NHMRC Research Excellence Awards

Associate Professor Odette Pearson from the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute was awarded the NHMRC Sandra Eades Investigator Grant Award (Emerging Leadership).

NHMRC recognises excellence in the health and medical research sector through its annual Research Excellence Awards.

Research title

Advancing health equity of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population

Associate Professor Odette Pearson is of Eastern Yalanji and Torres Strait Islander descent and coleads the Aboriginal Health Equity Theme, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute. Her research focus is improving chronic disease and ageing outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples through policy and guideline development and implementing and evaluating real world health and social interventions. Aboriginal leadership, governance and community and cross sector partnerships are foundations of her research. A/Prof Pearson has received the Lowitja Institute Patricia Anderson Leader in Aboriginal Research (2023), UniSA Alumini Award for Research in Aboriginal Health (2022) and The Diane Ranck, SAHMRI award for Leadership in Research (2022).

Research overview

Health equity is fundamental to achieving good health. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples continue to be the recipients of ‘differences which are unnecessary, unfair, unjust and avoidable’ across health and the social determinants of health. Using essential drivers of equity, namely: Indigenous leadership and governance, measurement and monitoring, intervention and capacity development, this program of research will establish and scale information and monitoring systems to generate new knowledge to benefit Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, clients, workforces, and services in the areas of Indigenous data governance, diabetes care and healthy ageing.