Keynote speaker

Dr. Carmen Parter - Senior Research Fellow, University of Queensland, Poche Centre

Carmen is a proud descendent of the Darumbal and Juru clans of the Birra Gubba Nation of Queensland with South Sea Islander heritage – Tanna Island of Vanuatu.

She has worked with and for communities, starting her professional career as a Registered Nurse, a Registered Midwife and a Woman’s Health Nurse Practitioner that eventually led to working in policy areas of government. She has been a volunteer, a community worker, clinician, educator, researcher, policy advisor, project officer, manager and senior executive spanning a public servant career of over 30 years including Director Aboriginal Health Branch in NSW Health.

Carmen commenced an academic career at the Sydney Poche Centre for Indigenous Health from 2016. Commencing her PhD exploring how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture can be implemented and incorporated in a public health policy instrument like the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health and Implementation Plans.

Carmen wears many hats including the inaugural Co-chair of the Indigenous Working Group of the World Federation of Public Health Association, a community member with Lowitja Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Research, and an ambassador for the Mayi Kuwayu longitudinal study that is quantifying the association of cultural factors to the health and wellbeing outcomes for Indigenous Australians. In 2021 she was awarded a Congress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurses and Midwives Fellow Award. She is also a Honorary Associate Professor at Macquarie University.

Carmen is a grandmother to three beautiful girls and Aunty to many. She lives on the beautiful Bundjalung country in Northern NSW just across the Queensland border with her partner.