Catherine Chamberlain is an Australian National Health and Medical Research Council Career Development Fellow and Professor of Indigenous Health at the Centre for Heath Equity, The University of Melbourne. Catherine is a Registered Midwife and Public Health researcher with over 25 years’ experience in maternal health, and has worked in remote, rural and urban settings across health service, government and university sectors. A descendant of the Trawlwoolway people (Tasmania), her research aims to identify perinatal opportunities to improve health equity across the lifecourse. She is currently Principal Investigator for a large multi-disciplinary project – Healing the past by nurturing the future – which aims to co-design perinatal awareness, recognition, assessment and support strategies for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents experiencing complex childhood trauma.
Synopsis:
For Professor Cath Chamberlain, babies are a gift from the ancestors and birth is a critical life event. But what if this time is coupled with intergenerational and complex trauma? Cath is a Palawa Trawlwoolway woman, registered midwife, and public health researcher who works to support the emotional and spiritual well-being of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents experiencing trauma. In this critical conversation, Cath talks about her passion for healing the past by nurturing the future, improving health equity, and building perinatal awareness through storytelling and deep listening.
Notes:
Making a decision to do the hard research, that’s what discovery is about
Leadership award for health researcher
MRFF Success – Improving the Health and Wellbeing of Indigenous Mothers and Babies
Supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Families to Stay Together from the Start (SAFeST Start): Urgent call to action to address crisis in infant removals
Music:
Music in this episode includes ‘Developing Peace Health Wellness’ by Luca Tomassini, and ‘Unbend’ by Solix Music used under an Audio Standard Licence from Adobe Stock.
Birthing and Justice is written and produced by Dr Ruth De Souza on the traditional and unceded lands of the Boon Wurrung people of the Kulin Nations. Sound editing by Olivia Smith.