Dr Aletha Ward is a Senior Research Fellow at the UQ Poche Centre for Indigenous Health at the University of Queensland. A highly respected Registered Nurse, academic, and policy leader, she has extensive experience in climate health policy and health equity. Her work focuses on advancing health outcomes through research, advocacy, and policy reform, particularly in addressing the health impacts of climate change for Indigenous communities.
Dr Ward is currently leading research in climate adaptation within primary healthcare, with a focus on nurse-led interventions for heat vulnerability mapping in regional Queensland. Her research is guided by a commitment to self-determination and community-led approaches, ensuring that community voices shape policy and practice. Aletha has been instrumental in embedding planetary health principles within national nursing curriculum.
Dr Ward holds several national leadership roles, including Chair of the Climate and Health Faculty at the Australian College of Nursing, Board Director for the Climate and Health Alliance, and Climate and Health representative for the Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association. She has served as an expert witness at Senate inquiries, presented at the World Health Organization, and is widely recognised for her contributions to public health policy in climate and health, both nationally and internationally.