
Overview
Background
Dr Alana Gall is a proud Pakana (Tasmanian Aboriginal) woman whose ancestral heritage links to the north-east coast of Lutruwita (Tasmania), and more recently, the Bass Strait Islands of Cape Barren and Flinders Island.
Alana is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the First Nations Cancer & Wellbeing Research team, and the Project Manager of the What Matters 2 Adults Implementation project. Alana’s research focusses on wellbeing and holistic health for Indigenous peoples globally. The aim of the WM2A-I study she is managing, is to test the most appropriate and effective methods for implementing the newly developed WM2Adults Wellbeing measure - the first nationally-relevant wellbeing measure developed specifically for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults.
Alana has a background in nutritional medicine and has more than 10 years’ experience in research, research translation, community engagement, health education and clinical consultation. Alana’s PhD thesis, titled Exploring Wellbeing from Indigenous Perspectives, centres primarily on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ wellbeing but also includes a focus on the domains of wellbeing for Indigenous peoples in Canada, Aotearoa (New Zealand) and the United States.
On a personal note, Alana is passionate about empowering others to take control of their own health and believes better health and wellbeing can be achieved at a population level through transdisciplinary approaches that adhere to holistic models of health and wellbeing. Alana is also passionate about education, understanding on both an academic and personal level, that this is one significant way to lift individuals, families and communities out of poverty – having hope for the future is imperative to good health and wellbeing. Due to this passion, Alana produced a free worksheet for children during the COVID-19 pandemic, in collaboration with Wingaru Kids about antimicrobial bush medicines and would love to collaborate in this space more.
Availability
- Dr Alana Gall is:
- Available for supervision
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Nutritional Medicine, Endeavour College of Natural Medicine
- Masters (Research) of Research, Charles Darwin University
- Doctor of Philosophy of Research, Charles Darwin University
- Member, Public Health Association of Australia, Public Health Association of Australia
Research interests
-
Indigenous peoples health and wellbeing globally
- Holistic models of health and wellbeing - Traditional, Complementary and Integrative medicine - Nutritional and herbal medicine - Spirituality and connectedness to Country/land and people
Research impacts
Alana's work looking at Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicines (TCIM), specifically the use of these by First Nations peoples with cancer/diabetes, the disclosure of their use from the perspectives of both patients and healthcare providers, and healthcare providers perspectives of TCIM, has garnered much media and education recognition. Alana performed interviews with Triple J Radio (included in hourly news alerts), ABC Radio Darwin, TSIMA IndigiTUBE radio, Bumma Bippera Media, the NT News (newspaper) and Charles Darwin University E-news. Alana partnered with Wingaru, a First Nations education provider for teachers nationally, on an information and activity worksheet titled Antimicrobial Bush Medicines that was freely available for students during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia. Alana was engaged as the cultural advisor on a new complementary medicine textbook, providing cultural and traditional medicine advice, which is the core text for a graduate level program.
Alana has contributed as both an employee and leading research, from the inception of the What Matters research program. This body of work has revolutionised how First Nations Australians’ wellbeing is understood in research and practice, developed the first national and culturally relevant wellbeing measure for First Nations adults, and is currently implementing this measure into routine cancer care. Measures for youth and children are underway and planned. Alana's research exploring self-reported wellbeing and health-related quality of life of First Nations peoples pre and post the first wave of COVID-19 2020 pandemic, was the first to publish this data in Australia. Wiley Publishing Company included Alana and this article in their 2022 NAIDOC week special edition as one of five featured authors.
Works
Search Professor Alana Gall’s works on UQ eSpace
2020
Journal Article
Outcomes reported for Australian First Nation populations for the influenza A(H1N1) 2009 pandemic and lessons for future infectious disease emergencies: a systematic review
Gall, Alana, Law, Charlee, Massey, Peter, Crooks, Kristy, Andrews, Ross and Field, Emma (2020). Outcomes reported for Australian First Nation populations for the influenza A(H1N1) 2009 pandemic and lessons for future infectious disease emergencies: a systematic review. Global Biosecurity, 1 (4). doi: 10.31646/gbio.76
2020
Journal Article
Using telehealth to support self-management of lymphoedema: clinicians’ and patients’ perspectives
Gall, Alana, Bradford, Natalie and Finnane, Anna (2020). Using telehealth to support self-management of lymphoedema: clinicians’ and patients’ perspectives. Journal of Lymphoedema, 15 (1), 29-35.
2019
Journal Article
An exploration of healthcare providers' experiences and perspectives of Traditional and complementary medicine usage and disclosure by Indigenous cancer patients
Gall, A., Anderson, K., Adams, J., Matthews, V. and Garvey, G. (2019). An exploration of healthcare providers' experiences and perspectives of Traditional and complementary medicine usage and disclosure by Indigenous cancer patients. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 19 (1) 259, 259. doi: 10.1186/s12906-019-2665-7
2019
Journal Article
Exploring traditional and complementary medicine use by Indigenous Australian women undergoing gynaecological cancer investigations
Gall, A., Anderson, K., Diaz, A., Matthews, V., Adams, J., Taylor, T. and Garvey, G. (2019). Exploring traditional and complementary medicine use by Indigenous Australian women undergoing gynaecological cancer investigations. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 36, 88-93. doi: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2019.06.005
2018
Journal Article
Traditional and Complementary Medicine Use Among Indigenous Cancer Patients in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States: A Systematic Review
Gall, Alana, Leske, Stuart, Adams, Jon, Matthews, Veronica, Anderson, Kate, Lawler, Sheleigh and Garvey, Gail (2018). Traditional and Complementary Medicine Use Among Indigenous Cancer Patients in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States: A Systematic Review. Integrative Cancer Therapies, 17 (3), 568-581. doi: 10.1177/1534735418775821
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Alana Gall is:
- Available for supervision
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Media
Enquiries
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