Advisory Committee

Background

Indigenous access to adequate, preventive and comprehensive primary health care is essential to reduce excess deaths and to close the gap in early childhood mortality and life expectancy. The Council of Australian Governments’ (COAG) commitments in this area recognise the importance of all parts of the health sector. COAG focuses on prevention, including the promotion of healthy lifestyles at all ages and the related management and treatment of chronic diseases. The ARDAC Study is well situated to contribute data to inform the closing the gap initiative especially in relation to chronic kidney and cardiovascular disease.

Purpose

The role of the Advisory Committee is to provide strategic direction and leadership to ensure that the ARDAC Study adheres to the guidelines of the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) on ethical matters in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health research. It was originally set up in 2006 to provide advice to the ARDAC project and continues to follow Guideline requirements including:

Community consultation about and informed consent for any proposed research

Opportunities for community involvement in and assistance with the research

Reporting of results of research to communities before publication

Roles and responsibilities

To enable the ARDAC study to comply with the National Health and Medical Research Council requirements, the Advisory Committee is responsible for:
  • Providing advice and assistance to the research team on the most culturally appropriate ways to inform community members about the aims of the study
  • Providing advice and assistance to the research team about the most appropriate ways to locate existing and new study participants in the communities
  • Ensuring that the research team are aware of the cultural diversity within and between Aboriginal communities
  • Providing advice and assistance to the research team on the most culturally appropriate way to ensure that community members are fully informed about the results of the study
  • To advise and assist in obtaining community approval before study publications
  • To provide advice on how proposed publications should address privacy issues and acknowledge Aboriginal community input.



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The membership of the Advisory Committee will commit to:
  • Being the custodian of the data collected during the ARDAC study
  • Delegating the responsibility for data storage to the Centre for Kidney Research at the Children’s Hospital at Westmead
  • Developing local reference groups to liaise with community members and local professional medical and education groups
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Advisory Committee Membership - 2023

Hon Assoc Prof Boe Rambaldini 

Chair

Lindsay Hardy

Deputy Chair

Rita Williams

Retired Senior Aboriginal education health worker and Study Founder

Katrina Clark

National Aboriginal Immunisation Co Ordinator

Professor Rhonda Wilson

Professor of Nursing in Mental Health, University of Newcastle

Jennifer Daylight

Manager, Aboriginal outcomes strategy & operations, NSW Health Infrastructure

Terri Bell

Community Representative

Daren Nolan

Lecturer, University of Newcastle
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STUDY FIELD TEAM

Dr Jacqueline Stephens

Study Coordinator and Epidemiologist for the ARDAC study, Flinders University

Victoria Sinka

Associate Researcher and PhD student in Indigenous health promotion for the ARDAC study at The Centre for Kidney Research

Dr Eleonora Dal Grande

Research Fellow in Biostatistics for the ARDAC study, Flinders University

Dr Kylie-Ann Mallitt

Biostatistician for the ARDAC study at The Centre for Kidney Research

Amandi Hiyare

PhD student in Biostatistics for the ARDAC study, Flinders University

Dr Siah Kim

Nephrologist and Researcher for the ARDAC Study at The Centre for Kidney Research
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Advisory Committee Membership - July 2011

Professor Jonathan Craig, Jonathan Craig is Professor (Personal Chair) of Clinical Epidemiology - University of Sydney - School of Public Health, Head of Clinical Research at the Centre for Kidney Research at the Children’s Hospital at Westmead

Professor Paul Roy , Paediatric Nephrologist at The Children's Hospital at Westmead (CHW)

Dr Elisabeth Hodson , Emeritus Consultant in Paediatric Nephrology, The Children’s Hospital at Westmead (CHW)

Professor David Lyle , Head of Department of Rural Health, Broken Hill, University Department of Rural Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney

Dr Siah Kim , Paediatric Registrar at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead and PhD candidate

Ms Rita Williams , Senior Aboriginal Education Officer at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead (CHW)

Mr Cecil Lester , Chief Executive Officer, Condobolin Aboriginal Medical Service

Ms Della Yarnold , PhD Fellow

Mr Dallas Waters , Health Worker at MacLean Community Health

Ms Francine Eades , Aboriginal Chronic Care Coordinator at Blacktown Community Health

Ms Josephine Winsor , AMAH at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead

Mr Laurie Clay , Chief Executive Officer at Kempsey Aboriginal Medical Service & Diabetes Educator

Ms Lee Simpson , AMAH at Wagga

Ms Linda Anderson , Aboriginal Education Officer at Queanbeyan High School

Ms Narelle Holden , Aboriginal Health Worker at Westmead Hospital

Mr Peter Boon , Aboriginal Education Officer at Dubbo College, Delroy Campus

Ms Trish Heal , Aboriginal Health Worker for South Western Area Health Service

Ms Vicki Holliday , Chronic Care Program Coordinator at Hunter New England Health

Ms Nicola Vukasin , Research Officer with ARDAC Study at The Centre for Kidney Research

Ms Sandra Puckeridge , Office Manager at The Centre for Kidney Research at the Children’s Hospital at Westmead