Aryati Yashadhana

Dr. Aryati Yashadhana is a Senior Research Associate at the School of Population Health and a Visiting Fellow at the School of Social Sciences, University of New South Wales (UNSW). Her work focuses on socioeconomic, cultural, and political determinants of health, intersectional health equity (gender, race, class), and international development, particularly in low- and middle-income settings across Sub-Saharan Africa, South America, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific.

• Senior Research Associate, School of Population Health, UNSW
• Visiting Fellow, School of Social Sciences, UNSW

Her research has been centered on collaborating with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in Australia, where she explores how cultural practices and sensory experiences on Country improve health and wellbeing. She co-designed the Gaawaadhi Gadudha Project, which evaluates Aboriginal cultural health programs and traditional healing methods, emphasizing cultural governance and community-led frameworks. She also leads studies on child eye health with the World Bank Group in Malawi, Colombia, and Pakistan.

Dr. Yashadhana has secured significant funding, including multiple NHMRC grants exceeding $2.9 million, UNSW research funds, and international partnerships. Her work integrates qualitative and participatory methodologies, with a strong focus on critical realism, decolonizing theories, and marginalized community engagement in health systems. She has contributed to global discourse through her involvement in the Lancet Global Commission on Global Eye Health and specializes in cultural health, policy analysis, and systematic reviews.

• Brian Kirby Prize ($5000) for research excellence (2017)