Research Affiliates

Dr Samia Badji is a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Health Economics (CHE), Monash University. Sheworks to improve policies affecting healthcare use, health, and the well-being of Australians—especially people with disability and their carers—through advanced analysis of large, linked datasets. Her research spans small projects to major multi‑institution collaborations with the World Health Organization (WHO), the Department ofSocial Services (DSS), and the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA). She co‑created the DisabilityWellbeing Index (DWI) and contributed to the Evidence Advisory Committee (EAC) Assessment and EthicsFrameworks and Templates.

Maryann Barrington is a Senior Research Fellow at the National Centre of Excellence in Intellectual Disability Health at UNSW Sydney. Her research focuses on improving equitable access to healthcare for people with intellectual disability through inclusive, system-level approaches. She leads and collaborates on projects spanning preventive healthcare, reproductive health, and palliative care, with a strong emphasis on co-design and real-world implementation. Maryann’s work brings together lived experience, health services, and policy partners to develop and evaluate models of care that improve system performance and outcomes.

Dr Deepak Kumar Behera is a Lecturer in Economics at RMIT University Vietnam. He holds a PhD in Economics from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras), India. His doctoral research, “HealthFinancing in India: A Fiscal Space Perspective”, examined the macro-fiscal determinants of public health expenditure and strategies for mobilising additional fiscal space to strengthen healthcare systems. His current research focuses on the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) and the social determinants of health, with an emphasis on how health challenges—such as disability, aging populations, maternal and child health, and non-communicable diseases—interact with social and economic inequalities. He also examines the role of health financing and financial risk protection in shaping health outcomes, particularly for people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups. By combining approaches from health economics, development economics, and fiscal policy analysis, his work seeks to generate evidence on the economic and policy implications of health inequalities, including the financial burden of disease, and to inform strategies that promote universal health coverage, equity, and sustainable development across both developed and developing countries.

Glenda is a Research Fellow in the Disability and Health Unit at the University of Melbourne, examining how social determinants of health lead to health inequalities for people with disability. She has considerable expertise applying analytical epidemiological methods to large administrative datasets and longitudinal surveys to investigate a range of policy-relevant health outcomes and inequities that are important for people with disability. Her diverse background spans disability research, health data science, behavioural neuroscience and nutrition. As a person with disability, Glenda advocates for disability-led research that focuses on health issues of relevance to the disability community.

Alexandra Devine is a Senior Research Fellow with nearly 20 years of experience working in disability research and development practice. Much of my work focuses on disability equity across health, mental health, NDIS and employment systems, with a specific focus on psychosocial disability, First Nations and Culturally and Linguistically diverse communities.

Nicola has experience in disability policy, research, and data development and analysis. She currently holds a disability policy role with the Australian Government, focusing on quality and safeguarding in the disability support ecosystem. Previously, as a Research Fellow with the Centre of Research Excellence in Disability and Health, she led and contributed to research projects focused on understanding inequities in the social determinants of health experienced by people with disability. Her background in disability data development includes working on development and implementation of the WHO’s International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health(ICF).

As Director of Research and Evaluation at the NDIS Commission, Donna Gillies oversees a research program that focuses on the identification of risks to people with disability and improving the responses and quality of supports and services. She also has extensive experience in leading and managing research and evaluation programs to inform best practice policy and guidelines, and has been an active member of a wide range of state-based, national, and international research, policy and practice organisations. Donna Marianne Gillies (researchgate.net)

Natalie is a perinatal epidemiologist at the Hudson Institute of Medical Research and Karolinska Institutet, and an Adjunct Senior Lecturer in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Monash University. She holds an MPH from CHESS in Stockholm and a PhD from The University of Queensland, followed by postdoctoral training in breast cancer epidemiology (Karolinska Institutet). With strong methodological and analytical skills, Natalie has extensive experience with Swedish register data and Australian administrative and survey data. Her recent work examines disability related inequities in cancer screening and diagnosis, and her perinatal research focuses on how healthcare organisation and maternal origin of birth shape maternal and infant outcomes.

Matthew Jackman is a Mad Studies activist-scholar, and PhD candidate at the University of Sydney, where their research explores global lived experience mental health movements and their implications for disability, human rights, and health equity. Matthew is a Commissioner on Lived Experience in Mental Health Research and has contributed to initiatives with the World Health Organization focused on meaningful lived experience engagement. They are the founder of The Australian Centre for Lived Experience (TACFLE), advancing disability-led research, advocacy, and capacity building to strengthen equitable, rights-based approaches to mental health policy and practice.

