Erica Spry

Erica Spry is a Research Fellow at The University of Western Australia's Medical School, Rural Clinical School, with a focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. She holds dual roles as both a Research Fellow at UWA and Senior Aboriginal Research Officer at Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Services Ltd since 2016.

Her research interests center on Indigenous health with specific expertise in diabetes (including gestational diabetes), mental health and wellbeing, and rural health research. Spry employs qualitative and mixed methods approaches to investigate healthcare access, cultural safety, and service delivery for Aboriginal communities in remote settings. Her work strongly aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goals related to health and wellbeing.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals a consistent focus on culturally appropriate healthcare solutions for Indigenous Australians, particularly in diabetes management and maternal health. Her research often involves community-led approaches and addresses systemic barriers to healthcare access in remote regions.

• Vice Chancellor's Indigenous-led Research Award (2023)

Dr. Spry is actively involved in multiple research grants, including as Investigator on four major projects with the Medical Research Future Fund, Department of Health (WA), NHMRC, and Diabetes Australia. Her work focuses on optimizing diabetes screening in pregnancy, developing family-centered support programs for Aboriginal women with prediabetes, implementing culturally secure obesity prevention programs, and identifying diabetes progression opportunities in primary healthcare.

Her research operates at the intersection of academic inquiry and practical community health implementation, working closely with Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Services to ensure research directly benefits the communities being studied.