Our cultures
Our languages
Our health

Priyanka Rai brings more than 15 years of experience across healthcare, advocacy, and non-profit leadership. She most recently served at Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF), leading global programs to improve healthcare access in underserved regions. Previously, at Painaustralia, she played a central role in developing the National Strategic Action Plan for Pain Management. Her tenure at Dementia Australia demonstrated her strong commitment to community-focused advocacy, where she contributed to national policy reform and led initiatives supporting individuals with complex neurodegenerative conditions. Priyanka holds a Master of Science in International Business and Management and a Bachelor of Business Management.

Amanda is a public health professional specialising in health equity, cultural inclusion, and community engagement. With qualifications in Nutrition Science and Public Health from QUT, she brings a strong foundation in health promotion and systems thinking.

Originally from Singapore, Amanda draws on her multicultural background to inform a culturally responsive approach to policy and practice. She has worked in rural Queensland supporting community integration and later contributed to national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health initiatives through project roles in Canberra.

She is committed to community-led change, long-term collaboration, and improving access to health and wellbeing for all. Outside work, Amanda enjoys cooking, travelling, and exploring diverse food cultures.

Tina brings an evidence-based analytical approach to her role in advocacy and project delivery of initiatives targeting multicultural health outcomes. With an Honours in Psychology from the ANU, her research degree has equipped her with experience in communicating the cultural, social, and psychological factors impacting health outcomes through written work. During this time, her work bridged empirical insight with a commitment to amplifying marginalised voices, translating research into meaningful social change. From here, Tina has collaborated on papers addressing different marginalised populations, most recently publishing a paper on the importance of diversity initiatives to improve education outcomes. She is committed to improving wellbeing and equity for diverse and underrepresented groups through leveraging her research-informed experience alongside community-led collaboration.

Isobella is a communications and policy professional with experience across strategic communications, policy research and advocacy in the not-for-profit sector. She has worked on national policy projects, facilitating cross-sector engagement and translating complex policy and technical information into accessible communications for diverse audiences. Her background includes supporting culturally informed and respectful communications in collaboration with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stakeholders, as well as contributing to advocacy initiatives on gender justice and climate impacts in the Pacific. Isobella holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Communications and International Relations and a Master of Public Policy (Social Policy) from the University of Sydney.

Hellen’s arrival at FECCA in 2021 marks the continuation of a career dedicated to making a tangible difference in the world. With a robust background in international program management, particularly in challenging settings, she has significantly contributed to projects that aim to provide hope and a sense of value to individuals. Her prior roles include working on the RID-TB program at the Burnet Institute, aimed at combating drug-resistant tuberculosis in Papua New Guinea, and supporting the institute’s efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. Before joining FECCA, Hellen was deeply involved in promoting Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights through the Ipas Africa Alliance in Kenya, focusing on policy, advocacy, health education, and community empowerment. Holding a Master’s degree in International Development and a Bachelor’s in Anthropology, complemented by extensive training in Project Management, Hellen combines her professional expertise with personal passions like cooking, travelling, and dancing, bridging her commitment to social impact with a vibrant life outside work.

Sam brings expertise in public health, policy research, and cross-sector collaboration to her role as Projects and Policy Officer, Aged Care at FECCA. Her diverse background spans three continents, with experience working on projects and policy alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, designing health programs for marginalised communities in rural South India, and coordinating virtual healthcare education in the US. Sam holds a Master of Culture, Health and Medicine from the Australian National University and a Master of Public Health from the University of Colorado and combines her professional expertise with personal passions for learning new languages and her love for dogs.

Carlo brings more than 20 years of experience across government, not-for-profit leadership, and the private sector. He began his career working in Federal Government on transnational crime and human rights policy, contributing to Australia’s ratification of various United Nations Conventions. This early work shaped his commitment to ensuring that international and national frameworks translate into meaningful protections for communities.

Carlo has built a strong track record in consumer advocacy, holding senior roles with Alzheimer’s Australia (now Dementia Australia), PainAustralia, and the Consumers Health Forum of Australia.

