Ngiare Brown

2012 College Recipient, College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences

Dr Ngiare Brown was one of the first Aboriginal medical graduates in Australia.  She completed her medical degree at the University of Newcastle in 1992 and graduated with a Masters in Public Health and Tropical Medicine from JCU in 2000.

Ngiare is a Yuin nation woman from the south coast of NSW and is passionate about indigenous health and social justice.  She was foundation chief executive officer with the Aboriginal Indigenous Doctors Association and is currently a Medical Officer with them.  During her career Ngiare has held a variety of positions in education, mentoring, clinical practice and advocacy.

Ngiare has also held other positions as an Associate Professor and Director of the Poche Centre of Indigenous Health at the University of Sydney, and a Fellow of the Royal Australian College of General practitioners.  She has been Indigenous Health Adviser to the Australian Medical Association and Manager of Preventative Indigenous Health Programs for World Vision Australia.  She was the Assistant Director at the Menzies School of Health Research in Darwin, where she developed a program around child health and human rights within the child health division

In 2005 she was named the AMA's Woman in Medicine for her contributions to the profession.  She is committed to early childhood and adolescent wellbeing and has worked over the past two decades to develop an extensive international network in indigenous health.

She has made extensive contributions in research process, bioethics, policy, translation and practice within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health research.  She is proud of her heritage and is committed to making a difference in the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people through improved health.

She is a strong advocate for federal government initiatives to attract more indigenous people into health professions.

Updated 2012