Our People

Professor Marcia Langton AO, PhD, is a distinguished anthropologist, geographer, and academic renowned for her groundbreaking work in Indigenous studies. Descended from the Yiman and Bidjara nations of Queensland, Langton has dedicated her career to advocating for the rights and recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Langton's journey into advocacy began in 1977 when she assumed the role of General Secretary of the Federal Council for Advancement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People. This marked the beginning of a lifelong commitment to advancing Indigenous rights. During the 1980s, Langton pursued her studies at the Australian National University, where she honed her expertise in anthropology.

Following her academic pursuits, Langton spent five years as an anthropologist with the Central Land Council in Alice Springs, where she conducted crucial research into Indigenous land rights. Her involvement in the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody from 1989 to 1992 further solidified her position as a leading voice in Indigenous advocacy.

Langton's contributions to policy and legislation are profound, notably her instrumental role in the passage of the Native Title Act in 1993. Throughout her illustrious career, she has held esteemed academic positions, including Ranger Professor of Aboriginal Studies at the Northern Territory University and the Foundation Chair of Australian Indigenous Studies at the University of Melbourne.

Beyond academia, Langton's impact extends into public policy, evidenced by her participation in initiatives such as the Empowered Communities project and the Expert Panel on Constitutional Recognition of Indigenous Australians. A prolific author, she has published extensively on topics ranging from Aboriginal land tenure to art and film. Langton's latest book, "Law: The Way of the Ancestors," co-authored with Professor Aaron Corn, continues to enrich scholarly discourse on Indigenous issues.

A/Prof Kristen Smith is a Principal Research Fellow and Research Director of the Indigenous Studies Unit, Onemda Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health and Wellbeing in the Melbourne School of Population Health at the University of Melbourne. Smith is a medical anthropologist whose interdisciplinary research traverses the fields of Indigenous studies, epidemiology, human geography, public health and health promotion. Smith’s research is centred on the intersections of culture, health, and social inequities, with a particular focus on collaborative, community-based interventions and the promotion of culturally appropriate practices within academia. Her unique contributions to national and international health research include innovative work in Australian Indigenous medical anthropology, critical policy analysis, data analysis and complex multidisciplinary theoretical and methodological development.

Dr Stephen Corporal is an Eastern Arrernte man with close family connections to many other First Nations people, born in Townsville as (Bwgcolman) and lives in southeast Queensland (Jagera). Stephen completed a PhD in 2020 titled “Identity, roles, and expectations influence on Indigenous university students when building the Indigenous health workforce” and a Grad Cert in Indigenous Leadership and Research. He is a board member of the Indigenous Allied Health Australia (IAHA) and IAHA NT WD. Dr Corporal is employed the University of Melbourne as a Senior Research Fellow in the Indigenous Data Network, working on the ARFV Project (NHMRC Ideas Grant: Alcohol Related Family Violence) and the IDN ARDC IIRC Project focusing on the work with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Health Service in Brisbane. 

Dr Andrea Clarke (Aranda & Arabana) is currently the Senior Research Fellow and Post Doctoral Fellow for the Indigenous Studies Unit in the School of Population and Global Health at the University of Melbourne. Her career to date has been quite intersectional through education, Indigeneity, policy, and governance. Andrea has many qualifications, including a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Master of Management (from the Graduate School of Business and Economics), Graduate Certificate of Educational Research, Professional Certificate in Indigenous Research, Bachelor of Education, and a few others. Her most recent achievement is the graduation of her PhD, in which she researched the impact of diversity and feminism on Aboriginal women as higher degree research students. Dr. Andrea Clarke dedicates her work to improving health and educational outcomes for Aboriginal people, including engagement, the impact of colonisation, and opportunities to reconnect to build relationships for the future, with the aim of contributing to improved health outcomes for Indigenous people across the region.

