Sarah Bourke

Sarah Bourke is a Research Fellow with Yardhura Walani, the National Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Wellbeing Research at the Australian National University's National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health. As a Gamilaroi, Jaru, Gidja woman born and raised on Ngunnawal and Ngambri Country in Canberra, she brings deep cultural understanding and Indigenous perspectives to her academic work.

Dr. Bourke completed her undergraduate studies at ANU in biological anthropology and psychology before being awarded prestigious scholarships including the John Monash Scholarship and Roberta Sykes Scholarship to pursue an MPhil in Medical Anthropology at Oxford University. She continued with additional Roberta Sykes and Chevening Scholarships to complete her DPhil in Anthropology at St. John's College, graduating in 2021. Her doctoral research used an Indigenist framework to examine the development of Mayi Kuwayu, the National Study of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Wellbeing.

Her research focuses on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and wellbeing, social and cultural determinants of health, philosophies of wellbeing, and Indigenous research methodologies. Dr. Bourke explores Indigenous philosophies of health and what it means to live a 'good life' from Indigenous perspectives, with particular emphasis on decolonizing research practices and centering Indigenous knowledge systems.

Analysis of her publications reveals a consistent focus on Indigenous wellbeing measurement, cultural determinants of health, and decolonizing research methodologies. Her work spans qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches, with significant contributions to developing culturally appropriate indicators for measuring Indigenous wellbeing through the Mayi Kuwayu study.

Dr. Bourke is actively engaged in multiple research projects including:

• Developing an Indigenous Commercial Determinants of Health index (2025-2027)
• Counting what counts: Indigenous Quality of Wellbeing Utility Index (2024-2029)
• Cultural Safety Evaluation project (2024)
• Assessment of mental health during the Voice to Parliament Referendum (2023-2025)
• Where we belong: Connecting Indigenous identity and well-being in the city (2025-2028)

As a Research Fellow, Dr. Bourke contributes significantly to advancing Indigenous research methodologies and is registered to supervise research students, mentoring the next generation of Indigenous scholars through community-centered, culturally safe approaches.