Guunu-maana (Heal) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Program

The George Institute for Global Health acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation as the traditional owners of the land upon which its King Street and King George V buildings are located. The George institute also acknowledges the traditional owners of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander lands upon which its research takes place.

Improving the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations is a major priority for the George Institute. Our Gunnu-maana (Heal) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Program at The George Institute drives meaningful and ethical research and advocacy to transform the health and wellbeing of First Nations peoples and communities.

Guunu-maana is led through Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of knowing, being and doing to generate evidence that privileges Indigenous knowledges and translates to actions that empower peoples and communities.

Our commitment to research integrity is underpinned by equity, transparency and self-determination. Guunu-maana (heal) maintains an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander paradigm of health and healing integrating physical, emotional, social, cultural and spiritual elements of health.

Our research focus areas are social and cultural determinants of health, health systems and healthcare delivery and community driven priorities. Our research is underlined by our program’s core principles:

• Strong Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership and a commitment to using strengths-based approaches
• Capacity building for the next generation of researchers in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, and for non-Indigenous researchers to enable collaborative approaches to conducting high quality, ethically sound research in partnership with First Nations organisations, communities and individuals
• Genuine engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, other First Nations peoples and communities with research determined by community priorities

Our Program Artwork was designed by Angela Webb – Gumbaynggirr Nation. To find out more about the meaning of this artwork click here.