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A leading researcher in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, Professor Toombs is a proud Euralayie/Kooma woman from North-Western NSW, and a distinguished researcher with a depth of experience in leadership roles. Working across research, health and education, Professor Toombs has a track record of impactful work, improving the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Professor Toombs is highly recognised for her work, and in 2023 she was awarded the prestigious Australian Mental Health Prize. As a leader in the field of Indigenous health, Professor Toombs was invited to join a 2023 Australian Mission delegation to the United Nations, in New York.

Partnering locally and internationally, Professor Toombs’s expertise in codesign and culturally safe practices is foundational to her global impact. She has developed models of care with over 94 different Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, improving the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

As a former Churchill Fellowship recipient, Professor Toombs worked with Canadian universities on retention rates for Indigenous students, and has developed partnerships with First Nations peoples across Canada. Her research on social and emotional well-being of Indigenous students has also led to significant improvements in the completion rates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander university students.

In collaboration with the Faculty of Medicine & Health’s Aboriginal Sovereign Strategy Group, Professor Toombs will establish an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health and Wellbeing Unit, that will have Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education, research and community at the forefront to ensure UNSW Medicine and Health create a culturally safe environment.

Ms Bhavna Singh serves as the Executive Assistant to Professor Toombs. You can reach her via email at bhavna.singh@unsw.edu.au or by phone at +61 2 9348 1740.