Injury is a significant yet often overlooked public health issue in Australia, affecting every individual at some point in their lifetime. For many, it results in long-term disability, psychological trauma, and financial hardship, contributing to rising healthcare costs. The burden of injury is not created equally – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are disproportionately impacted and experience significantly poorer outcomes. These disparities are driven by systemic issues such as one-size-fits-all prevention strategies, lack of culturally appropriate care, and policy shortfalls based on deficit focused evidence.
As an Aboriginal injury epidemiologist, A/Professor Courtney Ryder addresses these challenges through a multi-methods skillset, integrating quantitative, qualitative, Indigenous Knowledges and research methodologies. Her research uses big, linked data to understand how inequities cause and contribute to injuries in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, to co-design multi-pronged, scalable strategies that centre Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing. She leads a range of research projects, with her early research directly informing her latest NHMRC Clinical Trial and Cohort Study – The HEAL Cohort, which will transform injury prevention and care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, through delivering rigorous, culturally grounded evidence, to drive smarter policies, stronger health systems, and lasting change for families and communities.