Salenna Elliott

Dr Salenna Elliott (MBBS, PhD, MPH) is a Senior Research Fellow in the UQ Poche Centre for Indigenous Health at the University of Queensland. She has over 20 years’ experience in infection and immunity research and public health, and has worked in Aboriginal health since 2016. She is committed to addressing inequities experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, particularly young people, in relation to sexual and reproductive health. She coordinates the ENDING-STI project funded by an NHMRC Synergy grant led by Professor James Ward. ENDING-STI is a multidisciplinary precision public health project that aims to reduce prevalence and improve management of sexually transmissible infections in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in Northern Territory and Central Queensland. She is also Chief Investigator on a funded NHMRC Ideas grant led by James Ward (IMPACT-STI study: Implementing a precision public health approach to move toward elimination of STIs, control of HIV and inform on other BBVs in regional Australia) and the GOANNA Survey 3, a national sexual health survey of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people. She is Associate Investigator on two additional projects focused on sexually transmissible infections and/or blood borne viruses in Aboriginal communities.

Salenna worked previously with Professor Ward at the Wardliparingga Aboriginal Health Equity Unit, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) where she coordinated the second GOANNA Survey and co-led the inaugural South Australian sexual health survey Let’s Talk About It. Her earlier research focused on anti-malarial immunity and vaccine development.

She has supervised or mentored Honours, Medical and PhD students in a number of fields.