INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIAN HEALTH AND EAR DISEASE
Professor Kelvin Kong AM, Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Fellow Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgeon Worimi Nation, Australia &
School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Australia &
Honorary Professor, Macquarie University &
Adjunct Professor, University of NSW, Australia
RESEARCHER PROFILE
Filmed in Newcastle, NSW, Australia | October 2025
Professor Kelvin Kong feels incredibly fortunate to lead a fulfilling life surrounded by his loved ones. With a demonstrated history of service in the health industry, he brings a wealth of expertise across various sectors including clinical research, medical education, surgery, paediatrics, health policy, and Indigenous education. Kelvin started his university, residing at New College in 1992, which brings him fond memories. Graduating from medicine from the University of NSW, Kelvin continued his studies and became a fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) and Australian Society of Otolaryngology, head & neck Society (ASOHNS).
Based in Newcastle on Awabakal and Worimi Country, Kelvin specialises in Paediatric & Adult Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery. His practice encompasses a diverse range of adult and paediatric patients, with a particular interest in Paediatric Airway and Cochlear Implantation.
Beyond his clinical work, Kelvin is deeply committed to community service. His dedication to improving health outcomes extends to his role as a Professor at the University of Newcastle’s School of Medicine and Public Health, as well as his Honorary Professorships at Macquarie University and Associate Professorships UNSW. He established the Muku (Ear) Indigenous Ear Research program and strongly involved in many facets of research, particularly in relation to engaging community in research and creating career pathways. He is the senior examiner of the ORL Mini-court for RACS and member of the National Ear and Hearing Health Partnership Committee to highlight a few.
Hailing from the Worimi people of Port Stephens, NSW, Kelvin’s heritage informs his passion for health and education improvement initiatives. He remains grounded by the support of his family, who continue to inspire him in his efforts to give back to the community. Through his advocacy, research, and clinical practice, Kelvin strives to make a positive impact on the lives of others, guided by his commitment to equity and the well-being of all.
Source: Supplied
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8384-0149
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Developing upper limb motor biomarkers of dementia
Kaylee is currently a research fellow with the Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre at the University of Tasmania. She has recently submitted her PhD thesis, reporting the findings of her research on developing upper limb motor biomarkers of dementia. She has postgrad degrees in physiotherapy and experience working in the community and aged care across Tasmania for several years, where she worked with people with dementia.
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Investigating new approaches to target plaque inflammation in atherosclerosis
Associate Professor Peter Psaltis is an Academic Interventional Cardiologist who holds Level 2 NHMRC Career Development and National Heart Foundation Future Leader Fellowships. He has Faculty positions within the University of Adelaide, Central Adelaide Local Health Network (CALHN) and South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI). Within SAHMRI, he is the Co-Theme Leader of the Lifelong Health, Program Leader of Heart and Vascular Health and Co-director of the Vascular Research Centre in the Lifelong Health Theme.
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Relationship between mental illness and mental wellbeing
Since 2015, Dr Matthew Iasiello has been working on the development and dissemination of mental wellbeing interventions across the Australian community at the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI). His PhD research was designed specifically to strengthen the translational work conducted by SAHMRI, and to solve problems that represented gaps in the literature that were arising when delivering mental wellbeing interventions into the community. The impact and relevance of Dr Iasiello’s work has been demonstrated with invited presentations at international academic conferences, and multiple media stories with significant online engagements.
