BA (Hons); PGDip Ed (Adult); PGCert Dev; MEd; PhD (Med).

Associate Professor Michelle Dickson is an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander academic (Darkinjung/Ngarigo) and Director of the Poche Centre for Indigenous Health, University of Sydney. She has worked in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander research, public health, service delivery and health professions education for 30 years. She has a service delivery and design background in mental health  and social and emotional wellbeing.

A/Prof Dickson is involved in research to which she contributes cultural knowledge, Koori lived experiences of research and expertise in Indigenous research methodologies and methods. She works directly with eight Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services and with 30 Universities and research institutes. She leads and co-leads research that demonstrates integrity, privileges community leadership and incorporates Western and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ethics; she leads this space in both CREs, project grant and the clinical trials and cohort study.

She has expertise in co designing research projects, implementation plans and health and wellbeing innovations. Michelle ensures any co-design work, within both government and community-controlled health sectors, centrally positions community voices and narratives. She has co designed programs that have informed the development and delivery of clinical health services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients in social and emotional wellbeing, alcohol and other drug use, youth health, child protection, and maternal and infant health. She has led co design work with the New Zealand Ministries of Health and Education on cross cultural awareness and supervision of Maori and Pakeha mental health professionals. Locally, she assisted the Ministry of Health (NSW) to establish and chair a Cultural Reference Group, providing co design methodology, cultural and community expertise to a state-wide evaluation of an Aboriginal maternal and infant health program.