Alana is a Pakana (Tasmanian Aboriginal) woman from the north-east coast of lutruwita (Tasmania). She is passionate about Indigenous peoples' holistic health and wellbeing, globally. She believes that the wellbeing and identity of Indigenous peoples are strongly centred around strong connections to Country/land, culture, spirituality and each other.
Alana is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow, in the National Centre for Naturopathic Medicine, at Southern Cross University, and an Honorary Research Fellow at both the University of Queensland and Menzies School of Health Research. She is also a member of the World Federation of Public Health Associations, Indigenous Working Group, and the incoming Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Vice President for the Public Health Association of Australia. At Southern Cross University, Alana leads a research program that centres around First Nations Australians traditional medicines and healing practices, with the aims of protecting and preserving these medicines for future generations, and improving accessibility for all First Nations communities across Australia.
Alana has over a decade of experience in research, research translation, community engagement, health education and a background in Nutritional Medicine. Alana has an extensive and broad knowledge in First Nations health, wellbeing, First Nations Traditional Medicines and foods, qualitative, Indigenist and decolonising methodologies and methods (including co-design methods/methodology). Alana pioneered the use of individual yarns with a think-aloud component, called the ‘think-aloud yarn’, that explored the suitability and acceptability of the think-aloud method with Australian First Nations peoples, and provided the face and content validity of draft statements for a wellbeing measure under development.