Cath Chamberlain

Professor Catherine Chamberlain is descended from the Trawlwoolway people of Tasmania (Palawa), and a registered midwife and public health researcher (PhD, MPH, MSc Public Health Practice, Graduate Certificates in Health Service Management and Indigenous Research and Leadership). Professor Chamberlain draws on over 25 years experience in the health sector to facilitate collaborative solutions to complex health issues by applying expertise and evidence to specific contexts and needs of all stakeholders. Since graduating from her PhD (2015) Professor Chamberlain has established a highly productive program of research to improve health for children and families, which has been recognised in prestigious awards, including NHMRC Rising Star award (2015), Lowitja Research Leadership Award (2019) and CATSINAM Fellowship. She has over 80 peer reviewed journal publications and secured over $30 million in competitive research funding. Her research has generated evidence on effective strategies to support women to stop smoking in pregnancy, which has informed international and national guidelines. She has identified critical gaps in care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women experiencing diabetes in pregnancy and worked with communities to develop acceptable and feasible strategies to address these gaps. She currently leads large multi-disciplinary multi-jurisdictional projects to develop, implement and evaluate perinatal strategies to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents experiencing complex trauma.