OUR TEAM

Professor Gillian Gould is a GP in refugee health, a Tobacco Treatment Specialist and an Indigenous Health researcher. She lives in Emerald Beach NSW, and her interests are walking on the beach with her cute daschund Ziggy, making art and delving into her family genealogy. She is an Indigenous Judean. Her life and family experience feeds her motivation to improve access to health services for priority populations. She leads the iSISTAQUIT project and other research about smoking among Indigenous peoples.

Read more about her work here

Dr Marilyn Clarke is a Worimi woman from Port Stephens area, living on Gumbaynggirr country. She is Australia's first Aboriginal obstetrician & gynaecologist and has worked on the north coast of NSW for over 20 years. She is passionate about women's health, especially Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women's health. She is a mother of 2 children and enjoys spending time with her family.

Rebecca Hyland is a proud Kamilaroi woman, currently living, working and raising her two jarjums on Gumbaynggirr Country. Rebecca is the Senior Projects Manager of iSISTAQUIT and Co-Chair of the Indigenous Populations Working Group, Global Alliance of Chronic Disease. Rebecca’s career has taken her across Australia, and over the past 19 years First Nations engagement has always been a key focus. Rebecca is most passionate about empowering through education, health outcomes for mob, and First Nations leadership. Rebecca’s passion for smoking cessation in communities has been both a professional and personal journey. Rebecca enjoys spending time with her family going on bush walks, stand up paddle boarding and being active.

Alison Hart is a proud Gumbaynggirr woman, a mother of her son, and descendant of the local Coffs Harbour area. Alison is Research Assistant with iSISTAQUIT. She has more than 25 years’ experience in consulting and engaging with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, services and communities. Alison is passionate about culture and creating safe culturally inclusive environments and systems for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Dr Gina La Hera Fuentes is part of the iSISTAQUIT team, her PhD is focused on the implementation and Health Economics of the iSISTAQUIT smoking cessation intervention. She has several years of experience in research and is passionate about the implementation and data analysis of the projects.Her hobbies are dancing, roller skating, spending time outdoors and going camping.

Dr Nicole Ryan is a Senior Research Fellow working to scale-up iSISTAQUIT throughout Australia. Her research focuses on implementing behaviour change interventions among priority populations to help them live healthier lives. Dr Ryan also manages the iSISTAQUIT mobile phone app research project an interactive, tangible resource to support pregnant Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women to have a healthy pregnancy and quit smoking. Nicole has been conducting health and medical research for 20 years across a variety of research areas and projects including pharmaceutical treatments and behaviour change interventions for neuropathic conditions. Nicole also enjoys travelling with her family, painting, reading, and watching crime shows.

Jodie A. Mottram is a proud Yorta Yorta woman and PhD candidate whose research program spans perinatal mental health, maternal-infant bonding and attachment, kinship systems, smoking and vaping cessation, birthing on Country, continuity of care, culturally safe maternity care, healthcare system evaluation, and cervical cancer screening. Her doctoral work examines the protective role of healthy kinship systems in early infant development and early cultural milestones. Holding an Honours degree in Psychology, a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology and Indigenous Studies, and a Graduate Certificate in Research Management, she works with communities across urban, rural, remote, and very remote Australia. Her scholarship integrates Indigenous methodologies, lived experience and applied psychological science, with a focus on privileging the voices and perspectives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across health and mental health research spaces. Jodie is a Senior Research Officer at James Cook University and a Research Fellow at Southern Cross University, where she holds the Aunty Bea Ballangary Research Fellowship working across nationally funded, Indigenous-led programs (SISTAQUIT, SISTABIRTH, SISTASCREEN). Jodie's research has been recognised through numerous competitive awards, scholarships, and grants. She is the recipient of the SAGE Publishing Award (2025) and the Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand David Henderson-Smart Scholarship (2025), and has secured funding through the Ross Spark and John Breinl Memorial Grants Program, the JCU CHS Research Training Program, Maali Hub, and multiple competitive Iplex Higher Degree Research Grants. Earlier recognition includes awards from the National Council of Women Queensland Office for Women, the Lambert McBride Perpetual Bursary (Department of Education), and Soroptimist International. She is an active member of OCHRe, the Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand, CATSINaM, the Lowitja Institute, Indigenous Allied Health Australia, Psychology of Active, Healthy Living, Margaret Roderick Centre for Mental Health Research, JCU Centre for Rural Remote and Tropical Health Systems, and the Psychology Research Committee at James Cook University.

Dr Karen McFadyen is a member of the iSISTAQUIT team. Karen is experienced in workplace health and productivity interventions and research projects. She is passionate about improving lives through the provision of clear, useful information combined with small changes in behaviour. Karen holds postgraduate qualifications in business management and marketing. She enjoys outdoor activities with her family, reading, and taking long walks along the beach.

With more than 40 years of administrative experience, Dani has worked across the university, local government, and legal sectors. Her career has also included extensive experience in event coordination, project management, procurement, and public library services. She is strongly committed to education, lifelong learning, and the capacity of literacy to enhance individual wellbeing and strengthen communities. She has a particular interest in First 5 Forever, a free statewide Queensland initiative that supports the early language and literacy development of children from birth to five years of age. Coordinated by the State Library of Queensland in partnership with local governments, the program equips families with practical strategies to foster children’s learning and development through everyday activities, including talking, reading, singing, and playing.

Helen Moors is a Research Assistant with the iSISTAQUIT team. She holds a Bachelor of Psychological Science (Hons) and is passionate about health research. Helen is currently undertaking a PhD in health science, and has experience in clinical trial implementation to improve mental health in diverse populations. She enjoys spending time with family, being in nature, and practicing yoga.