Kootsy (Justin) Canuto

I am passionate about improving the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. With a diverse career across education and training, and within the public service, I have acquired many transferable skills including developing high level management, interpersonal and communication experience. I possess extensive capabilities in liaising with individuals from a wide variety of professional and cultural backgrounds and am now demonstrating these skills as a research academic in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health.

Overtime I have developed and maintained meaningful relationships and have built an extensive network of colleagues across industries, such as law, research, fisheries, education and politics throughout the country. I am able to utilise this network to seek guidance and support whilst navigating my academic and personal ambitions and to inform and provide advice to others when required.

My postgraduate studies have enabled me to develop research skills, and as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Wardliparingga, I am working across a number of Aboriginal Health Research projects providing an Indigenous male lens to research involving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men as well as collaborating with fellow researchers in qualitative data collection and analysis.

I am also the lead researcher on a Lowitja Institute funded research project in collaboration with the Aboriginal Health Council of South Australia entitled Strong Dads, Strong Futures which provides a platform for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander males to voice their perceptions, expectations, and aspirations of successful nurturing, parenting and caring for children. I currently review for the Australian & New Zealand Journal of Public Health and International Journal for Equity in Health and also mentor (Informal) two Ph.D. candidates (University of South Australia & University of Adelaide) and one Master of Epidemiology (Australian National University) student.