(L to R) Stephanie C. Rainie, MPH and Christina Ore de Boehm, MPH

Doctoral students from the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health at the University of Arizona have been invited to present their research at the 2012 International Network of Indigenous Health Knowledge and Development (INIHKD) Conference in Australia this month.

The biennial conference provides an opportunity for public health professionals working with indigenous populations in the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand to network and identify commonalities and differences related to sovereignty, resilience, identity and health.

Christina Oré de Boehm, MPH (DrPH Student, Public Health Policy & Management) and Stephanie C. Rainie, MPH (DrPH Student, Maternal & Child Health) will share the innovative indigenous health research being conducted at the Zuckerman College of Public Health with Native community partners in Arizona and nationally.

“Abstract acceptance to this conference is competitive given the biennial and international nature of the event, says Nicolette Teufel-Shone, PhD, associate professor of Family and Child Health. A mentor and advisor to the students, Dr. Teufel-Shone will also present her research at the conference.

Boehm says the conference fulfills a real need. “There is a need for indigenous scholars in the U.S. and globally at the doctoral level. And there are not a lot of opportunities to be in one place together as a community of practice.”

The conference will be held at the University of Queensland (St Lucia Campus) in Brisbane Australia Sept. 24-28. Funding for the group was provided by the following sources: The Dean’s Circle of Excellence, the Office of Research and the Center of Excellence in Women's Health at the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, Native Nations Institute for Leadership, Management, and Policy at the UA, and the Graduate and Professional Student Council at the UA.

The INIHKD is an international assembly dedicated to improving the lives of Indigenous peoples globally through Indigenous and community-led research, health services and workforce development.

Topics and Presenters

Christina Oré de Boehm, MPH
Growing resilience: Developing an urban American Indian family based health promotion program

Stephanie C. Rainie, MPH
Self-Determination and American Indian Health Care: The Shift to Tribal Control

Nicolette Teufel-Shone, PhD, Associate Professor, Family and Child Health
Tracking the Impact of a Health Education Radio Program in an American Indian Community