Dr Rebecca Ritte is an epidemiologist with experience in data linkage and the analysis of large data sets including hospital, registry and survey data. She combines strong statistical analysis and study design skills with community, stakeholder and collaborator engagement. She has a broad content knowledge base that spans research in childhood mortality, data linkage, renal disease, Indigenous health, and cancer. This knowledge base is combined with strong communication and advocacy skills, longitudinal data analysis, research and regulatory reporting, grant and ethic application submissions, and project management and study coordination skills. For the past three years she has been undertaking data analysis consulting combined with running her own small tourism business in the Yarra Valley in addition to mentoring PhD students and participation as a CI on an NHMRC grant at the University of Melbourne.

Casey Haseloff is the third Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC) Indigenous Intern co-positioned with the Indigenous Data Network in 2025. Casey holds a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Statistics, from the University of Melbourne, where he is also currently completing a Master of Data Science. He previously completed a two-year tenure in NAB’s Technology and Data Graduate Program, gaining experience in data analysis, automation, and stakeholder reporting. As part of his internship, Casey will contribute to the Improving Indigenous Research Capabilities Project, with a focus on developing technical skills to support Indigenous data governance and community-led research initiatives.

Becki Cook is a Nunukul Aboriginal woman, educator, and researcher. She is currently undertaking a PhD at the QUT Centre for Data Science, supervised by Distinguished Professor Kerrie Mengersen (QUT), Professor David Lovell (QUT), and Dr Stephen Corporal (Indigenous Studies Unit, University of Melbourne). Her doctoral research explores Indigenous data literacy through Indigenous Research Methodologies, with a focus on elevating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives and priorities in the field of data science. Alongside her PhD, Becki works as a Research Assistant. With over 15 years of experience in the education sector, Becki has worked across secondary and tertiary settings as a science and mathematics teacher, student success coordinator and research centre manager. She holds a Bachelor of Science (Griffith University, 2007), a Graduate Diploma in Education – Secondary (QUT, 2012), a Master of Education and Professional Studies Research (Griffith University, 2021), and a Professional Certificate in Indigenous Research (University of Melbourne, 2024).

Aaron Lee is a Research Assistant at the Indigenous Studies Unit at The University of Melbourne. He completed a Bachelor of Science with Honours in Psychology at The University of Melbourne (2023). His thesis ‘Conceptualising the Commonness Effect using Modal Cognition: The Effect of Time Pressure and Semantic Similarity on Should Judgements’ investigated social and cultural influences of ethical decision making. Before his current role, he started at Onemda as an Aurora Foundation intern to learn more about Indigenous health and wellbeing. His current research interests lie at the intersection of acculturation and mental health for migrant and Indigenous populations.

Louise has over twenty-five years’ experience working in the cultural sector in curatorial and research roles, most recently in the role of research manager, First Peoples Collections, Museums and Collections Department at the University of Melbourne. She previously worked in the Indigenous Studies Unit on projects including the reporting of Aboriginal ancestral remains to the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council, and establishing protocols and procedures for the management of Indigenous cultural material in the University’s collections; she was also part of the team working on the Donald Thomson Collection review. Louise worked closely with collections incorporating Aboriginal cultural heritage material at the University of Melbourne, including the Donald Thomson Collection. Louise holds a Bachelor of Arts, Fine Art (Victorian College of the Arts), a Bachelor of Arts (Monash University), a Graduate Diploma Information Management, Archives (RMIT), a Master of Cultural Materials Conservation (Melbourne University).

A communications leader with deep expertise in media, advocacy, crisis management and not-for-profit strategy, Isy brings over a decade of experience raising profiles and driving systemic change, supported by a 20-year journalism and editing career. Her strengths lie in lateral thinking and creative problem-solving. She combines strategic vision, high-impact storytelling and collaborative leadership to deliver lasting results in purpose-driven environments. She is also an author – her first book was Hard to Bear: Investigating the science and silence of miscarriage. She was the recipient of the 2024 RANZCOG Outstanding Contribution to Women’s Health Award.