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The ANU National Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Wellbeing Research has earned national and international recognition for research excellence on Indigenous aspects of social and emotional wellbeing and racism, tobacco control, cancer and cardiovascular disease, as well as development of strength-based research methodologies, policies relating to data sovereignty, and culturally-relevant knowledge translation.

Members of the team are frequently called upon for policy and program advice by the Commonwealth, State and Territory Governments. The Centre has established partnerships with local and national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community organisations and with philanthropic organisations such as the Ian Potter Foundation and Gandel Philanthropy.

Our key programs are:

• Cervical Cancer Elimination –  this body of work centres on achieving control and elimination of cervical cancer for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Australia is on track to be one of the first countries to eliminate cervical cancer, however, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples will be left behind unless we have in place an evidence-based, equitable and effective system of prevention through screening and vaccination.
• Enhancing Chronic Disease Care – this program is focussed on enhancing chronic disease screening and management for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It aims to better understand current primary health care services and follow-up - by identifying what works and what doesn’t, we can advocate to government to invest in successful models of care.
• Kulay Kalingka –This study will provide Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander led and governed national-level data to understand Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s beliefs about cancer, and experiences with cancer care and treatment. Findings will guide national cancer control in research, policy and clinical care and improve outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
• Mayi Kuwayu – Mayi Kuwayu is the largest study of Indigenous well-being, with over 13,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participants from across Australia. The mounting evidence from this impactful study is proving that connection to culture directly benefits wellbeing, evidence that informing policy change and local program design to result in better health and wellbeing outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
• Tobacco Free - works with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, communities and organisations to better understand, inform and evaluate smoke and nicotine free programs and policies, with the ultimate goal to support all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to be tobacco free.

On Monday 7 August 2023, Fiona Cornforth joined the Centre as its inaugural Head. Fiona is of the Wuthathi of the far northeast cape of Queensland, with family roots also in the Torres Strait Islands. She is a Masters Graduate of the ANU College of Business and Economics and an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy of the UK.

Fiona also brings global experience and perspectives in education, leadership and business development. Serving in a number of senior community leadership roles, and across tiers of government, she has raised awareness around the impacts of intergenerational trauma and the power and strengths of First Nations peoples' cultures for healing. For example, she is an appointed member of Minister Amanda Rishworth’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Council and Minister Linda Burney’s and Senator Patrick Dodson’s Referendum Engagement Group.

As CEO of The Healing Foundation, Fiona led the ground breaking “Make Healing Happen" campaign to deliver a plan for genuine lasting intergenerational healing for Stolen Generations survivors. In 2021, the Foundation was successful in its bid to establish the National Centre of Action on Child Sexual Abuse alongside the Australian Childhood and Blueknot Foundations. This was critical to driving forward THF’s work with Stolen Generations survivors on the Royal Commission and the National Redress Scheme. The Healing Foundation was also an early support and funder of our Mayi Kuwayu Study, particularly for knowledge translation components and Fiona, a member of the Thiitu Tharrmay Reference Group.

The Centre was established to strengthen the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities through research and knowledge translation to community, policy and practice and Fiona brings with her a wealth of expertise that will help the Centre operate in service of mob.