Focusing on contributing to a positive future for the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people has been the Murnong Mob’s remit since it was established in 2019 as a safe space to deliver a cohesive work package on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander food policy. More recently, they are exploring how commercial factors influence First Nations Peoples’ health and wellbeing.
The Murnong Mob’s work forms one of 13 themes of research activity for the Global Centre for Preventive Health and Nutrition (GLOBE) within the Institute for Health Transformation, and has grown to include seven staff members and four PhD students, including its co-founders Dr Jennifer Browne and Troy Walker, a proud Yorta Yorta man.
Troy — whose daily life is spread across Indigenous health research, hands-on chiropractic work and facilitating health and wellbeing for his family’s business — said the Murnong Mob’s “strength” lay in the breadth of the skills, ages and life experiences of the team.
“I think we are pretty unique in Aboriginal health research; we come from a widespread skillset and bring a lot of unique experiences and perspectives from our relative domains of knowledge,” he said from Yorta Yorta Country (Echuca/Moama) this week, the land on which he was raised and lives.
“We are all really connected but all bring our own opinions and reflections to conversations we have. We are also willing to tackle and grapple with very contentious issues in Indigenous health…to yarn about topics that can be a bit uncomfortable.”
Pictured right: Deakin University Murnong Health Research Mob co-founder Troy Walker presents at the 2025 Lowitja Institute International Indigenous Health and Wellbeing Conference on Kaurna Country (Adelaide, SA) in June on research being undertaken as part of the ‘ACHIEVE’ project.
Pictured left: Deakin University Murnong Health Research Mob members Dr Nic Lister (left) and PhD candidate Fiona Mitchell at the 2025 Lowitja Institute International Indigenous Health and Wellbeing Conference on Kaurna Country (Adelaide, SA) in June.
Troy’s sentiments were echoed by fellow Murnong Mob member and PhD candidate Fiona Mitchell, a Mununjali woman who now lives in northern Queensland.
“We are a very tight-knit group, and I think our strength is how we work together and support each other, along with the fact that we know and understand Aboriginal perspectives. By being part of Community, no matter what topic we choose, we keep Mob central and that is something we will always do — that’s just part of who we are.”
Troy added: “And we always consult Community to see what their priorities are and continue to build upon and form relationships with peak Aboriginal services across Australia.”
This approach has guided the Murnong Mob’s current major research focus, a five-year National Health and Medical Research Council-funded project called ‘ACHIEVE’, which stands for ‘Addressing Commercial Health-determinants Indigenous Empowerment and Voices for Equity’.
ACHIEVE aims to produce an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led policy agenda to prevent the negative impacts, and enhance the potential positive impacts, of the commercial sector on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health. One focus of ACHIEVE is on how advertising and promotion of commercial products and activities affect Aboriginal health.
A component of this is the #DigitalMob study which is now underway nationally. This study uses an AI-powered system to measure how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people across Australia are exposed to unhealthy online advertising, including junk food, alcohol, gambling and vapes. The study aims to provide insights to inform policies to protect Mob from unhealthy advertising.
The project was recently showcased through a poster that was selected for the recent Lowitja Institute International Indigenous Health and Wellbeing Conference in Adelaide, which attracted a global audience committed to sharing knowledge for the health and wellbeing of Indigenous peoples and communities from around the world.
Troy and Fiona were also both chosen to be part of the conference line-up, with Troy presenting on his ACHIEVE-related research on the influence of the pharmaceutical and pharmacy industry on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and self-determination, while Fiona presented on one of her PhD studies about strengthening infant nutrition and active play during the first 1000 days of life.
Troy and Fiona said they were “proud” of the great work being produced by the Murnong Health Research Mob and the opportunity NAIDOC Week provided to celebrate its worth.
“There’s a lot of work still to be done but we have a lot to proud of,” Troy said.
Read more about the Murnong Health Research Mob
Find out more about #DigitalMob and express your interest in the study
Find out more about the Murnong Health Research Mob’s past projects:
- ‘ADAPT’: (Aboriginal Data and Action on Prevention Together)
- ‘FoodPATH’: Food Policies for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health
Top image: Artwork created for the ACHIEVE project is proudly displayed at the projects’ 2024 end-of-year celebration at Deakin Downtown.
