawa Trawlwoolway People (Tasmania). Cath has over 25 of years experience in reproductive and child health, including program and hospital service management, policy implementation, guideline development, evidence-based practice, and research. Catherine draws on her expertise and evidence to bring a unique perspective to the Murru Minya project.

Prof. Jaqui Hughes 

Flinders University

Wagadagam (Torres Strait Islander)

Prof. Jaqui Hughes 

Flinders University

Jaqui is a Torres Strait Islander Wagadagam woman and a Darwin-based clinical researcher at Flinders University. Jacqui specialises in Nephrology with experience in Chronic Kidney Disease, dialysis and health system research. Her research program focuses on health-service strengthening and optimal patient centred-renal care, which is aligned to the values of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients and community. For More information please click here.

Dr Jamie Bryant

University of Newcastle 

 

Dr Jamie Bryant

University of Newcastle 

Research Fellow

Jamie is a health behavioural scientist with a long-standing interest and commitment to improving health outcomes. Jamie’s current work spans a number of areas including Indigenous health, cancer prevention (smoking and alcohol use), and dementia. Jamie works collaboratively with Aboriginal Health Services and stakeholders to improve health outcomes and will bring a strong skill set to the Murru Minya Project.

Prof. Raymond Lovett  

The Australian National University 

Wongaibon Ngiyampaa

Prof. Raymond Lovett  

The Australian National University 

Raymond Lovett (BN, RN, BHSc, MAE, PhD) is an Aboriginal (Wongaibon/Ngiyampaa) epidemiologist. Ray has extensive experience in health services research, large scale data analysis for public health policy and evaluation. Ray leads Mayi Kuwayu, the National Study of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Wellbeing and is a founding member of the Maiam nayri Wingara Indigenous Data Sovereignty network.

Dist. Prof. Maggie Walter (Ermerita)

University of Tasmania

Palawa

Dist. Prof. Maggie Walter (Ermerita)

University of Tasmania

Maggie is a Palawa woman from Lutruwita, Tasmania. She is a founding member of the Maiam nayri Wingara Indigenous Data Sovereignty Collective and the Global Indigenous Data Alliance. Maggie is a sociologist whose research is focused on race relations, inequality, research methods and methodologies. In 2018 Maggie was awarded a Fulbright Indigenous Scholarship to comparatively study educational outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and Native American children. Maggie has recently been elected as a Fellow to the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia – a recognition of researchers for their distinguished contributions to the discipline and society.

A/Prof Kalinda Griffiths 

UNSW Sydney

Yawuru

A/Prof Kalinda Griffiths 

UNSW Sydney

Kalinda is a Yawuru woman of Broome, born and living in Darwin, Australia. She is an early career Scientia Lecturer at the Centre for Big Data Research in Health at UNSW. Kalinda is an epidemiologist who has worked in the research sector for over 20 years. Her interest is in empirically addressing complex health disparities in populations through existing data.

Kalinda holds honorary positions at the University of Melbourne and Menzies School of Health Research and is Deputy Editor of the Health Promotion Journal of Australia. Kalinda is the recipient of several awards. Notably, she was awarded the ‘Northern Territory Young Australian of the Year’ in 2011 and the 2019 Lowitja Institutes ‘Emerging Researcher Award’. She was also a 2019-2020 Science and Technology Australia ‘Superstar of STEM’ and is currently the Australian Health Promotion Associations ‘Thinker in Residence’.

Dr Mark Wenitong 

Kabi Kabi

Dr Mark Wenitong 

Mark is from the Kabi Kabi tribal group of South Queensland. He is the strategic advisor for the Lowitja Institute, Research Knowledge Translation, and the inaugural co-chair of the QH Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander State-wide clinical network. He has been the Public Health Medical Advisor and senior medical officer at Apunipima Cape York Health Council since 2008, where he practised clinical medicine and remote health service program delivery.

Mark is a board director of Miwatj ACCHS in NT. He has been involved in clinical and policy work in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander sexual health, including many national committees. He was awarded the Australian Public Health Association Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander public health award in 2020 & was a founding member of the Australian Indigenous Health Doctors Association (AIDA).

Prof. Alex Brown 

University of Adelaide 

Yuin

Prof. Alex Brown 

University of Adelaide 

Alex is an Aboriginal medical doctor and researcher. Alex is Aboriginal Health Equity Theme Leader at SAHMRI, and Professor of Medicine at the University of Adelaide. Alex is an internationally leading Aboriginal clinician/researcher who has worked his entire career in Aboriginal health in the provision of public health services, infectious diseases and chronic disease care, health care policy and research.  Alex has led the development of a transdisciplinary program of research focused on documenting the burden and contributors to health inequality in Indigenous Australians, with a primary focus on cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes and cancer. For more information please click here.

Prof. Kelvin Kong 

University of Newcastle 

Worimi

Prof. Kelvin Kong 

University of Newcastle 

Kelvin is a Worimi man who has dedicated his career to early intervention to address the ongoing issues experienced by remote communities especially, related to ear health to reduce the risk of ear disease and hearing loss. Kelvin was the first Indigenous surgeon in Australia and is currently practising in on Awabakal country in Newcastle specializing in Paediatric & Adult Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery (Ear, Nose & Throat Surgery). Kelvin’s many roles include active member of the RASC, board member for the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence, private practitioner at Hunter ENT, Conjoint Professor and mentor at the University of Newcastle, a recent Honour Roll mention for Australian of the Year and was named Indigenous Doctor of the Year in 2017 by Australian Indigenous Doctors Association (AIDA).

Prof. Peter O’Mara 

University of Newcastle 

Wiradjuri

Prof. Peter O’Mara 

University of Newcastle 

Peter is a Wiradjuri man who has held numerous leadership roles during his 20+ years as a medical doctor. He was President of the Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association (2009-2013) and is chair of the Royal Australian College of General Practice (RACGP) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Council. Peter is the director of the Thurru Indigenous Health unit at the University of Newcastle and works clinically as a GP at Tobwabba Aboriginal Medical Service, Foster NSW. He is a strong advocate for issues of significance to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, including the national Raise the Age campaign.

Prof. Sandra Eades 

University of Melbourne

Noongar

Prof. Sandra Eades 

University of Melbourne

Professor Sandra Eades is a Noongar woman from Mount Barker, WA.  Sandra is a leading public health academic and respected Noongar woman who has been influential in improving the health of Aboriginal communities across Australia has been appointed the new Dean of the Curtin Medical School, commencing in March 2020. She has the honour of being Australia’s first appointment of an Indigenous Dean to a medical school and was the first Aboriginal woman to graduate from the University of Newcastle with a Doctor of Medicine.

Dr Bree Hobden

University of Newcastle

 

Dr Bree Hobden

University of Newcastle

Bree is an early-career researcher who has worked in health behaviour research for more than 7 years. Bree completed her PhD in April 2018 and since has been involved in many research projects looking at the health and well-being of elderly people receiving aged care services. Her research expertise and extensive experience in project management and liaising with key stakeholders will add much value to the Murru Minya project.