iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Dr Heather McCormack @heathermccormack.bsky.social · 08/10/2025

My Diablo IV sorceress and I have similar public speaking styles (mysterious orb)

A screenshot of a sorceress in Diablo IV, wearing a cape with a floating red orb hovering above her right hand

Reposted by Dr Heather McCormack

Tomer Ullman @tomerullman.bsky.social · 24/09/2025

Dear Editor, Thank you for submitting your review request to Tomer Ullman. As you may know, we decline a substantial proportion of reviews requests without sending them out for further evaluation. After careful consideration, we regret to say we cannot offer to take on this review.

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Dr Heather McCormack @heathermccormack.bsky.social · 25/09/2025

📢 New publication alert! This came out last week while I was off in conference land. “Systemic challenges for meaningful partnerships in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and medical research grant applications: a critical reflection”, published in MJA www.mja.com.au/doi/10.5694/...

mja.com.au

Systemic challenges for meaningful partnerships in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and medical research grant applications: a critical reflection

Examination of an Australian government scheme to fund health and medical research targeted at Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people 

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Dr Heather McCormack @heathermccormack.bsky.social · 18/09/2025

That’s the end of the Joint Australasian HIV&AIDS and ASRH Conferences. For various reasons, it’s been a while since I attended a sexual health conference, and this was a great one to come back to. Lots of familiar faces and fascinating presentations. Looking forward to 2026! #HIVAIDS2025 #ASRH2025

Save the date banner for next year’s conference, to be held from 14th to 17th September in Melbourne

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Dr Heather McCormack @heathermccormack.bsky.social · 18/09/2025

Second keynote Stephanie Bond giving a sobering overview of congenital syphilis globally - the increase in the US over the last ten years is grim and some Pacific Island nations have among the highest rates in the world #ASRH2025

Graph showing a tenfold increase in congenital syphilis in the USA in the last ten years

Graph showing rising rates of syphilis in women of reproductive age in the UK

Heat map of Pacific Island countries with highest prevalence of syphilis in ANC

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Dr Heather McCormack @heathermccormack.bsky.social · 18/09/2025

Opening keynote of the final day of the conference Jade Le Grice opening with some insights into sex and sexuality education among Māori young people in Aotearoa. Storytelling, language and culture strongly foregrounded #ASRH2025

Mãori & Sexuality education: Pedagogy

• The growth of online media has seen understandings of relationships that reinforce Western social pressures
Relationships, sex, and sexuality are portrayed in ways that reinforce
sexism, racism, and heterosexism prevalent in our society
• Online contexts provide animportance site of intervention
• Creating accessible content informed by matauranga (Mãori knowledge) and tikanga Mãori (Mãori practices) provides young Mãori with a window into Mãori ways of knowing, being, and doing sexuality

Mãori & Sexuality Education: Discourse and Storytelling

Contemporary realities of Mäori youth are complex, shaped by the impacts of colonisation and intersecting vectors of oppression.
The marginalisation of Mãori ways of being, doing, and knowing opens a space for racialised understandings of
Mãori girls and boys to make sense of themselves, their choices, identities, pathways and futures.
education: . We share rangatahi prakau (stories) based on stories
shared by our research participants, alongside a set of
storytelling.
enquiry questions.
We make visible the challenges that young Mãori encounter, pathways to make sense of the social context that shapes them, and how they can overcome them.
• In context with the mätauranga (Mãori knowledge) we have shared, we want to support rangatahi to come back to who they are and shake off the conditioning

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Dr Heather McCormack @heathermccormack.bsky.social · 17/09/2025

Joanne Bryant opens session on strengths-based approaches in sexual and reproductive health research by summarising the main approaches identified in the literature to “strengths-based” work with marginalised young people #HIVAIDS2025 #ASRH2025

Joanne presenting in front of a slide that reads

Main approaches
Broadly characterised: "positive adaptation within the context of adversity"
(Alessi et al., 2020:11240)
Main language and concepts:
1. Resilience (n=19)
2. Protective factors (n=13)
3. Resilience and protective factors (n= 12)
4. Social capital (n=16)

