Vicki Saunders

Dr. Vicki Saunders is a Gunggari woman and Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Central Queensland University's School of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences. She holds affiliations with the Jawun Research Centre and the CRE-STRIDE (Strengthening Systems for Indigenous Health Care Equity) research group. Her work focuses on building Indigenous research capacity, public health, and arts-based methodologies. Saunders is also an Adjunct Research Associate with the Queensland Conservatorium Research Centre through the Listening to Country project.

Education:

• James Cook University (BPsych, MPH, PhD)

Research Interests:

• Indigenous health policy and cultural determinants of health
• Climate change impacts on Indigenous communities
• Arts-informed research methods
• Mental health interventions for Indigenous youth

Awards:

• JCU College of Health Science Dean's Thesis Award

Key Contributions: Saunders has led creative health initiatives like the Listening to Country prison project and contributed to policy reforms in cultural safety education. Her research emphasizes decolonizing methodologies and Indigenous-led solutions in health systems.