Dawn Bessarab

Professor Dawn Bessarab is Director of the Centre for Aboriginal Medical and Dental Health at the University of Western Australia and principal investigator for the Good Spirit Good Life Centre for Research Excellence in Indigenous Ageing. A proud Bard/Yindijibarndi woman with extensive expertise in Indigenous methodologies, her research focuses on clinical yarning techniques, dementia prevention, and culturally safe healthcare frameworks.

Her primary research domains include:

• Development of Indigenous research methodologies and participatory action approaches
• Implementation of clinical yarning as culturally safe communication practice
• Dementia prevention and cognitive health in aging Indigenous populations
• Cultural safety frameworks in healthcare delivery

She holds a PhD and BSW in Social Work from Curtin University.

Major awards include the Vice Chancellor's Award for Collaborative Indigenous Research Partnerships. She currently leads multiple nationally funded projects including the Good Spirit Good Life CRE in Indigenous wellbeing and ageing and serves as CI on a CRE for Indigenous brain health and dementia.