Renee Blackman - Challenging the Status Quo: Research Partnerships that Fit Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs)

Seminar Overview

This seminar explores how ACCHOs have challenged traditional research governance models by insisting on partnerships that align with community-controlled principles. 

It highlights the limitations of conventional approaches and calls out the lack of cultural safety and genuine collaboration. 

The session will share strategies for co-design, shared governance, and ethical research practices that resonate positively. Participants will gain insight into ACCHOs—why they exist, revisit frameworks such as NHMRC and AIATSIS guidelines, and hear real-world case studies showcasing successes and lessons learned. 

The aim is to encourage academia to build equitable, culturally grounded partnerships that prioritise community benefit and uphold self-determination.

Speaker

Renee Blackman is a proud Gubbi Gubbi (Kabi Kabi), Ganaglu, Western Kangalu woman who also recognizes her cultural ties to Vanuatu and Mare Island in New Caledonia.

Renee’s career in health began in the early 1990s as an Aboriginal Health Worker in Brisbane. After earning her Bachelor of Nursing from Australian Catholic University in 2000, she has served as a Registered Nurse across both urban and remote communities, bringing decades of frontline experience to her leadership.

Renee is a passionate advocate for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community controlled health sector and has worked in this sector for the past 15 years. She is also strongly committed to achieving health equity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. This drives her focus on improving outcomes, eliminating racial bias in healthcare, and fostering strong, collaborative decision-making.

Renee has over 30 years of experience in health care and service delivery, having held operational, management, and executive leadership roles across primary health care, community health, and acute care settings.

In 2011, Renee joined the Institute of Urban Indigenous Health, playing a key role in establishing Moreton ATSICHS. In 2016, she became the inaugural Director of Health Services at ATSICHS Brisbane and now serves as Chief Executive Officer. Renee is also an Adjunct Professor for the POCHE Centre for Indigenous Health, University of Qld.