Manish Kumar is an Accessibility and Policy Associate at Human Factor, specialising in inclusive infrastructure and governance. With a B.Tech in Civil Engineering from IIT Bombay and a Master’s in Public Policy from IIT Delhi, he bridges technical expertise with evidence-based policy to dismantle structural barriers for people with disabilities. Currently a Research Affiliate with the NHMRC-funded Centre of Research Excellence (AHEAD), Manish focuses on leveraging AI-enabled auditing and predictive analytics to develop models for inclusive policy solutions. A PhD aspirant in disability policy, he is dedicated to ensuring that rights-based design and health equity become an enduring reality through innovative, socio-technical frameworks.

Kira is a PhD Candidate at Griffith University researching the intersection of disability and youth homelessness inAustralia. Her work examines how disability shapes service access, mental health outcomes, and broader social determinants of health, using longitudinal quantitative methods to inform disability-responsive policy and practice. With a background in psychology and professional experience working with people with disabilities, she is committed to advancing equity and inclusion. Her research and practice aim to reduce stigma and stereotypes and to strengthen fair, inclusive systems that improve opportunities for people with disability.

Nazanin is a PhD candidate at RMIT University’s Social Equity Research Centre. Her research focuses on how neighbourhood built environments shape health, wellbeing, participation, and inclusion for children with disabilities. Nazanin uses interdisciplinary disability frameworks and mixed-methods, including evidence synthesis and spatial approaches, to identify neighbourhood features that support equitable participation and inform policy and practice for more inclusive communities.

Tan is registered oral health therapist and health economist Research Fellow at Deakin Health Economics, Senior Policy and Research Officer at Oral Health Victoria (OHV), and Monash University PhD candidate. He is the current Chair & Spokesperson for the National Oral Health Alliance, the peak national oral health advocacy body in Australia, and has a third-term statutory-appointed dental practitioner member of the Dental Board of Australia, leading regulatory governance for registered dental practitioners in Australia.

Martin is a sociologist and research fellow at the University of Queensland, in the School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences. Martin's research uses advanced quantitative methods to interrogate a range of problems facing children with disabilities and their families, including equitable access to support through the NDIS and mainstream services, social determinants of health for children with disabilities, and experiences of poverty and financial insecurity. In addition, Martin has extensive experience in policy evaluation and works with partners in the Queensland government to support planning for the Brisbane 2032 legacy goal of increasing people with disabilities' participation in sport and physical activity.

Adam Poulsen is a Research Fellow and Computer Scientist at The University of Sydney. Their research covers human-computer interaction, co-design, diversity, underserved communities, applied ethics, and health, social, and sex technologies. Adam has extensive research experience with people with disability, older adults, LGBTQ+ individuals, culturally and linguistically diverse communities, people living in low- and middle-income countries, and young people engaging mental health services. Drawing on commitments to social justice and participatory practice, Adam’s work ensures that digital innovation embeds equity, challenges exclusionary frameworks, and centres lived experience. Adam is a recipient of an ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award 2026.

Dr. Abdul Rohman is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Communication and Design at RMIT University Vietnam, researching the intersections of communication, technology, and social change in Southeast Asia. His work examines the socio‑technical impact of digital technologies on social movements, information behaviour, and marginalised communities, including persons with disabilities. He is the author of Conflict, Continuity, and Changein Social Movements in Southeast Asia. His publications explore AI and disability in the Global South, pandemic information practices, digital rights, and online information grounds. He also leads regional initiatives on disability‑inclusive AI and advocates for centring lived experience in technology governance.

Sharon is a Principal Behavioural Scientist in the Australian Public Service, where she leads a Behavioural Science Unit. With qualifications in organisational and cognitive psychology, behavioural economics, and nutrition, she brings deep expertise in decision-making and behaviour change to public policy. Sharon has worked across academia, consulting, and government, including roles as a senior researcher and lecturer in organisational and health psychology. She was recently awarded a Sir Roland Wilson Scholarship, a collaboration between the Australian Public Service and The Australian National University. Her doctoral studies focus on developing behavioural interventions to increase disability representation in public service leadership.