Bringing a greater understanding of dementia in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples into the spotlight
Dr Antonia Clarke
Dr Antonia Clarke was recently awarded the 2023 Douglas and Lola Douglas Scholarship in Medical Science from the Australian Academy of Science (AAS). The scholarship provides ‘top up’ funding to PhD candidates who receive a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Postgraduate Scholarship.
Antonia has a strong interest in social justice and equity, carried over when she pivoted careers from law to medicine. During her medical training she worked across regional and rural NSW giving her first-hand exposure to the difficulties of health resource allocation and provision in remote communities. It also gave her an appreciation for the importance of Aboriginal healthcare that is inclusive of family, culture, community and Country.
“In remote communities, I observed the crucial role of Aboriginal Elders in driving health care, from encouraging childhood vaccination to regular diabetic or hypertension checks,” Antonia explains. “Aboriginal Liaison Officers are also integral to facilitating respectful communication with medical and nursing practitioners.”
This experience inspired her to explore this further as part of her PhD research, entitled ‘Community, Country, and Cognition: A multi-jurisdictional assessment of dementia in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’.
The project aims to evaluate brain health in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples living in NSW and central Australia. Using a mixed methodological approach, it will combine epidemiological analysis of variation in dementia prevalence across Australia and the intersection with rurality, socioeconomic markers, and cardiovascular risk factors, and qualitative assessments.
Through a series of yarning circles, Antonia will examine the direct impact and awareness of dementia, sources of strength, and barriers to care from the perspectives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples living across urban to remote settings. The results of the project will enhance culturally safe clinical practice, education and healthcare policy to develop a more reflexive, community-led paradigm for optimal dementia care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples living across urban, regional, and remote settings.
In addition to her scholarships, Antonia has also received an Australian and New Zealand Association of Neurology (ANZAN) Education and Research Fund scholarship. These scholarships make it possible for her to travel and connect with communities from her home in Melbourne.
“It is a privilege to listen and learn from experienced dementia researchers, clinicians and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and organisations at this nascent stage of my research career. I am extremely grateful for the support from the NHMRC, ANZAN and the AAS in advancing this project. There is much to be gained by recognising the value and strength of Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing within traditional models of dementia care.”
Following completion of her PhD, Antonia aims to combine her interests in research and clinical neurology. She hopes to practise regionally or rurally and directly translate the findings of her research to improve dementia care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples through evidence-based clinical practice and education.
“As a researcher, my goal is to contribute to our understanding of the early identification of factors that promote healthy brain ageing in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the development of culturally responsive and community-led prevention and risk reduction programs,” Antonia said.
“In the longer term, I anticipate building on respectful and knowledgeable clinical and research collaborations with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and organisations to lead broader policy development for dementia care, including improved health care service delivery and access across Australia.”
Dr Antonia Clarke is part of the Brodtmann group in Central Clinical School’s Department of Neuroscience, which focuses on vascular determinants of brain health and improving diagnostic pathways for people with cognitive disorders.
About Monash University
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