Chairs and Speakers

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Chairs and Speakers

Please find below the chairs and speakers at this year's forum.

Professor Loretta Baldassar, Director, ECU SAGE Futures Lab

Loretta Baldassar is Professor of Anthropology and Sociology, Vice Chancellor Professorial Research Fellow, and Director of the Social Ageing (SAGE) Futures Lab in the School of Arts and Humanities at Edith Cowan University. Loretta is also leading the TRACS Migration Research Network at ECU to support an active program of national and international collaborations. Loretta has published extensively in the field of migration and transnational families. In 2021 and 2022 she was named Australian Research Field Leader in Migration Studies (Social Sciences) and in Ethnic and Cultural Studies (Humanities, Arts, and Literature).

Professor Caroline Finch, ECU Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research

Professor Caroline Finch AO is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) at Edith Cowan University. She previously held senior research leadership roles at the University of New South Wales, Monash University and the University of Ballarat/Federation University Australia. In her own research, she has authored over 700 research-related publications and earned more than $22m in research funding. In 2015, she was awarded the American Public Health Association Distinguished International Career Award from the Injury Control and Emergency Health Services Section. In 2018, she was appointed as an Officer of the Order of Australia for her “distinguished service to sports medicine … as an educator, researcher and author …”.

Professor Verena Thomas, Associate Dean Research, ECU School of Arts and Humanities

Verena Thomas is Professor of Communication and Associate Dean Research in the School of Arts and Humanities at Edith Cowan University. Verena’s work focuses on creative research approaches and communication for social change in international development contexts. She has led award-winning research and production projects in the areas of health communication, climate change, gender equity and education. Verena facilitates participatory research processes in collaboration with community groups and works with institutions and organisations that want to strategically integrate creative approaches into social change programs.

Professor Blossom Stephan, Chair in Dementia, EnAble Institute, Curtin University

Professor Blossom Stephan is Professor of Neuroepidemiology and Global Ageing at the University of Nottingham. She leads a program of research on dementia risk prediction and risk reduction in high and low- and middle-income countries, and was also the Deputy Director of the only National Institute for Health Research Global Health Research Group focused on dementia.

Ms Lynette Yappo, Project Officer, the Centre for Aboriginal Medical and Dental Health, Medical School, UWA

Lynette Yappo is a Yamatji, Noongar and Wongi woman. She is a project officer and Aboriginal Health practitioner on the DAMPAA dementia risk management project. Lyn has been an Aboriginal Health Practitioner for over 20 years. She has been working with University of WA for 2 years on the DAMPAA program recruiting Elders and running the Midland walking and yarning program with the DAMPAA team.

Dr Kate Smith, Research Lead and Senior Lecturer, the Centre for Aboriginal Medical and Dental Health, Medical School, UWA

Dr Kate Smith is the Research Lead and Senior Lecturer at the Centre for Aboriginal Medical and Dental Health (CAMDH), Medical School, University of Western Australia, on Nyoongar Country. Dr Smith is principal investigator for the DAMPAA program. Kate has led Aboriginal ageing well research for over 20 years, including the co-design of valid assessments and models of care with older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people for national health and aged care policy and practice.

Associate Professor Tuan Anh Nguyen, Principal Research Fellow, NARI & Swinburne University of Technology

Tuan is an Associate Professor at the National Ageing Research Institute, Swinburne University of Technology, and University of South Australia. His current research lies on the development and implementation of national dementia strategies in low- and middle-income countries and culturally tailored interventions to prevent dementia or improve lives of people with dementia and their carers in CALD communities in Australia. He is the founder and leader of a large dementia research collaborative in the Asia Pacific region, and the Principal Investigator on three international grants. He has authored >90 publications, >50 conference presentations and has attracted >$13 million in research funding.

Mr Jason Burton, Associate Executive Director, Dementia Training Australia

Jason Burton trained as a Mental Health Nurse in the UK where he specialised in dementia post diagnostic support pathways and younger onset dementia. He has specialised in supporting people living with dementia and their families for 35 years across a wide range of care settings including hospital, primary care, community, and residential care. Jason has supported the development of dementia specialist services in India and Pakistan and in 2019 was asked to provide expert testimony to the Royal Commission on what person-centred good quality dementia care looks like. Jason has led innovative services in dementia design. dementia inclusive communities and dementia practice leadership. His current role as Associate Executive Director with Dementia Training Australia includes leading the development of a national standards framework for dementia education and training.

