News Archive

The Centre for Aboriginal Medical and Dental Health at UWA has a new Director. Dawn Bessarab is an Aboriginal woman of Bard (West Kimberley) and YjIndjarbandi (Pilbara) descent and an experienced researcher.  She is engaged in qualitative research looking at interventions and collaborative approaches to addressing the health issues affecting Aboriginal people across the State.

Associate Professor Bessarab is a social worker who is extremely interested in the application of Indigenous research methodologies such as ‘yarning' and the translation of research into policy and practice.

She has extensive experience across the Western Australian public sector, specifically in the area of child protection, family violence, alcohol and substance abuse and the criminal justice system.

As a practitioner she has been involved in child protection investigations, the development and delivery of Aboriginal child protection training, providing advice on Aboriginal issues and community development approaches to working with Aboriginal communities, families and children. She has also helped develop resources for use in the Aboriginal community.