About me
Hello!
I’m Amy, an Aussie social researcher and educator currently based in Adelaide, Australia. I’m committed to improving human health, and I do my best work wrangling complex, systemic issues.. especially ones that get described with words like ‘unprecedented.’
As a medical anthropologist and experienced ethnographic researcher with a background in biomedical research, I work on complex topics that sit between fields and sectors, including obesity, chronic disease, food system futures, chronic disasters, health technology and women’s health. You can find my research outputs in my online library.
As an educator and Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA), I’m most at home teaching students how to make sense of complex topics and wrangle multiple perspectives with rigour, creativity, and a bit of a sense of humour. This has included teaching into the University of Oxford’s Human Sciences and Medicine undergraduate degrees and Medical Anthropology masters program, as well as the Master of Applied Cybernetics at the Australian National University and Bachelor of Medical Studies at Adelaide University. It has also included mentoring recipients of the Tuckwell Scholarship and General Sir John Monash Scholarship programs, as well as designing and delivering vibrant research-infused learning experiences, including corporate training programs, government policy, and a public art exhibition.
As a facilitator, I work best with cross-disciplinary, cross-sectoral and/or cross-generational groups who seek ways to collaborate to make something new. I’ve designed and delivered academic conferences, as well as workshops for Australian federal government departments, Future Foundations, the International Olympic Committee, and the Commonwealth Secretariat.
As a senior policy analyst in the Australian Government Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, I applied my social research expertise to complex team projects that spanned multiple government departments and agencies, such as women’s safety, innovation, capacity building, technology procurement, and cyber security. I still do some project-based work with the Australian Public Service. You won’t always see my name listed as an author, but my online library contains links to most publicly-released works our Project Office team completed.
As a colleague, I am open and honest (admittedly at times to my detriment!), and committed to my team. I have a deep sense of community, having grown up in a little country town called Kangarilla, and I like to infuse complexity, creativity, curiosity, and care into my work.
My current affiliations
Associate Professor
College of Systems and Society, Australian National University
Teaching, supervision and research broadly relating to navigating complex societal transformations
Adjunct Associate Professor
Adelaide Medical School, Adelaide University
Contributing to medical education, including teaching on women’s healthcare, and health and society.
John Monash Scholar
General Sir John Monash Foundation
Building and part of a network of leading Australian scholars across a wide range of subjects and worldwide universities
International Fellow
Unit for Biocultural Variation and Obesity, Oxford
Engaging in a vibrant cross-sectoral community of researchers focused on complex and interwoven causes of obesity
Director
Cancer Council of South Australia
Director on the Board of this for-purpose organisation dedicated to reducing the impact of cancer for South Australians through research, prevention, and support services