Christina Heris

Understanding what influences smoking initiation for young Aboriginal people and identifying opportunities for prevention

Christina Heris

Supervisors’ names: Prof Sandra Eades, Prof David Thomas, Dr Cath Chamberlain

Christina Heris is a PhD Candidate with the University of Melbourne Indigenous Epidemiology and Health unit and the Australian Prevention Partnership Centre researching influences on tobacco use among young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Using a multi-methods design in partnership with community organisations Christina is exploring smoking initiation; non-smoking experiences; and protective social, cultural and environmental factors against smoking uptake among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adolescents. The project includes data from the Study of Environment on Aboriginal Resilience and Child Health (SEARCH), ABS Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Surveys, the Australian Secondary Schools Alcohol and Drug Survey (ASSAD) and the Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children (LSIC), as well as qualitative work with Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services in NSW and VIC.

PhD scholarship title and funding body: Christina receives a PhD scholarship from the Australian Prevention Partnership Centre funded through the NHMRC partnership centre grant scheme (Grant ID: BNT9100001)