Initiate, Participate, Achieve

Keynote Speakers

Dr Iona Novak PhD MSc (Hons); B.App.Sc. (O.T.)
Keynote Address: 9am Friday 13 November

Iona initially studied occupational therapy before gaining her PhD. Iona is the Head of Research at the Cerebral Palsy Institute, University of Notre Dame Australia where she co-leads the Australian Cerebral Palsy Register with colleagues. Iona’s areas of research interest include: evidence based practice; botulinum toxin treatment; efficacy of home programs; and population based cerebral palsy research.

 

Assoc Prof Jacinta Elston
Keynote Address: 9am Thursday 12 November

An Aboriginal woman of the Kalkadoon people, Assoc. Prof. Elston is the Acting Head of School, of the School of Indigenous Australian Studies at James Cook University. Formerly, the Associate Dean Indigenous Health in the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Molecular Sciences at James Cook University, she serves on numerous boards and advisory committees nationally and internationally. Assoc Prof Elston along with OT colleagues at JCU were 2009 recipients of an ALTC Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning for their work on enhancing the delivery of culturally competent occupational therpay practice with Indigenous clients through the implementation of Indigenous content in curriculum. She is a Master’s graduate with Public Health and Tropical Medicine qualifications from James Cook University, with research interests that include indigenous models of care in health service delivery and issues relating to breast cancer in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women. Assoc. Prof. Elston is a board member of the National Breast and Ovarian Cancer Council, a former member of the NHMRC's Research Committee and DOHA's National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Council, and a founding member of the International Network for Indigenous Health Knowledge and Development (INIHKD).

 

Janet Anderson
Keynote Address: 9am Thursday 12 November

Janet has worked in the Australian public health sector for over 20 years in the areas of policy development, services planning and program implementation.

She has held executive positions in the NSW Department of Health, the Northern Sydney Area Health Service and the Commonwealth Department of Veterans’ Affairs.

Janet assumed responsibility for the Primary Health and Community Partnerships Branch in the Department of Health in 2001. In 2005, she was given the job of developing a 20-year Future Directions strategic plan for the NSW health system which was published in 2007. For the last three years, Janet has held the position of Director, Inter-Government and Funding Strategies for NSW Health. In June this year, she was awarded the Public Service Medal in the Queen's Birthday Honours List.