Mayi Kuwayu Team

Professor Ray Lovett is an Aboriginal (Wongaibon/Ngiyampaa) man from western NSW. Ray is a social epidemiologist with extensive experience in health research, public health policy development and evaluation, and is the Mayi Kuwayu Study Director in the National Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Wellbeing Research at the Australian National University. Prior to his research career, he was a health policy advisor in the Aboriginal health workforce. He has a clinical background as a registered nurse and Aboriginal health worker.

Ray is recognised nationally for his work in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander primary health care research. His work includes integrating culture and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander research ethics.

Katie Thurber is a non-Indigenous researcher, raised on Teejop (Ho-Chunk land), Turtle Island. She has lived on Ngunnawal/Ngambri Country since 2011 and has been working with the Mayi Kuwayu Study team since 2016.

She completed her PhD at the ANU on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children’s health, supervised by Ray Lovett.

Executive Assistant Faye Irwin is a proud Kamilaroi woman who was born in Canberra and has lived here for most of her life. She came to work at the ANU in the National Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Wellbeing Research after a number of years working in community organisations.

Faye is a mother to three sons and one Staffordshire terrier.

Dr Sarah Bourke (she/her) is a medical anthropologist and Aboriginal (Gamilaroi, Jaru, and Gidja) woman born and raised in Canberra. She completed her DPhil in Anthropology at the University of Oxford, and now works as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the National Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Wellbeing Research.

Sarah has expertise in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and wellbeing research and policy, decolonising and Indigenous research methodologies, and qualitative methods. Her research explores Indigenous philosophies of health and wellbeing and what it means to live a ‘good life’ from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and other Indigenous perspectives.

Dr Chris McKay is a Koori man (Wiradjuri) who grew up on Dharawal Country in Wollongong, NSW. He has joined the team as a Research Fellow. He completed his PhD at The University of Melbourne, which focused on the cardio-metabolic health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth and the individual, social and environmental factors associated with staying healthy.

Ben is a non-Indigenous staff member and their background is in biostatistics and they love all things data; from collecting, to cleaning, to analysing, to visualising. For their PhD, Ben drew on findings from qualitative research and community feedback to guide their analysis of linked administrative datasets - focusing on the health needs of Aboriginal children born in Western Australia. Ben currently works on the data management side of the Mayi Kuwayu National Study of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Wellbeing.

Koorinya Moreton is a Yuin and Bundjalung women, currently living on Yugambeh country. Koorinya holds a Graduate Certificate of Social Impact from the UNSW and is currently completing a Master of Philosophy in Applied Epidemiology at the ANU.

Koorinya's focus is to continue to build and strengthen community partnerships with community-controlled organisations to increase the participation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the MK study, a study which aims to better understand how culture links to health and wellbeing.

Koorinya is passionate about using research and evaluation to create positive social change, in particular, for First Nations Australians.

Dr Tamara Riley is a Wiradjuri woman with family ties to Western NSW. Tamara is a Research Fellow within Yardhura Walani – the National Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Wellbeing Research at the ANU – where she completed her PhD. Tamara is a Veterinarian and Epidemiologist, and she conducts interdisciplinary research focusing on the implications of One Health (the relationship between animal, human and environmental health) and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Makayla-May Brinckley is a Wiradjuri woman from Cootamundra. Makayla is a PhD student and research assistant in the National Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Wellbeing Research, with much of her work based within the Mayi Kuwayu Study. Her PhD focuses on developing a knowledge translation method for use in the Mayi Kuwayu Study. Makayla is passionate about holistic health and wellbeing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Kirsty Nichols is a Muran and Kungarakun woman who grew up on Larrakia (Darwin) and Muran land (Coburg Peninsula) in the Northern Territory. Kirsty has a degree in Health Science from Charles Darwin University and a Masters of Applied Epidemiology from ANU. Her back background is in health service policy, public health, system planning and delivery with both government and non-government organisations.

Laura is a non-Indigenous professional staff member who has joined the Mayi Kuwayu team early in her administrative career. She has previously worked in administration within disability and aged care, and retail. Laura was born and raised in Canberra, growing up on Ngunnawal/Ngambri country. She has an interest in health and wellbeing and is excited to delve into these topics in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural setting.

Kiara Barker is a proud Murawarri / Ngemba woman. She was born and raised on Wiradjuri country and later relocated to Ngunnawal/Ngambri country. She was nominated for the 2021 ACT training awards for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Student of the year and finished as a finalist. In her time outside of work, she takes part in a dance group made up of Ngunnawal custodians called Yukembruk dreaming, where they perform welcome to country and smoking ceremonies. Kiara has been in an administrative role for over 3 years starting her career as a facilities administrator in July 2020, then joining Mayi Kuwayu team in July 2023.

Siena is a non-Indigenous Research Officer for the Mayi Kuwayu Study team. She has completed a Bachelor of Visual Arts & Design, Graduate Diploma of Psychological Science, Bachelor of Science in Psychology (Honours). During her studies she has previously conducted research investigating the relationships between oral contraceptive use, memory and depression.

Emma Spinks is in her final year at the Australian National University (ANU) studying a Bachelor of Political Science and a Bachelor of Arts (Psychology and Australian Indigenous Studies). She is a proud Palawa woman who was born and raised on the North-West coast of Lutruwita/Tasmania. Emma was awarded a Kambri Scholarship in 2022 by the ANU Tjabal Centre. She is working as a Research Assistant on the Where We Belong study led by Dr Sarah Bourke.

Arushi Ganguly is a non-indigenous staff member and has been working for the Mayi Kuwayu team as their Communications Officer. She has a Masters in International Relations from the Australian National University. She has previously worked in communications and marketing roles in various capacities within the University and in foreign policy circles in Canberra.