Dr Cathy Vaughan, University of Melbourne

Dr Cathy Vaughan, University of Melbourne, Australia, is hosted by Professor Jenny Phillimore, The Institute for Research into Superdiversity (IRiS)

Dr Vaughan is a Senior Lecturer in Gender and Women’s Health in the Centre for Health Equity, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health. She currently leads research projects working to improve the sexual and reproductive health of women with disability in the Philippines; and to strengthen community-led responses to violence against immigrant and refugee women in Victoria and Tasmania. She has previously led projects exploring the impact of female genital cutting on women and families in Victoria and is currently involved in research into discriminatory acts against young people with disability; employment outcomes for people with disability; and media representations of violence against women. Cathy coordinates the WHO Collaborating Centre for Women’s Health hosted by the Centre for Health Equity and teaches post-graduate courses on Community-Based Participatory Research; Gender and Health; and Women and Global Health.

Prior to shifting to academia, Cathy was a global health and development practitioner in the areas of youth health, women’s health, HIV and disability. Since 1996 she has worked with community groups, NGOs and government departments to conduct social research and to design, implement and evaluate health programs in Cambodia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and several other countries in Asia, the Pacific, and sub-Saharan Africa.  This experience underpins her commitment to community-based and participatory approaches to research, research translation and community engagement.