Heidi Smith-Vaughan

Associate Professor Heidi Smith-Vaughan is a microbiologist leading multidisciplinary lab teams engaged in antibiotic and vaccine trials, and exploratory science to understand the biology underlying chronic ear and respiratory disease. She also leads HealthLAB, a hands-on health education program that travels around the Northern Territory and allows members of the public to measure their own health markers, which informs a healthy lifestyle check-up. For people of all ages, this initiative is improving lifestyle behaviours and dispelling health myths by giving them the power to measure and assess their own health. Heidi also passionately works to ‘grow our own’ women scientists and leaders. To achieve this, she develops and promotes school ambassador programs, gap-year traineeships, and other initiatives that create pathways for Indigenous youth in regional and remote regions to pursue tertiary education. She also works with scientists in the Asia-Pacific region to become independent researchers running their own programs. Heidi has seen first-hand how the success of a young person can positively impact their entire community. Heidi is also a 2019-2020 Superstar of STEM, and interim Associate Director for Research at Menzies School of Health Research.