In addition to his advocacy and policy expertise, he has worked in the private sector and run his own businesses, giving him a deep understanding of organisational sustainability, partnerships, and practical service delivery. As both a professional and patient advocate, he brings an equity-driven approach and a strong belief in the power of consumer voices to shape better health and social outcomes.

An alumnus of MGIMS (India) and London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Dr Bose completed her specialist medical training from Oxford Deanery (UK). She has held senior leadership roles at local, regional, national, and international levels in Australian, British, and Indian healthcare systems. A mentor on the UK NHS Leadership Academy, she also serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Public Health (Oxford).

Since moving to Australia in 2014, she has contributed to organisations that work to create healthier, culturally inclusive communities. A founding academic of Curtin Medical School (WA), Sadhana currently holds leadership positions with Ethnic Communities Council of WA, Australian Multicultural Health Collaborative (FECCA), Anantha Australia, WA Lions Wellbeing Foundation, WA Geriatric Specialists and works in South Metropolitan Health Service (WA).

Passionate about the impact of social injustice on health and care outcomes, Sadhana is a doctor, academic, philanthropist dedicated to creating a fairer, sustainable, kinder world.

Based on Dharug Country, Ali is the National Clinical Manager of Multicultural Practice at headspace. A registered psychologist with extensive experience in mental health and alcohol and other drugs (AOD) support, he has led national initiatives to strengthen cultural capability, embed co-design, and ensure migrant and refugee voices are central to service design and policy. Ali’s leadership spans workforce development, clinical and cultural governance, and cross-sector collaboration, translating community insights into systemic change. He is committed to ensuring mental health systems are inclusive, culturally safe, and shaped by the communities they serve. Passionate about representation and equity, Ali works to bring marginalised community voices to decision-making tables, bridging the gap between lived experience and policy to create lasting, meaningful impact.

Professor Bianca Brijnath is a Professor of Health Communication in Society at La Trobe University. Her disciplinary training is in medical anthropology and public health and her research expertise is in cultural diversity, dementia, and mental health. Within these disciplinary and contextual boundaries, she has undertaken several studies on dementia prevention, awareness, diagnosis and care, specific to culturally diverse communities in Australia and internationally. She has authored over 150 publications, has produced >70 multilingual films, comics and animations, and generated >$26 million in research income. In recognition of her research, she was inducted into the State Government of Victoria’s Multicultural Honour Roll in 2022.

Professor Helen Skouteris is the Monash Warwick Alliance Joint Professor of Health and Social Care Improvement and Implementation Science, Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia, and inaugural Maureen Brunt Professorial Fellow. She is Head of the Health and Social Care Unit (HSCU) and Co-Lead of the Division of Evidence Synthesis, Qualitative and Implementation Methods at Monash University, and Director of the NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Health in Preconception and Pregnancy. A developmental psychologist with expertise in longitudinal research, RCTs, and implementation science, she founded the HSCU in 2020, the first such unit in an Australian Faculty of Medicine, growing it to 72 members. Guided by equity, collaboration, and innovation, she builds cross-sector partnerships to advance research, education, and policy, with a strong focus on improving health, social care, and education outcomes for infants, children, young people, parents, and families nationally and internationally.

Rajeshwary (Raji) Krishnan is a GP who, together with her daughter Dr Priya Krishnan, runs Pramana Medical Centre in Gosnells, WA. For more than four decades, she has provided care to marginalised people, with a particular focus on First Nations communities and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

Pramana Medical Centre offers wraparound, culturally safe and trauma-informed services delivered by a dedicated team of GPs, specialists and allied health professionals. Guided by its mission of “Health without Barriers”, the centre has been recognised with the Medicare Champions Award in 2024 by the National Minister for Health and Ageing. In 2025, Raji received the National President’s Award from the Australian Medical Association as well as the RACGP WA Doctor of the Year Award.

Dr Ling Zhang is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow (SOLVE-CHD) at the Charles Perkins Centre and the Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, and a practising registered nurse with a multidisciplinary background in clinical nursing, language as a NAATI-certified translator, education, and journalism. Her research focuses on reducing health inequalities, particularly in the prevention of cardiovascular disease, and she is committed to supporting culturally and linguistically diverse communities, especially those with limited English proficiency and low health literacy. Combining clinical expertise, cultural competence, and research capability, Dr Zhang contributes to advancing health equity and inclusive care through both policy and practice. Her work addresses the intersection of health, language, and culture, ensuring that prevention strategies and care models are accessible, effective, and responsive to the needs of diverse populations across Australia.

