Indigenous Research Unit

Medical students should be equipped with the necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes to engage with local communities on placement, and later act as agents of change in addressing health system priorities and inequities. Determining what are the necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes requires the medical school to collect input from the local communities they serve. This study describes the steps taken by the James Cook University (JCU) School of Medicine & Dentistry (SMD) to develop a systematic process for collecting input from a local Indigenous community. This 2011 study utilised a participatory action research design. An Indigenous Reference Group (IRG) consisting of 13 local Indigenous people including health professionals, Elders and community members was established by the JCU SMD in the North Queensland town of Mount Isa. 'Yarning Circle' discussions between SMD representatives and the IRG developed a Terms of Reference (ToR) to guide the engagement process, an...

Aim and objectives: To explore the role of Health Promotion and parasitology models in the prevention and control of Strongyloidiasis. Infection with the nematode Strongyloides Stercoralis is endemic in many Indigenous communities in Northern Australia. There is limited information about the prevalence, clinical picture, diagnosis and public health and health promotion strategies for the management, prevention and control of Strongyloidiasis. Integrated control models (parasitology) however focus on morbidity control and mass drug treatments as silver bullets. However these approaches still require further resources and follow up to address this neglected tropical disease. The potential for the application of health promotion frameworks to Strongyloidiasis may offer a more holistic model of prevention, treatment and control as health promotion addresses the causal factors through policy, infrastructure and systems change; community engagement; prevention, screening and treatment. Re...

In order to improve the management of temperate alley cropping, it is important to study the growth and physiological responses of plants arising from competition across the crop-tree interface. Maize (Zea mays L.) was established between rows of seven-year-old silver maple (Acer saccharinum L.) trees in north-central Missouri, USA with four imposed treatments: (1) an unmodified control with a standard

We will present the knowledge translation strategy for the project ‘Listening to Country’, that was completed in Brisbane Women’s Correctional Centre (BWCC) in early 2019. Acoustic ecology is the study of the relationship, mediated through sound, between human beings and their environment. The aim of ‘Listening to Country’ was to explore the value of acoustic ecology to promote cultural connection, maintenance and wellbeing among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women in prison. The researchers worked with women in BWCC to produce a one-hour immersive audio work based on field recordings of natural environments. They were supported throughout this process by two Aboriginal Elders from the Brisbane Council of Elders. The knowledge translation strategy for this project was, in the first instance, focused on sharing knowledge with the women in BWCC about acoustic ecology, the technical aspects of audio recording, and using arts-based methodologies to share stories of culture, belo...