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Dr Heather McCormack @heathermccormack.bsky.social · 17/09/2025

Nothing subtle about using this image to open a presentation on the global implications of funding cuts to HIV-related aid in the current political climate, but the data presented by Felicity Young from Health Equity Matters justifies the bold choice #HIVAIDS2025

A painting featuring the four horsemen of the Apocalypse from the Christian Bible’s Book of Revelation

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Dr Heather McCormack @heathermccormack.bsky.social · 17/09/2025

This jumped out at me from Jen Power’s presentation on intersections of HIV and migration and quality of life for Asian-born MSM living with HIV, drawn from HIV Futures. This theme of “belonging” appeared throughout the data, re: community but also care, reflecting importance of peers #HIVAIDS2025

Jen presenting in front of a slide that reads

NAVIGATING BELONGING
Experiences of racism and exclusion
"Culturaly it's very different how I grew up, so I guess even like after being In Australia for 7 years now I stil find it sometimes can be a fittle bit (ot a) struggle because of my race (-|I guess just because of my appearance it's very different than what Australian society looks Tke." - NSW, HIV
Resilience and empowerment through HIV experience
I think you know because the health care system that treated me well when I first diagnosed positive in Victoria, I was inspired to work in the heath care setting, that's why I've chosen to work in (heath field)"-Adam, VIC, 30s
Representation fosters belonging and safety
It's just the fact that when as a client if I go to a group, a peer group, a service, and I con see someone of my skin colour there, I know I will be safe. That is why having representation of the groups we're trying to reach In the work is so important." - NSW, community health promotion officer

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Dr Heather McCormack @heathermccormack.bsky.social · 16/09/2025

Huge honour to present the Bi+ Sexual Health and HIV Study today at the conference with some of our amazing investigator team. I’ve had such a great time with this piece of work and I can’t wait for us to really start digging into the data and writing up what we find #HIVAIDS2025 #ASRH2025

Bella, Steve, Heather, Ben, Daniel and Jen sitting along a panel-style table in front of an introductory slide with their names and the title of the session on it (Affiliate Organisation Session: BiSHH: Understanding sexual health and HIV needs and risks of Australian bi+ people)

Bella, Heather, Jen, Ben and Steve posing for a group photo. They are all wearing conference lanyards and Heather and Steve are both wearing bisexual flag colours

Heather speaking at the podium in front of her “conclusions” slide.

Conclusions
• Our sample of participants lived across all regions of Australia.
• Bi+ people have a wide range of gender and sexual identities.
• Fewer than half of participants were out to their healthcare professionals.
• Bi+ people experience adverse health outcomes compared to the general Australian population:
• Higher probable mental illness.
• Higher levels of recent drug use including injecting drug use.
• More likely to have ever experienced sexual violence and coercion.

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Dr Heather McCormack @heathermccormack.bsky.social · 15/09/2025

I’m at the Joint Australasian HIV&AIDS and ASRH Conferences on Kaurna country this week - currently listening to Lucy and Beth from ACON presenting on the fight to repeal “spitting laws” (mandatory testing) in NSW #HIVAIDS2025 #ASHR2025

Lucy presenting key points from the Ombudsman report

The Ombudsman report
The Act is mostly being used in cases where there is no real risk of a worker contracting a blood-borne disease
2. We saw no evidence that the Act is improving the health and wellbeing of workers
3. Protections for third parties are ineffective
4. The Act is disproportionately impacting Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander people
5. There are legal complications with testing by consent
6. Senior officers of agencies are ill-equipped to be making determinations about MTOs, and decision-making processes within the NSWPF seem particularly poor

Beth presenting a slide that says

This is a national issue
• MDT laws in: NSW, Vic, QLD, WA, NT, SA
• Laws differ in terms of:
o Penalties for non-compliance e.g. WA: up to $12,000 fine or 12 months' Imprisonment.
• Who can be tested, how are they safeguarded? e.g. SA: exposure likely, no appeal. o Police powers e.g. NT: detention 'as long as reasonably necessary'
• Decision-making authority
o Transparency: FOI?