Martin has a public health background with experience at the federal Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, Victorian Department of Health and internationally at the World Health Organisation. He has an avid interest in health equity particularly for migrant populations, and how evidence and data can support decision making. He has volunteered and advised peak organisations in Victoria and nationally in developing lived experience policies and contributed to health programs focussed on youth mental health.

Dr Matt Bray (MBBS, MPHTM) is an Emergency Medicine doctor and Pasifika community leader based in Narrm, Melbourne. He is a proud first-generation Australian of Rotuman, Futunan, Italian, and English ancestry. Committed to health equity and international collaboration, his work spans clinical care in Australia and Pacific nations, not-for-profit governance, college roles, and advocacy for communities impacted by colonisation, cultural displacement, and climate change. A career highlight for Dr Bray has been his leadership in championing health equity for the Pacific Islander community in Australia as a board director of the Oceania Pacific Health Association, the peak body for Pasifika clinicians and health academics.

Thurka Sitparan is the Practice Manager, where she leads initiatives to improve access to healthcare for vulnerable populations, including Aboriginal and homeless communities. A passionate advocate for equity and multicultural health, she holds an MBA and is a Certified Practice Manager (CPM) with the Australian Association of Practice Management (AAPM). Thurka is currently undertaking training in Leadership and Governance through the Office of Multicultural Interests (OMI).

Her commitment extends beyond healthcare, with active roles in the Sathya Sai Global Council, Cycling Without Age, Tamil Ladies Club, and the Canning River Residents Environmental Protection Association. She also serves as a Cultural Ambassador for the City of Canning. Driven by her lived experience as a refugee from Sri Lanka, Thurka brings a deep understanding of cultural diversity, inclusion, and community empowerment to all that she does.

Henry Ko is an Australian-born Chinese advocate whose parents emigrated from Hong Kong. Growing up in rural NSW, he was part of one of the few migrant families in the town, and his earliest experience in multicultural health advocacy came from acting as a health translator for his parents and grandparents, a role common in many migrant families. Since 2008, he has been a consumer advocate with the Consumers Health Forum of Australia and a voting member of the Australian Consumers’ Association. His advocacy spans cancer, invisible disabilities and conditions, and child health. Henry has served on Australian healthcare industry committees, Commonwealth Government health technology assessment committees, professional peak bodies, and the Northern Sydney Local Health District CALD Consumer Advisory Group. He is committed to using his skills and experience to help this Collaborative amplify multicultural health voices across Australia.

Professor Stephen Li is a NSW pathologist supporting pathology services in 27 hospitals. A medical doctor and co-founder of a Premier GOLD Award-winning clinical service for Arabic-speaking communities, he has volunteered for over 28 years to advance health equity and cultural inclusion. Since 1997, he has delivered weekly Chinese-language health education via radio and a long-running column in the Australian Chinese Daily, improving health literacy for thousands. As Chair of Community Health for the Australian Chinese Medical Association, he has led over 100 campaigns with NSW Health and CALD organisations, and was instrumental in national registration for Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners. He has shaped national multicultural health policy through RACMA, led COVID-19 health education across multicultural platforms, and co-founded the Australian Multicultural Health Collaborative. His leadership continues to set national standards for culturally competent healthcare and ensure equitable access for Australia’s diverse communities.

Jawad Haider is a community leader committed to fostering inclusion, cultural understanding and equitable access to services for multicultural communities. He is Vice President of the Northern Territory Momineen Incorporated, supporting initiatives that strengthen cultural connection, education and social support. In South Australia, he chairs the Governing Council at Smithfield Plains Kindergarten, working with educators and families to enhance early childhood learning and community engagement.

He has also contributed to advocacy on health equity, sharing lived experiences and advising health organisations to ensure services are culturally safe and responsive. Alongside his community work, Jawad is a Senior Payroll Manager with expertise in leadership, governance and operations. He is fluent in English and Urdu and has conversational proficiency in Sign Language.