Our Team

Associate Professor Christina Pollard has over 30 years’ experience working within government developing, implementing and evaluating public health and health promotion interventions at national, state and local levels.  Dr Pollard has led government health related policy and strategy with demonstrated outcomes. She calls herself a prac-ademic committed to advocating for those rendered vulnerable to poor health due to their social or economic circumstance. She is best known for the award winning Gofor2&5^© and Find 30^© social marketing campaigns and her work in addressing food insecurity and obesity. Christina contributes to the wider community in her role as the Public Health Association of Australia’s Vice President (Policy) and as a Board member of Foodbank WA and Deakin University’s Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition.  She is a committee member of the Australian Academy of Science’ Decadal Nutrition Plan and a Fellow of the World Cancer Research Fund International. Dr Pollard is committed to supporting the developing public health/health promotion workforce.

To contact Christina, please email C.Pollard@curtin.edu.au.

Melissa has over 25 years’ experience in the fields of public and environmental health, with particular skills in the area of health promotion, public policy, Aboriginal health and advocacy.

Melissa is PHAIWA’s former Director and has been with the organisation since its inception in late 2007. She recently changed roles within PHAIWA, and is now the lead for the #endingtrachoma research that is aiming to reduce trachoma in 41 remote communities across WA.

She has worked with and for local, state and commonwealth government agencies, universities, professional associations and international Aid organisations, WHO in Africa and Secretariat of Pacific Communities in Noumea, working in a range of fields including environmental health, HIV, alcohol and drug harm minimisation, medical waste and vector control.

Melissa is passionate about making a difference and describes herself as a practice-based researcher. Issues that are of specific interest include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, local government public health practice, sports sponsorship, mentoring future leaders and advocacy.

She currently sits on a number of state and national Boards and Advisory Committees and is an Editor of the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health.

To contact Melissa, email m.stoneham@curtin.edu.au or phone 0421 113 580.

Nikki is our Office Administrator and Project Officer, and manages our E-news and Bin the Spin services. Nikki started with PHAIWA in 2011 and has over 30 years’ experience as an Office Administrator across a diverse range of industries including university, government and private enterprise sectors.

To contact Nikki email n.george@curtin.edu.au or phone (08) 9266 9078.

Melinda has over 10 years’ experience in health promotion and public health. Melinda has been with PHAIWA since 2015 and is responsible for managing capacity building activities, developing and maintaining partnerships, undertaking advocacy activities and supporting the strategic direction of the Institute.

Before working at PHAIWA Melinda worked in the non-government sector for six years on state-wide injury prevention, sector development, and healthy lifestyle programs. She has a particular passion for strategic planning, project management and empowering others to build their skills and make a difference.

Melinda has shown strong leadership for her profession holding a number of executive positions on both state and national Boards and Committees over her career. She is currently Director and Secretary of the Australian Health Promotion Association.

You can contact Melinda at melinda.edmunds@curtin.edu.au or 9266 1544.

Jo has over 20 years’ experience developing and delivering health promotion, corporate health and wellbeing and community based programs. Her career has included working for both local and state government along with corporate and community based sectors and consulting services. She has worked various locations around Western Australia including regional and remote, along with internationally in the United Kingdom with particular skills in capacity building, project management and delivery, health promotion, corporate health, partnership development and general health and wellbeing advocacy.

Jo enjoys facilitating the on the ground delivery aspect of projects and building community capacity and partnerships for ongoing sustainability. She is currently leading the PHAIWA’s public health planning advisory service and the Aboriginal media training projects.

To contact Jo, email jo.malcolm@curtin.edu.au or phone 9266 9081.

Scott has worked in Aboriginal Environmental Health for the last seven years within Shires located in the Kimberley and Pilbara and has more recently worked for the Great Southern Aboriginal Health Service. Scott works on the Trachoma Prevention Program – Bright Eyes, visiting ‘at risk’ communities throughout WA to determine and deliver specific environmental health activities as required.

To contact Scott please email scott.mackenzie@curtin.edu.au (works remotely in Albany).

Miika has valuable experience working in health research, health policy and health promotion – in Australia and overseas. Since graduating from the University of Western Australia in 2017 with first class honours in Population and Global Health, Miika has worked for the Australian Government and in the non-government and not-for-profit sectors.Miika has a particular passion for social justice issues and women’s health and has been involved in research projects in Vanuatu, Kenya and India. Miika is committed to utilising research to ensure the development of sustainable health solutions that contribute to improving the health and wellbeing of vulnerable communities.

You can contact Miika at Miika.Coppard@curtin.edu.au or on (08) 9266 5542.

Jessica Watts is an experienced health promotion officer and researcher, having worked in the South West and Perth regions for the past 10 years. She has worked in chronic disease research, Aboriginal health and mental health, with particular skills in delivering health promotion and community-based programs. Jess is working on the Local Government and Primary Health Care Linkages Project.

You can contact Jessica at jessica.watts@curtin.edu.au or on 0422 031 010.

Dr Simon Colquhoun has over 24 years in experience in community psychological research. He has worked as both a research consultant and research fellow in university, local government and not-for-profit organisations). Simon worked with migrants, regional groups and indigenous communities. He firmly believes in social justice and social change and works hard to bring research into practice. Simon is working a on the Alliance Against Depression Project.

You can contact Simon at s.colquhoun@curtin.edu.au.

Dr Yesid Pineda-Molina is an International Medical Graduate originally from Colombia, with extensive experience in both clinical and administrative areas. Yesid was an integral part of the team that developed medical tourism in Colombia. Throughout his career Yesid has worked in public health which enabled him to acquire leadership abilities, situation assessment by designing strategies and contingency plans in order to achieve the best outcome for patients, organisations and the health system. Yesid is working on the Local Government and Primary Health Care Linkages Project.

You can contact Yesid at yesid.pinedamolina@curtin.edu.au.

Mike Daube is Professor of Health Policy at Curtin University and founding Director of the Public Health Advocacy Institute and the McCusker Centre for Action on Alcohol and Youth. Before moving to Curtin in 2005 he was Director General of Health for WA and Chair of the National Public Health Partnership.