Odette Best

Odette Best is an Adjunct Professor at the Centre for Health Research, University of Southern Queensland. Her work focuses on First Nations Health, Cultural Safety, and Indigenous Food Sovereignty, with a specialization in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander History and Nursing. She has over 17 years of tertiary teaching experience and currently teaches courses on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health, Health and Illness, and Culture as a Determinant of Health.

• Education: BHlthSc (Sydney), MPhil (Griffith), PhD (USQ)

Her research explores the historiography of First Nations Nurses and Midwives, emphasizing cultural safety frameworks and Indigenous food sovereignty as critical determinants of health outcomes. She also supervises research projects in these areas and serves as Associate Head - Indigenous Community Engagement and Research.

Professional Memberships:

• Churchill Fellow
• Fellow of the American Academy of Nurses
• Fellow of the Congress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurses and Midwives
• Member of the Australian College of Nurses
• Member of the Queensland Nurses and Midwives Union

Odette Best is a Board Member of the Catherine Freeman Foundation and has held administrative roles focused on Indigenous engagement in academia.