Associate Professor Anita Goh, Senior Research Fellow, Dementia Australia, NARI, ECU

Dr Anita Goh is a clinician researcher, with expertise in mental health, cognition, ageing, and dementia. Anita is a clinical neuropsychologist and a senior researcher at the National Ageing Research Institute. She holds an honorary senior research fellow role at The University of Melbourne, an honorary Clinical Neuropsychologist role at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and is an adjunct senior research fellow at Edith Cowan University. Anita is an Advisory Council member of the Alzheimer's Association International Society to Advance Alzheimer's Research and Treatment (ISTAART), Board Director of the Australian Association of Gerontology, a national Superstar of STEM and the Vice President of Science and Technology Australia. Dr Goh has been awarded the Dementia Australia Research Foundation Dr Stuart & Bonnie Bartle Mid-Career Research Fellowship for a project aiming to improve the way research evidence is translated into clinical practice, called: Closing the gap from evidence to practice enhancing dementia care: Using change management and implementation science.

Professor Matthew Allen, Executive Dean, School of Arts & Humanities, ECU

Professor Matthew Allen is Executive Dean, Arts & Humanities at Edith Cowan University, commencing in that role in 2022. Matthew was previously at Deakin University as Head of School, Communication and Creative Arts. Matthew is Australia's first Professor of Internet Studies and is a former president of the International Association of Internet Researchers. He established the Internet Studies program at Curtin University in the 1990s. Matthew is a nationally recognized leader in higher education, having been awarded an Australian Award for University Teaching in Social Sciences (2000) and a Fellowship of the Australian Learning and Teaching Council (2009).

Dr Simone Marino, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, ECU SAGE Futures Lab

Dr. Simone Marino is currently a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Social Ageing (SAGE) Futures Lab within the School of Arts and Humanities at Edith Cowan University (ECU). In addition to his academic role, he also holds the position of Music & Cultural Engagement Consultant at WA InCasa Aged Care & Community Service. Dr. Marino's expertise is notably interdisciplinary and intercultural. His research interests encompass the transmission and construction of ethnic identity, the impact of dementia, and the well-being of individuals from diverse migrant backgrounds. His research is grounded in ethnographic observation and employs geriatric depression scale analyses alongside medical screening tools. Dr. Marino is actively engaged in the pursuit of grants and funding opportunities to support a comprehensive trial of his co-designed music engagement intervention, Comusichiamo. The aim is to gather empirical evidence that can substantiate the intervention's efficacy and its potential impact.

Professor Davina Porock, Director, ECU Centre for Research in Aged Care

Professor Davina Porock began her nursing career in WA over 40 years ago. She obtained her Bachelor and Master degrees in nursing from Curtin University. She worked clinically at RPH and SCGH as well as Silver Chain Hospice before embarking on a PhD which was awarded in 1998 and has since worked in the UK and USA teaching, conducting research and supervising student research. Her research programme focuses on the care of older people life with life-limiting conditions, recognising dying and improving the process of transitioning to palliative and end-of-life care. Davina has a particular interest in person-centred approaches to care and its impact on living and dying well.

Mr Pelden Chejor, PhD Candidate, ECU Centre for Research in Aged Care

Mr Pelden Chejor is a PhD student with the Centre for Research in Aged Care in the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Edith Cowan University, Western Australia. He is a pharmacist by training and has a Master of Public Health from Edith Cowan University. He is interested in studying the dementia care experiences of ageing culturally and linguistically diverse people and the impact of culture and language in the provision of dementia care.

Mrs Mary Gurgone, Association for Culturally Appropriate Services

Mary Gurgone is the founding member and Chair of the Association for Culturally Appropriate Service (AfCAS). She also the Co-Director of the Aged Care Volunteer Visitor Scheme conducted by AfCAS and funded by the Australian Government. Mary was appointed to the NAATI Board of Directors in 2014 and is currently on the Board of the Perth Foundation for Women. She is the Director of the Centre for Capability and Culture with extensive executive experience in Government, private sector, and community organisations. She was selected Chair and member of various board and Audit and Finance Committees. She is a founding member, Fellow and former National President of the Australian Institute of Interpreters and Translators. Mary also involves with international organisations such as Zonta International in leadership roles focusing on governance, inclusion, culture and domestic violence. She has significant experience in working with Aboriginal communities including in the Kimberley in Western Australia.

Professor Lee-Fay Low, Ageing and Health, University of Sydney

Professor Lee-Fay Low (BSc Psych (Hons), PhD) is Professor in Ageing and Health, University of Sydney. She is a registered psychologist with a PhD in psychiatric epidemiology. Prof Low conducts research that she hopes will make a difference in the world. Her knowledge expertise is in rehabilitation and post-diagnostic support for people with dementia, timely diagnosis of dementia, stigma and dementia literacy, community and aged care and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. She has methodological skills in the design of complex interventions, implementation methods, population studies, systematic reviews and clustered randomised trials. She has authored over 150 peer-reviewed articles, and three books on dementia. She is an active advocate in improving how older people are treated and cared for. Lee-Fay thinks that research is great fun, and even admits to liking statistics.

