Current research

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Projects

Birthing on Country Centre for Research Excellence

The CRE commenced in late 2020 with a vision to improve birth outcomes for First Nations families. We aim to redesign maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) and support services, and make a positive impact on First Nations families, including a reduction in preterm birth and delivery of high quality, accessible, culturally safe maternity care across the first 2000 days.

DJÄKAMIRR

Filmed in remote Arnhem Land, DJÄKAMIRR follows Ḻäwurrpa and Sarah on a unique journey through ancestral time, country and culture. As mutual trust develops between the two women, they hope to empower Yolŋu and reclaim 60,000 years of birthing culture from the stronghold of Western medicine. This is their story of working with community to pilot the training of Djäkamirr- the caretakers of pregnancy and birth.

Building on Our Strengths (BOOSt)

The BOOSt project has strong Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander governance, leadership and oversight. Developing and Evaluating Birthing On Country Primary Maternity Units, the BOOSt project is a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) funded partnership project.

Indigenous Birthing in an Urban Setting (IBUS) (NHMRC)

Achieving equity in birth outcomes, health status and life expectancy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families in urban Southeast Queensland.

Indigenous women sitting on a beach smiling with members of the research team

Caring for Mum on Country

Caring for Mum on Country is a participatory-action-research project working in collaboration with Yolŋu (Aboriginal) women in North East Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory, Australia.

A pregnant woman on a bed with back pain

Stress in Pregnancy Studies

We are members of the Stress in Pregnancy International Alliance and conducted the Queensland Flood Study in 2011. Please find the details of the Alliance here. This site also hosts the website for the Queensland Flood Study. You can read all about the study including the publications and presentations here as well as Birth in the Time of Covid Study.

Young man holding hand of asian pregnant woman waiting in hospital bed

Pain Relief During Labour Studies

One-in-three women experience severe back pain during labour and birth. And now, a safe, simple and effective treatment to ease the pain is here, thanks research from Professor Sue Kildea at Charles Darwin University and Dr Nigel Lee from The University Queensland.