Lucy presenting a slide that says

So what now?
• Statutory review commencing late September
• Public vs targeted consultation
• Advocate for repeal vs amendment

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Dr Heather McCormack @heathermccormack.bsky.social · 14/08/2025

Spent part of my dream last night explaining my PhD topic to someone who didn’t really get it, which i understand is something I can expect to happen in my dreams forever

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Dr Heather McCormack @heathermccormack.bsky.social · 15/07/2025

Today I messaged a colleague lamenting my tendency to overcommit to more things than I realistically have time to achieve and by the time he replied to my message I had accepted speaking invitations at two separate conferences

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Dr Heather McCormack @heathermccormack.bsky.social · 18/06/2025

Really love these graphic recordings from Dr Krista Stelkia and Anita Manshadi’s priority setting gathering on racism in healthcare with Indigenous health leaders in Canada. I’ve attended consultations that use this “note taking” method and it’s so much more engaging than boring old minutes #Lowitja

A graphic illustration mapping notes from the gathering. It is titled “Identifying priorities to address First Nations-specific racism in the BC health care system”

A graphic illustration mapping notes from the gathering. It is titled “Convening and collaborating: Action-oriented pathways to address First Nations-specific racism”

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Dr Heather McCormack @heathermccormack.bsky.social · 18/06/2025

Johnnell and Coreen Parker from Banjima Native Title Aboriginal Corporation speaking powerfully about the ongoing impacts of past asbestos mining on their traditional lands. The film Yurlu Country follows Coreen’s late father’s battle for justice #Lowitja

Johnnell and Coreen Parker speaking on a panel on the main stage at the Lowitja Conference

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Dr Heather McCormack @heathermccormack.bsky.social · 18/06/2025

Felicity Colls opening a panel on community calls to action on the rights to best practice ethical research - something aligned to some of my current work. She said communities want research and see its value, but don’t often see real consultation, capacity building or impact on the ground #Lowitja

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Dr Heather McCormack @heathermccormack.bsky.social · 18/06/2025

Second keynote Justin Mohamed speaking about the origins of the Lowitja Institute. Amazing to think how far the Institute has come and what those early pioneers with a big vision have achieved #Lowitja

Justin Mohamed speaking on the main stage of the Lowitja Conference

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Dr Heather McCormack @heathermccormack.bsky.social · 18/06/2025

Opening keynote Prof Sheryl Lightfoot speaking on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People. All people have a right to health and Indigenous people also have a right to collective health that cannot be divorced from self-determination and cultural obligations #Lowitja

Prof Lightfoot presenting on the main stage of the Lowitja Conference in front of a slide on the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People

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Dr Heather McCormack @heathermccormack.bsky.social · 17/06/2025

Shoutout to #Lowitja Conferebce for providing live captioning on plenary sessions - great to see events like this made as accessible as possible!

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Dr Heather McCormack @heathermccormack.bsky.social · 17/06/2025

Some real heavy hitters on the Racism and Health panel at #Lowitja Conference: Prof Linda Tuhiwai Smith, Dr Alicia Veasey and Prof Yin Paradies

Panel members seated on stage at the Lowitja Conference

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Dr Heather McCormack @heathermccormack.bsky.social · 17/06/2025

Looking forward to seeing what Dr Sarah Bourke and her team do with this new project on Indigenous identity and wellbeing in urban settings. They’ve just started work after an extensive consultation period (already a wonderfully common theme in the projects presented at #Lowitja conference)

Dr Bourke presenting at the Lowitja Conference. Her opening slide reads “Where we belong: Connecting Indigenous identity and wellbeing in the city”

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Dr Heather McCormack @heathermccormack.bsky.social · 16/06/2025

I hate to be one of those #academicsky users who only posts here when I’m attending a conference or have a publication coming out buuuut I’m attending the #Lowitja conference in Adelaide this week and there’s a solid chance it will be amazing and I’ll want to tell you about it

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Dr Heather McCormack @heathermccormack.bsky.social · 07/02/2025

