A centralised email helpline during COVID-19, to access a panel of selected experts to respond to questions or provide advice to community sector agencies in Western Sydney. The panel includes experts from university, health and business partner agencies; and across priorities such as service options and strategies, health and wellbeing, business operations, and human resources and workforce management.
The Q & A Portal is a partnership between
Expert Panel Members
Do you have a question that needs answering, to help you get through during COVID-19? Ask one of our experts below and you will receive a response within 48 hours or sooner.
Dr Stephen Conaty, Director Population Health, South Western Sydney Local Health District
Dr Stephen Conaty is a medical doctor with specialist qualifications in public health. After hospital training in Sydney he joined the NSW Health Public Health Officer training program. From 1999 to 2007 he worked in the UK in both the NHS and academia including the Public Health Laboratory Service, University College London, and Islington Primary Care Trust. After returning to Australia he worked as Director of the South Western Sydney Area Health Service Public Health Unit, Medical Adviser in the Environmental Health Branch of Health Protection NSW, and Director of the Public Health Unit and Director of Population Health in South Western Sydney. He has BA, MBBS and MPH degrees from the University of Sydney, is a fellow of the Australasian Faculty of Public Health Medicine and is a Member of the Faculty of Public Health (UK). Communicable diseases, immunisation, and influences of the environment (heat, noise, built form) on health are his strong interests.
Dr Hannah Dahlen AM – Professor of Midwifery | Associate Dean Research and HDR | Midwifery Discipline Lead, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Western Sydney University
Dr Hannah Dahlen is the Professor of Midwifery, Discipline Leader of Midwifery and Associate Dean (Research and Higher Degree Research) in the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Western Sydney University. She has been a midwife for 30 years and still practices. Hannah has over 200 published journal articles and book chapters and has strong national and international research partnerships. She has received 20 grants since 2000, including being a Chief Investigator on three National Health and Medical Research Centre (NHMRC) grants and an Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage grant. She has spoken at over 100 national and international conferences in the past 5 years and given invited keynote addresses at most of these. In 2019 Hannah was awarded a Member (AM) of the Order of Australia (General Division) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list for her significant services to midwifery, nursing and medical education and research. In November 2012 Hannah was named in the Sydney Morning Herald’s list of 100 “people who change our city for the better” and named as one of the leading “science and knowledge thinkers” for 2012. In March 2020 Hannah wrote a Conversation article on Pregnancy and birth during the COVID-19 era.
Dr Anna Denejkina – Lecturer, Graduate Research School, Western Sydney University
Dr Anna Denejkina is an early career researcher, and lecturer in the Graduate Research School. Her research focuses on intergenerational trauma transmission from parents to children, and multigenerational legacies of trauma. Dr Denejkina specifically focuses on military families, and she is interested in military family wellbeing, including the wellbeing of children in military families.
Associate Professor Gabrielle Drake, School of Social Sciences, Western Sydney University
Dr Gabrielle Drake is Associate Professor of Social Work in the School of Social Sciences at Western Sydney University. Gabrielle is a recognised expert in the areas of mental health and disability; child protection and well-being; homelessness and housing pathways; and inclusive and emancipatory research. Gabrielle has more than twenty years practice experience across a variety of roles and settings including direct practice, community and public sector management, policy and oversight.
Ms Kirsten Forrester – CEO, Accounting For Good
Ms Kirsten Forrester has 30 years’ experience in finance and administration, including senior roles in the human services sector in NSW, with responsibility for finances, governance, human resources and industrial relations. She is an experienced voluntary director and treasurer and is passionate about for-purpose organisations having a clear understanding of their finances to inform management and governance decisions. Accounting For Good provides outsourced financial management services to non-profit and social enterprise organisations, from transactional bookkeeping through to CFO level strategic support and advice.
Dr Karleen Gribble – Adjunct Associate Professor, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Western Sydney University
Dr Karleen Gribble is an Adjunct Associate Professor in the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Western Sydney University. Karleen has been involved in policy development and training in the area of infants in emergencies since 2006 and is a world-leading expert and researcher in this area. She has provided advice to UN organisations, health professionals, emergency responders and government bodies internationally and in Australia on the needs of infants in emergencies, including in the current COVID-19 crisis and is undertaking research on the emergency response to infants.
Ms Angela Haynes – Head of Restructuring Services, KPMG Greater Western Sydney
Ms Angela Haynes specialises in critical business planning, restructuring options and turnaround advisory for corporates, SME’s and not for profit organisations. Prior to 15 years of Big 4 experience, Angela led the start-up of a now national transport company and has held interim C-suite roles. She is a Chartered Accountant and has a Bachelor of Commerce from Western Sydney University. Her post-graduate qualifications include corporate governance, risk management, restructuring and turnaround. Angela has lectured in applied finance at Macquarie University and served on Government, not for profit and private company boards. She is currently the President of Cumberland Business Chamber.
