Georgina Sutherland

Georgina Sutherland is an Associate Professor in the Centre for Health Equity within the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, part of the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences at the University of Melbourne. She holds the position of Principal Research Fellow and serves as Deputy Head of the Disability and Health Unit. Sutherland possesses a PhD and a Bachelor of Applied Science with Honours (BAppSc Hons). Her research centers on the complex interplay between gender, disability, and violence. Key areas include the nature and extent of violence, abuse, neglect, and exploitation experienced by people with disabilities in Australia; prevention of family violence for women with disabilities; building frameworks for young people with disabilities who use violence at home; and interventions for migrant and refugee men who perpetrate domestic, family, and sexual violence.

Sutherland's academic career demonstrates a progression from early work in cancer communication and education to focused expertise in public health inequities. Notable early publications encompass the evaluation of a cancer education program's impact on people with intellectual disabilities (Journal of Cancer Education, 2008) and the development of a brief peer-led communication skills training program for cancer clinicians (Asia-Pacific Journal of Clinical Oncology, 2007). She has also contributed to studies on breastfeeding practices among young women and health literacy in male-dominated occupations. More recent scholarly outputs include a systematic review of interventions for the primary prevention of violence against women with disability (Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 2023), an integrative review on interventions for migrant and refugee men using violence (2024), and an article advocating for general practitioners' role in preventing intimate partner violence (Medical Journal of Australia, 2025). Sutherland co-authored ANROWS reports such as 'Toward a socio-ecological understanding of adolescent violence in the home by young people with disability: a conceptual review.' Her work extends to policy-relevant topics like applying a gender lens to COVID-19 university responses, the context of suicides by older men, and prioritizing mental health for young people with disabilities transitioning from out-of-home care. Through these contributions, she influences evidence-based approaches to violence prevention and health equity for marginalized groups.

Professional Email: georgina.sutherland@unimelb.edu.au