In the four weeks since coming back from leave, I’ve picked up three exciting new projects for the year. Now if I just don’t make eye contact with the size of my upcoming workload I should be able to sustain this momentum through the next few months

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Dr Heather McCormack @heathermccormack.bsky.social · 05/02/2025

God I love academic social skills. I just walked into the work kitchen and a professor looked at me and went “I was like you when I came in yesterday. So sweaty!” 🙃

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Dr Heather McCormack @heathermccormack.bsky.social · 03/12/2024

The @thorneharbour.bsky.social team invited me onto the Well, Well, Well podcast to speak on some recent research on sexual healthcare and young LGBTQ+ Aboriginal people. It’s my first piece of media since joining the Kirby. Check it out and let me know what you think! joy.org.au/wellwellwell...

joy.org.au

Val's LGBTI Ageing and Aged Care and Sexual Healthcare for Young LGBTIQ Aboriginal People

October is time for the Victorian Seniors Festival. Rachel Cook and Peter Waples-Crowe chat to Pauline Crameri from Val’s LGBTI Ageing and Aged Care about what events they have coming... LEARN MORE

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Dr Heather McCormack @heathermccormack.bsky.social · 20/11/2024

So many new followers! Greetings, all. I’m currently taking a little break due to illness (and sadly missing the Tackling Stigma conference tomorrow) but will try to be a bit more active in the coming weeks

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Dr Heather McCormack @heathermccormack.bsky.social · 07/11/2024

I was delighted to catch up with two of my old work buddies from my Hepatitis NSW days at the #ECAustralia hepatitis C forum today. Both still doing amazing work!

A tall blonde woman and a tall man with a beard stand on either side of Heather, who is usually also tall but in this specific instance looks unusually short by comparison

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Dr Heather McCormack @heathermccormack.bsky.social · 30/09/2024

My previous role at the NSW STI Programs Unit has been advertised! It’s a great opportunity for someone passionate about improving the sexual health of NSW Aboriginal communities and includes leading Take Blaktion, which was an absolute career highlight for me iworkfor.nsw.gov.au/job/senior-p...

iworkfor.nsw.gov.au

Find your next role in the public sector I Work for NSW

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Dr Heather McCormack @heathermccormack.bsky.social · 12/09/2024

Very much looking forward to the IUSTI and HIV conferences next week. I have two presentations planned, the first co-presented with the delightful Kevin Dong from Western Sydney LHD on a HIV testing campaign for Mandarin-speaking and Arabic-speaking heterosexual men who have sex with men

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Dr Heather McCormack @heathermccormack.bsky.social · 21/08/2024

It’s fancy hat day! Feels a little anticlimactic to be graduating three months after my PhD was formally awarded and six months into my first academic appointment, but I’m still very much looking forward to the ceremony

Heather wearing graduation robes, holding her PhD bonnet on a jaunty angle

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Dr Heather McCormack @heathermccormack.bsky.social · 25/07/2024

“Professionalism is just white supremacy by another name” - Dr Jennifer Lincoln 👏👏👏 This session (Beyond Silence: Integrating sex into HIV and STI dialogues) has made me say “YESSS” out loud several times #AIDS2024

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Dr Heather McCormack @heathermccormack.bsky.social · 25/07/2024

Surprised and delighted to be named a finalist for Charles Sturt University Alumni of the Year in two separate categories! Thanks to the CSU team and my fellow alumni for your contributions to my ongoing adventures

A tile featuring an image of Heather, who has pink streaks in her hair and is wearing a mustard top and pink and blue glasses. The tile announces that she is a finalise in the 2024 Charles Sturt University Alumni of the Year in the categories First Nations Excellence and Research Excellence

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Dr Heather McCormack @heathermccormack.bsky.social · 24/07/2024

I can’t stop thinking about the modelling discussed by Chris Beyrer of the Duke Global Health Institute yesterday at #AIDS2024 that found violence against street based sex workers in London dropped from 75% to 22% when both homelessness and police harassment were controlled for