Mr Michael Mekhitarian – Director, ATB Partners
Mr Michael Mekhitarian is a highly experienced certified practising accountant (CPA), he sits on the board of several companies and is the president of the Parramatta Chamber of Commerce. Michael, Jim and Paul are the directors of the Parramatta based accounting firm ATB Partners, which was founded over 20 years ago. The successful firm is well known for its highly sought after tax consultants, financial advisors and business mentors. ATB Partners specialises in providing advice to clients in retail, wholesale, manufacturing, professional services, franchise and construction amongst others.
Dr Justine O’Sullivan – Lecturer & Academic Course Advisor Bachelors of Social Work & Community Welfare, Western Sydney University
Dr Justine O’Sullivan is a lecturer at Western Sydney University in the Social Work and Community team in School of Social Sciences. She has a major focus on bringing together local organisations and future human services workers who are current students. Justine can provide advice on human services and social work, and can provide assistance in building networks between organisations and current students/future workforce, whether through research initiatives or direct engagement. She can also provide advice to workers in the sector who wish to gain a tertiary qualification. Justine is available as a mentor and networker, particularly for WSU social work and community welfare graduates and is always happy to be “in your corner”.
Dr Emma Power – Senior Lecturer in Geography and Urban Studies, School of Social Sciences/ Institute for Culture and Society, Western Sydney University
Dr Emma Power’s research advocates for cities that are just and caring. She is a housing researcher who works with low income communities across Western Sydney. Recent research examines: the experiences of people in the private rental and social housing sectors and at risk of homelessness; how low-income households make ends meet; care within families, households and communities. Recent work has focused on the housing experiences of single older women at risk of homelessness, and the needs of households that include companion animals. Emma has worked with community housing providers, social and animal welfare organisations across Sydney.
Dr Arianne Reis – Senior Lecturer, School of Health Sciences and Translational Health Research Institute (THRI), Western Sydney University
Dr Arianne Reis is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Health Sciences at Western Sydney University. Her current research focuses on the ways leisure, including sport and physical activity, can promote healthy living and social justice. Dr Reis is particularly interested in the mental health and wellbeing of disadvantaged populations and how leisure, or lack thereof, can impact on them.
Dr Kathy Tannous – Senior Lecturer, Economics, Finance and Property, School of Business. Senior Research Fellow, Translational Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University
Dr Kathy Tannous has expertise in health economics, and data analytics particularly in the context of administrative and linked health system data. She has over 70 publications and has developed a track record in measuring the economic impact of major incidents and diseases. She lectures a final year unit in Economics and Finance that has involved her students examining the economic impact of the CoVID-19 on different businesses and industries in Australia since late February. To this end, she has been writing a regular blog on the impact of the virus and Australian and state governments’ responses here.
Dr Danielle Tracey – Associate Professor | Educational and Developmental Psychology, Disability Studies, Evaluation Research Theme Champion – Education and Work, School of Education, Translational Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University
Dr Danielle Tracey is an Associate Professor in the School of Education. Her research focuses on three primary areas: Disability Studies, Educational and Developmental Psychology and Evaluation. As an Educational and Developmental Psychologist her career objective is to understand and bolster the physical, social and emotional wellbeing of disadvantaged children, young people and adults with a particular focus on those with disabilities. She has substantial experience working as a program manager and psychologist in the community-based disability sector for 15 years prior to moving into academia.
Dr Omar Mubin – Senior Lecturer in Human Computer Interaction, Western Sydney University
Dr Omar Mubin is a senior lecturer in Human Computer Interaction at the School of Computing, Engineering and Mathematics at Western Sydney University, Australia. Dr Mubin’s primary research interests are human robot interaction, human-agent interaction and in general the intertwining of humans and technology across a range of contexts and scenarios.
Professor Nicky Morrison – Professor Of Planning, Geography And Urban Studies, Western Sydney University
Professor Nicky Morrison is a land use planner and housing researcher who champions the need for more affordable housing to be built in our cities. She is working closely with the Community Housing Industry Association (CHIA NSW) and local CHPs in Western Sydney to support tenants and advocate for more government investment in the sector. She is passionate about listening to local communities’ needs, encouraging genuine public engagement in our planning system, and building strong, resilient communities. In her capacity as an academic leader, she is pushing for the planned growth in Western Sydney to truly benefit everyone and that no one is left behind.
