Personal profile
Research interests
My areas of interest and expertise spans 4 decades in education and indigenous knowledges. I have consistently demonstrated a commitment to advancing Indigenous self‑determination through research, teaching, and leadership. My Mirrwana and Wurrkama philosophy, first published in 2005, provides a framework for embedding Indigenous knowledges into higher education and has been applied across undergraduate and postgraduate programs at Charles Darwin University since 2001. I completed my PhD in Education in 2006 and currently hold a full‑time Professorial Research Fellow position at the Northern Institute, Faculty of Arts and Society, CDU. My career has been marked by leadership in multidisciplinary projects spanning education, health, ethnomusicology, sciences, and Indigenous knowledges, including successful completion of major Category 1 grants (ARC, NHMRC, MRFF, FRDC).
My research outputs include more than 90 publications, comprising peer‑reviewed journal articles, conference papers, books, and book chapters, alongside numerous invited keynotes. These works highlight my interdisciplinary expertise. My research have been published in leading Q1 journals such as Australian Journal of Education, Sleep Medicine, Lancet Planetary Health, and reports with the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. I have over 400 citations indexed in Google Scholar, with an h‑index of 10 and i10‑index of 11, demonstrating increasing recognition of my research. Additionally, collaborations with colleagues across CDU, external universities, NGOs, and Indigenous communities locally, nationally, and internationally have further strengthened the impact and reach of my work.
My Mirrwana and Wurrkama philosophy has influenced policy and practice by shifting paradigms in place‑based, cross‑cultural education and research. I have designed and implemented teaching and learning frameworks that integrate Indigenous knowledges into curriculum development and delivery, while also contributing to broader policy discussions. My technical expertise includes coding, archival research methods, and repository development, complemented by strong capabilities in theoretical modelling and qualitative analysis. These skills, combined with my cultural leadership and expertise, continue to advance Indigenous knowledge systems within higher education and beyond.
Education/Academic qualification
Doctor of Philosophy - Education, Deakin University
Award Date: 25 Oct 2006
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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SDG 1 No Poverty -
SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being -
SDG 4 Quality Education -
SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy -
SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth -
SDG 9 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure -
SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities -
SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities -
SDG 13 Climate Action -
SDG 14 Life Below Water -
SDG 15 Life on Land
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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20-018 Indigenous Cultural Competency Research
Woodroffe, T. (Principal Investigator/Chief Investigator A), Worthington, S. (Project Manager), Ford, L. (Co Investigator/Chief Investigator B), Judd, B. (Co Investigator/Chief Investigator B), Lowell, A. (Co Investigator/Chief Investigator B) & Williams, G. (Co Investigator/Chief Investigator B)
1/01/20 → 30/06/20
Project: Research
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2019 Rainmaker Readiness - A Pilot Study for Engineering Education & Profession in Learning and Teaching pathways for Indigenous women at CDU.
Ford, L. (Principal Investigator/Chief Investigator A), Woodroffe, T. (Co Investigator/Chief Investigator B), Ticoalu, A. (Chief Investigator C), Guthadjaka, K. (Chief Investigator D), Ford, E. (Chief Investigator D), Baker, C. (Chief Investigator E) & Yuhun, P. (Chief Investigator F)
4/11/19 → 30/04/21
Project: Research
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2019 Rainmaker Readiness - Developing a research-based tool for assisting teachers to meet the Indigenous-specific Australian Professional Standards for Teachers 1.4 and 2.4.
Woodroffe, T. (Principal Investigator/Chief Investigator A), Ford, L. (Co Investigator/Chief Investigator B), Worthington, S. (Project Manager) & Yuhun, P. (Associate Investigator)
2/12/19 → 30/04/21
Project: Research
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2021 IAS Rainmaker startup: Indigenous Led Sea Country Management
Gould, J. (Principal Investigator/Chief Investigator A), Christie, M. (Co Investigator/Chief Investigator B), Spencer, M. (Chief Investigator D), Ford, L. (Chief Investigator E), Groom, R. (Chief Investigator C) & Bow, C. (Chief Investigator F)
1/02/21 → 31/01/22
Project: Research
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2021 Rainmaker Start-up: Application of AR (Augmented Reality) and VR (Virtual Reality) techniques in construction training in remote communities
Rajabipour, A. (Principal Investigator/Chief Investigator A), Kutay, C. (Co Investigator/Chief Investigator B), Ford, L. (Chief Investigator C), De Boer, F. (Chief Investigator D), Fudge, M. (Chief Investigator E), Russell, J. (Business Manager), Gallagher, C. (Co Investigator/Chief Investigator B) & Hromek, M. (Co Investigator/Chief Investigator B)
6/08/21 → 31/12/22
Project: Research
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2022 HEPPP Establishing a pathway from Secondary School VETDSS to a Bachelor of Education at CDU for First Nations students.
