Dawn Freshwater

Professor Dawn Freshwater is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the UWA Medical School, University of Western Australia. Previously serving as Vice-Chancellor of UWA from 2017 to 2020, she has held significant leadership roles, including Chair of the Group of Eight (Go8), Vice-Chair of the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN), and Director of the Perth USAsia Centre. She currently chairs the Matariki Network of Universities and holds several board directorships, including Lifeline WA and Young Lives Matter Foundation.

Her academic background includes a PhD and BA (Honours) from the University of Nottingham. She has contributed to nearly 200 publications and actively supervises two PhD students. Her research focuses on psychological therapies and offender health, and she has established a multidisciplinary clinical academic research centre.

Professor Freshwater’s expertise aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in Education and Public Health. She has been recognized with the Fellowship of the Royal College of Nursing, the highest honour in her field.

Her grants include projects on reducing self-harm and suicidal behaviors in young people, supported by the ARC and Stan Perron Charitable Foundation. Media engagements highlight her contributions to university teaching awards and Indigenous STEM initiatives.

She leads interdisciplinary teams and collaborates internationally, contributing to global health initiatives through her network roles.