Transforming RESEARCH
into Impact
Fostering culturally responsive practices through research in health and the arts.
Ruth is an accomplished researcher and experienced research administrator, having coordinated the Centre for Asian and Migrant Health Research (2005-2012) and was academic co-convenor of The Data, Systems, and Society Research Network (DSSRN), a collaborative research network across the University of Melbourne (2018-2019).
Ruth also worked as Stream Leader of Research, Policy and Evaluation at the Centre for Culture, Ethnicity and Health (CEH) at North Richmond Community Health (2015-2018).
From 2020 to 2023, was Vice Chancellor’s Research Fellow at RMIT University based in the School of Art. She has undertaken many research and translation projects, such as animations that guide Emergency department staff in working with people who present in a mental health crisis and cartoons representing the experiences of social isolation and using technology for culturally diverse older people.
Her research into the applicability of the Indigenous concept of “cultural safety” toward broader anti-racist and inclusive healthcare practices, and her related research on migrant maternity have been widely cited.
Years of
experience
Awards
& Acknowledgment
Major
Research Grants
Professional
Affiliations
Publications
& Books
Research Projects
In 2018, the Statelessness Hallmark Research Initiative awarded Danny Butt (Fine Arts, University of Melbourne), myself, Tania Canas (RISE Refugees/cohealth Arts Gen/UoM) and Genevieve Grieves (Museums Victoria) seed funding in their first Projects Round for interdisciplinary research projects. Performing Statelessness
In 2020 Dr Hugh Davies, Prof Larissa Hjorth, Prof Ingrid Richardson (all from RMIT), Prof Mark Andrejevic (Monash University) and I began researching practices and perceptions of COVID-19. Our areas of inquiry included: How do Australians respond to their information
Our interdisciplinary research team comprising Dr Natalie Hendry, Prof Larissa Hjorth, Prof Ingrid Richardson, Dr Catherine Gomes, Dr Gretchen Coombs, and Assoc Prof Anne Harris (RMIT) was commissioned by the RMIT School of Graduate Research (SGR) to undertake qualitative, ethnographic
In 2020 I joined Professor Renata Kokanovic, Rory Randall, Rebecca Egan, Indigo Daya, Prof Stuart Thomas, Dr Cameron Duff, Dr Chris Maylea, Dr Nicholas Hill Dr Natalie Hendry and Chad O’Brien on a project to understand people’s experiences of attending
Exploring the impact of the proliferation of mobile and wearable health technologies, through the lens of health literacy.
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Like to discuss a potential project?
With nearly four decades of experience in research, academia, and healthcare, Dr. Ruth DeSouza is a distinguished scholar and consultant. She has successfully led 15+ major research projects, authored 40+ scholarly publications, and contributed to numerous professional and academic initiatives. A Fellow of the Australian College of Nursing (FACN), Ruth’s expertise spans cultural safety, health equity, and digital health.
If you would like to discuss a potential project, please get in touch via the contact form.
For a professional resume, please visit LinkedIn profile.
A full Academic CV is available on Google Docs.