Alana Gall

Biography and Heritage

Dr. Gall proudly identifies as a Truwulway woman, a Pakana (Tasmanian Aboriginal) whose ancestral roots trace back to the north-east coast of Lutruwita, known today as Tasmania, Australia. This deep connection to her heritage profoundly informs her work and unwavering passion. Consequently, Dr. Gall dedicates herself to advancing the holistic health and wellbeing of Indigenous Peoples across the globe, recognizing the interconnectedness of their identities and ancestral lands.

She firmly believes that the core of Indigenous Peoples’ wellbeing and identity is intrinsically linked to robust connections. These vital connections encompass their ancestral Country/land, their rich and living cultural traditions, their profound spirituality, and their relationships with one another. Therefore, this holistic understanding forms the bedrock of her approach to health research and advocacy, emphasizing culturally centered frameworks.

Key Academic and Professional Affiliations of Dr Alana Gall

In her professional capacity, Dr Alana Gall holds the esteemed position of Research Fellow within the National Centre for Naturopathic Medicine at Southern Cross University. Her academic influence extends further, as she also serves as an Honorary Research Fellow. These significant honorary positions are held at both the prestigious University of Queensland and the renowned Menzies School of Health Research, underscoring her respected standing within the academic and research communities.

Beyond these research roles, Dr. Gall actively contributes to shaping public health advocacy and policy. She serves as the Vice President (Indigenous) of the Public Health Association of Australia, a pivotal leadership role where she champions Indigenous health equity. Moreover, she represents Indigenous Traditional Medicines on the Board and Council of the TCIH Coalition, bringing an essential and often underrepresented perspective to this international organization focused on traditional, complementary, and integrative healthcare.

Research Program: Protecting Indigenous Cultural Medicines

At Southern Cross University, Dr. Gall spearheads a critically important research program. This program meticulously centers on Indigenous Peoples’ Cultural Medicines within the Australian context. Consequently, its primary objectives are multifaceted and essential for ensuring cultural continuity, promoting health equity, and respecting Indigenous sovereignty over their traditional knowledge systems.

The core aims of her research involve the robust protection and dedicated preservation of these invaluable medicines for current and future generations. This proactive approach includes exploring and advocating for international legal frameworks designed to safeguard traditional knowledge from misuse or exploitation. Furthermore, a key focus of Dr. Gall’s work is on substantially improving accessibility to these medicines for all Indigenous Peoples’ communities across the diverse Australian landscape. This ensures that traditional healing practices, which are integral to Indigenous health and wellbeing, can continue to thrive and be utilized effectively.

Dr Alana Gall’s Methodological Innovations and Impact

Dr Alana Gall brings over a decade of comprehensive and diverse experience to her specialized field. Her extensive expertise spans critical areas including rigorous research design and execution, effective research translation into policy and practice, meaningful and ethical community engagement, and culturally appropriate health education. Additionally, her foundational academic background in Nutritional Medicine provides a unique and holistic perspective that enriches her work in traditional medicines and public health.

Her knowledge base is both extensive and notably broad, covering several key domains vital for her impactful contributions. These include a profound understanding of Indigenous Peoples’ health and wellbeing paradigms, specialized knowledge of Indigenous Traditional Medicines, and advanced proficiency in qualitative, Indigenous, and decolonising research methodologies and methods. Importantly, this encompasses co-design methods and methodologies, which are central to her community-centric and empowering research approach. Moreover, Dr. Gall possesses skills in Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) and Patient-Reported Experience Measures (PREMs) development, as well as conducting systematic, comprehensive, and policy-informing reviews.

A testament to her innovative spirit in research, Dr. Gall pioneered the culturally sensitive use of individual yarns integrated with a think-aloud component. She termed this qualitative method the ‘think-aloud yarn,’ which allows for deeper, more nuanced insights and fosters more authentic engagement with Indigenous participants. Furthermore, she co-developed the “Key Principles to Co-Design with First Nations Peoples.” These influential principles have yielded tangible impacts, significantly informing the development of Cancer Australia’s national Australian Cancer Plan. They also provide the foundational underpinning for the successful implementation and ongoing utility of the Our Mob our Cancer website, a vital health resource for Indigenous communities facing cancer.

International Expert and Advisory Roles

The profound expertise of Dr. Gall in Indigenous Traditional Medicines garners significant recognition on the international stage. As a result of her distinguished work, prominent global bodies regularly call upon her for guidance and collaboration. These influential organizations include the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), both of which play crucial roles in global health and knowledge governance.

Her engagement with these esteemed organizations is multifaceted and highly impactful. Dr. Gall provides invaluable expert advice, delivers compelling presentations at international forums, and serves on distinguished expert panels, contributing directly to shaping global discourse, policies, and ethical guidelines related to traditional medicines and Indigenous knowledge. This work is crucial for ensuring that Indigenous perspectives are integrated into global health strategies. Furthermore, she is an active and engaged member of the WIPO Indigenous Caucus. In this capacity, Dr Alana Gall tirelessly advocates for the rights and interests of Indigenous Peoples in complex intellectual property matters concerning their traditional knowledge, cultural expressions, and genetic resources.