Pat Dudgeon
Pat Dudgeon (born 13 March 1959) is an Aboriginal Australian psychologist, Fellow of the Australian Psychological Society and a research professor at the University of Western Australia's (UWA) School of Indigenous Studies. Her area of research includes Indigenous social and emotional wellbeing and suicide prevention. She is actively involved with the Aboriginal community, having an ongoing commitment to social justice for Indigenous people. Dudgeon has participated in numerous state and national committees, councils, task groups and community service activities in both a voluntary and professional capacity. Career. Dudgeon studied at the Western Australian Institute of Technology, Curtin  University and Murdoch University, graduating with BAppSc, GDip (Psych) and Doctor of Philosophy (Psychology). Dudgeon has been a prominent and influential member of the psychology profession since graduating in 1985 as Australia's first Indigenous psychologist. She was the first Indigenous convenor of the Australian Psychological Society (APS) Interest Group on Aboriginal Issues, People and Psychology, and the founding Chair of the Australian Indigenous Psychologists Association and remains a committee member. Before joining the University of Western Australia in 2007, Dudgeon was the Head of the Centre for Aboriginal Studies at Curtin University for 19 years, leading the field in  providing culturally appropriate education. Since 2007 she has been a Research Professor in the School of Indigenous Studies at UWA and the Director of the Centre of Best Practice in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention at the Poche Centre for Indigenous Health at UWA. She is Lead Chief Investigator of a Million Minds Grant, Transforming Indigenous Mental Health and Wellbeing. During her career, Dudgeon has taken prominent leadership roles in national and state groups such as the National Mental Health Commission, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Leadership Group for the state and national Mental Health Commissions in  Australia, is co-chair of the National Ministerial Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Advisory Group to the PM&C and Department of Health, and is a member of the Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) National Advisory Group which was formed in 2020.