Kathleen Clapham

Professor Kathleen Clapham is a senior Aboriginal researcher and anthropologist at the University of Wollongong’s School of Medical, Indigenous and Health Sciences. She holds a PhD (University of Sydney, 1990) and B.A. Hons (1981). Her academic roles include Professor (Indigenous Health) since 2007 and Honorary Professorial Fellow at the George Institute for Global Health’s Injury Division since 2010. Her research focuses on Indigenous health equity, child/youth wellbeing, community-based interventions, and cultural/social determinants of health. She leads interdisciplinary projects addressing health disparities and intercultural collaboration. Recent grants include the ARC-funded 'Ngukurr to Newcastle' (2024–2027) and 'Navigating the Carceral Interface' (2023–2028). She actively supervises PhD students on topics like culturally safe healthcare, historical trauma, and Indigenous conceptions of place. Her work emphasizes decolonizing methodologies and policy advocacy.

Education:

• PhD, University of Sydney, 1990
• B.A. Hons, University of Sydney, 1981

Research Interests: Aboriginal health equity, child injury prevention, social determinants of health, and culturally grounded interventions.

Funding Highlights:

• ARC Discovery Indigenous Grant: 'Ngukurr to Newcastle' (2024–2027) explores intercultural contributions of remote Aboriginal communities.
• ARC Discovery Indigenous Grant: 'Navigating the Carceral Interface' (2023–2028) examines carceral systems and Indigenous health.

Grants & Projects: Includes NSW Health pandemic response initiatives and studies on Aboriginal mobility and urban health. Her work often involves community-driven methodologies and policy translation.

Labs/Teams: Collaborates with the George Institute for Global Health and Aboriginal community organizations like Waminda and Ngaramura programs. Leads interdisciplinary teams in injury prevention and health equity research.