Professor Lily Dongxia Xiao, Matthew Flinders Professor, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University

Professor Lily Xiao is an internationally recognised dementia caregiving researcher. She is one of four key contributors to the World Health organization (WHO) iSupport for Dementia program, an online skill training program for informal carers of people living with dementia. She has led a research team to adapt the WHO iSupport program in multiple languages in Australia and greater China. She serves on the WHO Global Dementia Observatory Knowledge Exchange (GDO KE) peer reviewer panel to review dementia care resource. She is the Fellow of Australian College of Nursing and serves on the Health Ageing Faculty.

Dr Manonita Ghosh, Project Manager, Social Ageing (SAGE) Futures Lab, ECU

Dr Manonita Ghosh is Research Fellow at the Social Ageing (SAGE) Futures Lab, School of Arts and Humanities, Edith Cowan University. She holds a PhD in Public Health and Master’s in Anthropology. She has expertise in mixed-methods co-design research including qualitative, quantitative, linked data, systematic review and Delphi. Her research focuses on cultural influences on health behaviour, ageing and social care, health services research, and music and health. Manonita has over 15 years of work experience in government and non-government organisations. Her accumulated research funding is over $2 million with a strong publication record. Dr Ghosh is a trained vocalist in Hindustani music and a music teacher. She is actively involved in fostering the development of culturally and linguistically diverse communities through music, with a strong focus on capacity building and community enrichment.

Professor Colleen Doyle, Honorary Fellow, NARI; Honorary Professor, Swinburne University

Colleen Doyle is a research psychologist, an Honorary Fellow at NARI and Honorary Professor in Psychological Science at Swinburne University. Colleen conducted one of the earliest research studies of depression in older adults living in residential care in Australia and recently completed a five-year study of depression, anxiety and loneliness in older adults. She has received a career total of 38 grants to support her research in the aged care field and published over 120 academic and technical reports on her findings. She founded the Psychology and Aging Interest Group in the Australian Psychological Society.

Mrs Theresa Kwok JP, CEO, Chung Wah Community Care

Theresa Kwok is the CEO of Chung Wah Community Care. Theresa migrated from Hong Kong to Australia in the late 80s with a background in social work. She has been working with Chung Wah CC for over 30 years. All these years, Theresa has worked tirelessly helping older members of CALD communities to live independently and has created more culturally appropriate equitable access to migrant and aged care services across Asian and ethnic communities. Not leaving anyone behind, her vision is to build a better community for all Australians. Theresa has received many awards including Multicultural Community Service Award (2003); WA Champion for Seniors (2013); Outstanding Contribution to Multiculturism Recognition (2016); Inaugural Seniors advocate of the Year (2021); WA Senior Australian of the Year (2023).

Mr Allan Quire, Manager, Bene Aged Care

Allan Quire has 30 years of experience in researching, planning, and administering aged care services. He began his career as a research officer at Southern Domiciliary Care in the early 1990s. Then he held several positions, including the South Australian representative for the COAG working group on Older Australians that developed the transition care program; Care Delegate for South Australia at the Department of Health where he managed the allocation of Commonwealth funded aged care; chair of the SA Aged Care Planning Advisory Committee; Strategic Director and Board Member for Life Care; and Project Manager in Bene Aged Care since 2017. Currently he is working with Aboriginal Community Services SA as CEO’s advisor. He has recently resigned as chair of the Global Centre for Modern Ageing Human Research Ethics Committee. Allan was involved in developing South Australia’s first dementia strategy.

Ms Jane Wittenoom, Company Secretary, Chorus – Aged Care, Disability & Mental Health

With a wealth of experience in both the community and corporate sectors, Jane has been at the forefront of transformative initiatives. With a track record of successfully leading multiple projects, including the notable 'Out and About' program, she has effectively delivered substantial improvements in health and well-being metrics for community members. Her pivotal role in the development of the 'Fresh Approach' at Chorus underscores her commitment to innovative community service models. Backed by a robust educational background and diverse training, her proficiency in governance, financial management, and strategic planning has consistently driven operational excellence.

Mrs Andrea Creado, Director, Ishar Multicultural Women’s Health Centre

Andrea Creado is currently the CEO of Ishar Multicultural Women’s Health Services with over 20 years’ experience of working with varied ethnic communities in a community health setting. Andrea is also a Councillor with the local government for the City of Stirling. She has experience in leading people, programs and thinking at strategic and operational levels in the non-government community-based health services sector. Currently she sits on the Board for the Centre for Women’s Safety and Wellbeing and is a Committee Member for various community organisation. Andrea has been recognised by various organisations for her excellent work and community leadership. She has won the Zonta Woman of Achievement Award in 2012, The Soroptimist International Woman of Achievement Award 2023 and is a current recipient of the Social Impact Leadership Australia scholarship.

ECU SAGE Annual Research Forum on Ageing