Marlene Longbottom

Marlene Longbottom is an Associate Professor at the Indigenous Education & Research Centre at James Cook University, a Yuin woman from Roseby Park mission. With nearly 30 years of experience in human services and academia across Australia, she specializes in community-based research addressing Indigenous service systems, trauma, and violence. Her work focuses on culturally-grounded responses to improve safety and quality of life for Indigenous communities.

Marlene leads nationally competitive grants totaling over $7 million, including a $1.287 million ARC Indigenous Discovery Grant for her 'Navigating the Carceral Interface' project. She is an Associate Investigator on the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Current projects include a NSW Ombudsman review of 43 Indigenous youth suicide cases (2011–2020) and a forthcoming book on violence affecting Indigenous women.

• Education: PhD (implied from academic rank)
• Grants & Awards: $7M+ grants, DAATSIA Award, ARC funding
• Media Engagement: ABC, SBS, NITV, The Conversation

Her research emphasizes trauma-informed care, decarceral approaches to violence, and Indigenous self-determination. Over 15 years, she has collaborated with communities across urban, regional, and remote areas, prioritizing Indigenous voices in policy and practice. Key projects include Waminda Aboriginal Women’s Health Service case studies and benchmarking Indigenous alcohol treatment services.

Marlene advises government agencies on Indigenous social justice issues and has published widely in national/international journals. Her work bridges academic research and community action, advocating for systemic change through culturally safe healthcare and decolonized methodologies.