Woodroffe, T. (Principal Investigator/Chief Investigator A), Ford, L. (Co Investigator/Chief Investigator B) & Funk, J. L. (Co Investigator/Chief Investigator B)
1/01/22 → 10/12/23
Project: Research
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2022 HEPPP Indigenous Cross-Cultural Higher Education Engagement – CDU/BIITE’s collaborative HEPPP mapping project
Ford, L. (Principal Investigator/Chief Investigator A), Ober, R. (Co Investigator/Chief Investigator B), Ticoalu, A. (Co Investigator/Chief Investigator B), Guthadjaka, K. (Chief Investigator C), Baker, C. (Associate Investigator), McKenzie, P. (Chief Investigator D), Woodroffe, T. (Chief Investigator E), Karacsonyi, D. (Chief Investigator F) & Fischer, P. (Chief Investigator G)
1/02/22 → 31/12/24
Project: Research
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Assessing Lung Health Disparities in Aboriginal Australians: Inter-Community Variation in Spirometry Pattern Among Adult Aboriginal People in Rural and Remote Australia
Perez, A. J., Howarth, T., Ford, P. L., Lindsay, M., Saad, H. B. & Heraganahally, S., Feb 2026, Assessing Lung Health Disparities in Aboriginal Australians: Inter-Community Variation in Spirometry Pattern Among Adult Aboriginal People in Rural and Remote Australia. Heraganahally, S. (ed.). Brazilian Journal of Internal MedicineResearch output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review
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Exploring adaptive capacity to arid heat in remote First Nations communities in Central Australia
Bhatta, M., Baliva, G., Pascoe, S., Talukder, M. R., Baghbanian, V., Russell, D., Ford, P. L., Cass, A., Wakerman, J. & Mathew, S., Feb 2026, In: Scientific Reports. 16, 1, p. 1-37 37 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
Advancing Bronchiectasis Care in Adult Indigenous People – An Australian Rural and Remote Perspective
Heraganahally, S. S., Howarth, T., Chen, W., Ford, P. L., Lee, A. L., Jayaram, L., Burr, L., Markey, P. & Barry, S., Oct 2025, In: Current Pulmonology Reports. 14, 1, p. 1-18 18 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Country, family and performance traditions: Global challenges and local responses from Kurrindju and the Garfagnana
Ford, P. L. & Barwick, L., Dec 2025, In: the world of music (new series). 14, 2, p. 1-37 37 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Special issue › peer-review
Open AccessFile1 Downloads (Pure) -
Ecomusicology, performance and environmental crises: Nurturing human relationships with the environment
Curran, G., Turpin, M. & Ford, P. L., 18 Dec 2025, In: the world of music (new series). 14, 2, p. 1-18 18 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Special issue › peer-review
Open AccessFile1 Downloads (Pure) -
Effectiveness of a locally developed cultural responsiveness tool for Australian teachers.
Woodroffe, T., Yuhun, P., Ford, P. L. & Worthington, S., Jun 2025, In: International Journal of Educational Research Open. 8, p. 1-8 8 p., 100404.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile166 Downloads (Pure) -
Indigenous bronchiectasis assessment scale – the ‘IBAS’: a proposed new tool to assess bronchiectasis severity in adult Indigenous Australians
Howarth, T., Sorger, L., Saad, H. B., Ford, P. L. & Heraganahally, S. S., Oct 2025, In: Internal Medicine Journal. 55, 10, p. 1701-1711 11 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile1 Link opens in a new tab Citation (Scopus)16 Downloads (Pure)
Press/Media
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Charles Darwin University: New Book Highlights How Unique First Nations Knowledge Integrates Into Engineering Education
Ford, P. L., Kutay, C. & Bolt, R.
4/11/22
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Research
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In a world out of balance, connection to Country can restore equilibrium – but we need to act now
10/12/24
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Research
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Women leading change: October Business Month event
6/10/21
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Research
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Author Thomas Mayor to present 2020 Eric Johnston Lecture
11/11/20
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Research
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Author Thomas Mayor to present the 2020 Eric Johnston Lecture 11 November 2020
12/11/20
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Research
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Education Engagement Strategy now open for discussion
Wallace, R., Ford, P. L. & Boffa, J.
25/05/21
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Research
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A year on, how is the National Health and Climate Strategy progressing?
5/12/24
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Research
Activities
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Acknowledgement of Larrakia Country to the 10th Top End Respiratory Meeting
Ford, L. (Speaker)
2024Activity: Talk or presentation › Invited talk
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Welcome to the Country
Ford, L. (Speaker)
11 Dec 2024Activity: Talk or presentation › Oral presentation
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Ngura Ninti (‘Knowing Home’) project (External organisation)
Ellinghaus, K. (Chair), Judd, B. (Member), Broome , R. (Member) & Ford, L. (Member)
2024Activity: Membership › Membership of committee
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Special Issue in 'the world of music (new series)': Ecomusicology in Indigenous Australia and Aotearoa (New Zealand) (Journal)
Curran, G. (Editor), Turpin, M. (Editor) & Ford, L. (Editor)
2024Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work › Editorial work
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Eco-musicology and performance 1 (panel presentation)
Ford, L. (Plenary speaker)
13 Jul 2023 → 19 Jul 2023Activity: Talk or presentation › Invited talk
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Ways to Share Your Research Story and Impact ? Better lives, better your career!
Ford, L. (Participant)
13 Sept 2023Activity: Participating in or organising an event › Participating in a conference, workshop, ...