Who we are

Associate Professor Felecia Watkin Lui

Associate Professor Felecia Watkin Lui is a Torres Strait Islander woman with giz from Erub, Mabuiag and Badu.  She is an Associate Professor of Indigenous Studies in the Indigenous Education and Research Centre and Thematic Convenor of Indigenous Futures for the Cairns Institute, James Cook University.

Find more information about her research here

Latest publications

Contact: felecia.watkin@jcu.edu.au

Dr Sanchia Shibasaki

Dr Sanchia Shibasaki (PhD) was born and raised on Waibene (Thursday Island) and is of Torres Strait Islander and Asian descent. She has over 25 years’ experience in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, primary health care policy and practice, research and knowledge translation to impact, and continuous quality improvement.  Sanchia has successfully held roles in organisational governance, executive management, physiotherapy, research and knowledge translation, training and development, project leadership and management, and consultancy.

She has lived and worked in urban, rural, and remote communities in Queensland, Northern Territory and Western Australia. She has and continues to work with representatives from government departments; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled health affiliates, peak organisations, and services; research institutes; consultants; not for profit community organisations and various community groups.  More information about Dr Shibasaki can be found at:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanchia-shibasaki-77a932123

Lynda Ah Mat

Lynda Ah Mat is an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander woman raised on Thursday Island with ancestral ties to Mabuiag, Kubin, Mer, and the Yupungathi nation in the Western Cape.  She is a Senior Project Officer in the Indigenous Education and Research Centre, James Cook University and works under the Theme Leader, Indigenous Futures for the Cairns Institute, Associate Professor Watkin Lui. Lynda is a graduate of James Cook University with a Batchelor of Arts (Social Science) degree.  She has successfully obtained a Certificate IV Training and Assessment; Certificate IV in Business (Governance), Certificate IV in Indigenous Leadership and is currently completing a Graduate Certificate in Knowledge Mobilization with the University of Guelph.

Among other work, the majority of Lynda’s experience is in Project and Senior Management roles spanning more than 16 years in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Units, Programs and Projects in State Government and non-Government organisations.  Areas include Youth Leadership, Community Development, Project Management, Vocational Education and Training, and Curriculum Development. These roles has given her the opportunity to work in many remote Indigenous communities across Queensland, and including all 17 remote island communities in the Torres Straits.

Under the guidance of Associate Professor Watkin Lui, Lynda has project managed the following projects:

• ARC Indigenous Discovery Project (2014-17) Developing a framework for measuring Indigenous research benefit (from 2016)
• Office for Learning and Teaching – Innovation and Development Grant: Addressing the gap between policy and implementation: Strategies for improving educational outcomes of Indigenous students in 2017
• The Lowitja Institute– Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health CRC funding - Meriba buay - ngalpan wakaythoemamay (We come together to share our thinking): Evaluating a Community of Practice for Torres Strait Islander Health and Well-being (2019)   https://www.lowitja.org.au/meriba-buay
• The Lowitja Institute - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health CRC funding – Seeding Grant 2020: TSACAI: Feasibility Study for a Torres Strait Aged Care Information and Advocacy Hub
• The Lowitja Institute - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health CRC funding – The Co-production of the Lowitja Institute Knowledge Translation to Research Impact for Empowerment Approach (2020)
• Australian Research Council – Discovery Indigenous: Knowledge Integration for Torres Strait Sustainability (2019 – 2022)
• The Lowitja Institute - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health CRC funding – Seeding Grant 2021:  Feeling Informed, Connected, Supported and heard: Advocacy for aged care in the Torres Strait