Heather has worked in communications, health promotion, and program management roles across the sexual health and blood-borne virus sector. She is currently a Senior Program Manager at the NSW STI Program Unit, with a primary focus on Aboriginal programs.
Heather received her Bachelor of Media Communications from Charles Sturt University and her Master of Public Health (Social Research) from UNSW. She is also in the first cohort of Australian health promotion practitioners to receive accreditation from the International Union of Health Promotion and Education.
Heather’s research interests include social aspects of sexual health, digital health promotion, accessibility and acceptability of sexual health services to diverse populations, and the use of technology to optimise public health interventions relating to sexually transmissible infections and blood-borne viruses. She has a particular interest in peer-led research models. Her PhD examines strategies to increase STI and BBV testing in routine primary care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in NSW.