Alana Gall

Alana is a proud Pakana (Tasmanian Aboriginal) woman from the north-east coast of Lutruwita (Tasmania). Alana 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 an executive member of the World Federation of Public Health Associations, Indigenous Working Group, and the Vice President-Elect (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) for the Public Health Association of Australia. Alana is also a Coalition Member of the civil society The People's Declaration for Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Healthcare. 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 and wellbeing; First Nations traditional medicines; qualitative, Indigenist and decolonising methodologies and methods (including co-design methods/methodology); PROMs/PREMs measure development, and; systematic, comprehensive and policy reviews. 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.

Current projects:

• Lead Chief Investigator - Harnessing traditional medicines to support First Nations Australians holistic health and wellbeing – a policy targeted approach 
• Lead Chief Investigator - Australian First Nations traditional medicine’s role in improving utilisation of palliative care for First Nations Elders and our old people 
• Chief Investigator - What Matters to First Nations Kids: Co-designing a wellbeing measure for First Nations children aged 5-11 years (WM2K Project) - project lead: Dr Kate Anderson
• Chief Investigator - Improving Indigenous research capabilities: Building an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander data commons - project lead:

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