Associate Professor Edward Wilkes

Biography

Associate Professor Edward Wilkes is a Nyoongar man from WA. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Science and the title of Professorial Fellow in Aboriginal Health at Curtin University in Perth. Associate Professor Wilkes has enjoyed a lifelong involvement in Aboriginal affairs, his early professional background being spent with the Western Australian Museum. Following that, he became Acting Inaugural Head of the Centre for Aboriginal Studies at Curtin University and then enjoyed 16 years as the Director of the Derbarl Yerrigan Aboriginal Health Service in Perth.

Associate Professor Wilkes is the Founding Chair of the Kulunga Research Network based at the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research. He also chairs the National Drug Strategy Reference Group for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People.

Associate Professor Wilkes provides advice and expertise on a wide range of state, national, and international committees.

Membership

• Chairman of the National Indigenous Drug and Alcohol Committee
• Participant in the Prime Minister's 2020 Summit

Experience

• Professorial Fellow in Aboriginal Health with the Centre for Developmental Health at Curtin University, in conjunction with the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research
• Director of the Perth Aboriginal Medical Service, now known as the Derbarl Yerrigan Health Service

Research Interests

• Analysis of Indigenous Child Death Review Case
• Review of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled Alcohol and other Drugs Sector in Queensland
• The role of resiliency in responding to blood borne viral and sexually transmitted infections in Indigenous communities
• Bibliographic database on Indigenous Australian alcohol and other drug use
• Restor(y)ing Aboriginal Parenting: Development and evaluation of a culturally relevant program to support Aboriginal parents promoting their children's behavioural and social competence and readiness for school learning