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Dr Heather McCormack @heathermccormack.bsky.social · 23/07/2024

“We don’t only want medicines available. We want medicines accessible in an equitable and universal way” - Veriano Terto Jr of the Brazilian Interdisciplinary AIDS Association #AIDS2024

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Dr Heather McCormack @heathermccormack.bsky.social · 23/07/2024

Sobering to hear about the ongoing access issues to COVID vaccines in low and middle income countries while those of us in rich countries enjoy significantly decreased hospitalisation and death rates compared to the height of the pandemic #AIDS2024

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Dr Heather McCormack @heathermccormack.bsky.social · 23/07/2024

I’m “attending” (virtually) the #AIDS2024 conference in Munich this week and I was privileged to watch a very moving, very human speech by Marc Franke, the “Düsseldorf patient”, in yesterday’s program

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Dr Heather McCormack @heathermccormack.bsky.social · 23/06/2024

I don’t share a lot about my personal life on this account, but I’ve just published this fun little piece in The Guardian’s “The Moment I Knew” series about falling in love with my spouse and I really enjoyed writing it www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...

theguardian.com

The moment I knew: in his hospital bed, he ripped off his oxygen mask and said he loved me

Heather McCormack was trying to play it cool with Rhodri. Then, 24 hours in a hospital waiting room showed her life was too short

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Dr Heather McCormack @heathermccormack.bsky.social · 15/06/2024

I’ve been working on this really lovely little piece of qualitative analysis the last couple of months and I finally submitted it for publication yesterday

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Dr Heather McCormack @heathermccormack.bsky.social · 15/05/2024

Opened my thesis to a random page (my thesis that has been professionally edited, marked, revised, resubmitted, passed, uploaded to the library and sent to the printer) and immediately saw a spelling error 🫠

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Dr Heather McCormack @heathermccormack.bsky.social · 27/04/2024

Pleased to have had an abstract on research unrelated to my PhD accepted to the IUSTI conference in September! Looking forward to presenting something on a new topic

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Dr Heather McCormack @heathermccormack.bsky.social · 27/04/2024

Made a slight adjustment to my user name…

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Dr Heather McCormack @heathermccormack.bsky.social · 22/04/2024

This is one of the most exciting emails I’ve ever received in my life

Dear Heather,
CONGRATULATIONS! I’m happy to inform you that the Faculty has approved your revisions and recommended that you be awarded the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.

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Dr Heather McCormack @heathermccormack.bsky.social · 18/04/2024

The speakers on the #ochreconvocation24 HDR and ECR panel are all exceptional, high achieving researchers, but it’s really noteworthy that none of them followed a traditional pathway to academia - not atypical for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander academics!

A panel of five Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in front of a screen that reads “Panel: HDRs and ECRs”

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Dr Heather McCormack @heathermccormack.bsky.social · 18/04/2024

I’m at the #ochreconvocation24, currently listening to international keynote speaker Prof Malcolm King speaking on strengthening Indigenous health research capacity in Canada. As always, noting the similarities in our colonial histories in these calls to action for reconciliation in health

Program booklet for the 2024 OCHRe Convocation

Reconciliation Considerations - Health
C2A 18
Acknowledge that current state of Aboriginal health in Canada is a direct results of previous Canadian government policies, including residential schools
C2A 19
Set measurable targets and work collaboratively to achieve them with clear reporting. This should be an ethical obligation
C2A 22
Recognise the value of Aboriginal healing practices and use them in the treatment of Aboriginal patients in collaboration with Aboriginal healers and elders

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Dr Heather McCormack @heathermccormack.bsky.social · 17/04/2024

A former colleague contacted me yesterday to ask if I could help with a training session on hepatitis C. I’m unfortunately not available, but she did tell me that she still uses an editorial I wrote for the Guardian way back in 2015 for these sessions. What a lovely bit of feedback!

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Dr Heather McCormack @heathermccormack.bsky.social · 11/04/2024

Just had someone have to leave a Zoom meeting because their building was being evacuated, which is a first for me! (Hope everything is OK, of course)

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