We are deeply saddened by the heartbreaking news that our colleague Dr Heather McCormack died suddenly and unexpectedly on Thursday 11 December. We join together with a large network of family, friends and colleagues across many communities and sectors who are mourning this devastating loss.
Heather, a Wiradjuri woman with family connections to central-west NSW, began her PhD at the Kirby Institute in 2020 and graduated in 2024. She was the first Aboriginal woman to earn a PhD at the Kirby Institute and was awarded a highly prestigious UNSW Scientia Fellowship that commenced in 2024.
Heather was a critical thinker who argued passionately for strengths-based research approaches to First Nations sexual health and advocated for boldly reconceptualising how we talk about and work within Aboriginal health. She was an imaginative and curious researcher with a deep understanding of health policy and a flair for identifying research gaps. Her research practice centred on health equity and peer-led research models, and she sought a diversity of collaborations fostering connections with community-based organisations, healthcare institutions and within academia.
She was actively leading or involved in a number of collaborative research projects, including:
- Collaboration with RPA Sexual Health to advocate for the inclusion of nonbinary people as a priority population in sexual health strategy.
- Leadership of an investigation into the experiences of women undergoing abortion as part of the Australian Study of Health and Relationships and sexual and reproductive health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
- Leadership of a national data analysis examining uptake of Sexually Transmissible Infections (STI) testing within the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Check (715) among young people attending general practice.
- Co-investigator on Check It Out, Check It Off (COCO)—an Aboriginal-led project focused on co-designing, implementing, and evaluating community-led models to optimise uptake of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Check (715) and embed STI testing, drawing on insights from her PhD research.
Her PhD research focused on integrating testing for STIs within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health checks among young people attending at Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations, a project conducted while maintaining joint roles as a researcher and position at the STI Programs Unit (STIPU) at NSW Health.
Those who knew Heather well describe her as exceptionally intelligent, determined, thoughtful, capable and possessing a unique ability to communicate complex ideas, a talent recognised through invitations to deliver plenary talks at national conferences. While only at the early stages of her research career, Heather made significant contributions to public health research and showed great promise as a future leader. She was also committed to mentoring and supporting the next generation of researchers.
The Kirby Institute extends our deepfelt condolences to all who are mourning Heather during this difficult time. Her premature death represents a profound loss to her family, friends, colleagues, and the broader research and health community. We extend our deepest sympathy to her husband Rhodri and her partner Angela, and all who are grieving her during this time of sorrow.
We will share information about Heather’s memorial in the near future.
If this news is distressing for you, support is available.
13YARN (13 92 76) - A 24-hour crisis support service specifically for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
Lifeline: call 13 11 14 or chat online.
University EAP Counselling service can be used by UNSW staff, students and their families. You can call them directly on 1300 687 327 or book online here: https://www.wellbeing.unsw.edu.au/eap