Dr Carol Davy

Senior Research Fellow, CREATE

Wardliparingga Aboriginal Research Unit, SAHMRI

Carol is a Senior Research Fellow with Wardliparingga Aboriginal Research Unit, SAHMRI. She brings to this role over 16 years’ experience leading both qualitative and quantitative studies that assist services to better support the health and wellbeing needs of marginalized communities. In her current role as senior research on the NHMRC funded Centre for Research in Aboriginal Chronic Disease Knowledge Translation and Exchange (CREATE), Carol is helping to address service delivery priorities defined by the Aboriginal Community controlled health and aged care sectors. Previously, she led a study that developed a Wellbeing Framework that supports primary health care services to improve not only health outcomes but also the quality of care and the quality of life for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples living with chronic disease. As evidence of her focus on translating evidence into policy and practice, this Framework now forms part of the South Australian Aboriginal cancer, stroke and diabetes plans. Carol’s PhD completed in 2009 utilised a social psychology methodology to better understand the role that belief systems such as the biomedical model, Indigenous knowledge and religion play in informing and guiding the way that health services are delivered. Prior to completing her PhD, she worked closely with the Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research on a variety of projects, including designing, implementing and managing a study that aimed to measure both the patient and health systems costs of treating malaria, in addition to the potential savings which may be recognized if a preventative malaria program was implemented.