Raelene Ward

Raelene Ward is a Kunja woman and proud traditional owner of Cunnamulla, employed at the University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ) since 2006. Her roles include Knowledge Broker for the Southern Queensland and Northern NSW Drought Resilience Hub, First Nations Engagement Lead, and former Senior Lecturer and Associate Professor in Nursing. She holds a BNurs (1997), MHlth (2010), and PhD (2019) from UniSQ, focusing on Aboriginal suicide and community-driven research.

Her expertise spans First Nations health equity, cultural safety in healthcare, and climate resilience. She advocates for Indigenous voices in policy through roles such as First Nations Director of One Basin CRC, Murray Darling Basin Authority Leadership Group member, and Chair of Goolburri Aboriginal Health Advancement.

Research interests include Aboriginal suicide prevention, cultural safety in medical education, and Indigenous health systems. Recent work explores telehealth barriers, antimicrobial wound dressings using lemon myrtle oil, and culturally grounded youth suicide programs like Project Yarn Circle.

• Education: BNurs (USQ), MHlth (USQ), PhD (USQ)
• Affiliations: School of Nursing, School of Psychology, Drought Hub
• Key Projects: Drought resilience, cultural competency training, community-led health initiatives

Her advisory roles include the Australian Farm Institute and Darling Downs Hospital HREC. Over 16 years at UniSQ, she has supervised over 10 doctoral students and contributed to 50+ publications, emphasizing grassroots, Indigenous-led methodologies.