Dr Kate Anderson
Honorary Fellow
Honorary Associate Professor
School of Public Health
Researcher biography
Dr Kate Anderson is a researcher based on the Sunshine Coast who has worked as an ally in collaboration with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander researchers and communities for more than 15 years across the areas of cancer, kidney disease and wellbeing. Her current program of research at FNCWR is focused on understanding and measuring the wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across the lifespan.
Kate has extensive qualitative research skills and experience, with >50 peer-reviewed journal publications, 22 in the past five years alone. She is currently a Chief/Associate Investigator on grants totalling over $14 million, including:
- What Matters to Kids (WM2Kids) Study: https://public-health.uq.edu.au/project/what-matters-2-kids
- Co-design in Health with First Nations Peoples: https://public-health.uq.edu.au/project/co-design-health-first-nations-peoples
- Supporting the health and wellbeing of Indigenous youth in out-of-home care: https://public-health.uq.edu.au/project/health-wellbeing-indigenous-youth-out-home-care Understanding the contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and wellbeing to health: Implementation of the What Matters 2 Adults Wellbeing Measure: https://public-health.uq.edu.au/project/implementing-what-matters-2-adults
- What Matters to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Youths' Wellbeing: Developing a wellbeing measure for youth (WM2Y Project): https://public-health.uq.edu.au/project/what-matters-2-youth
- Yarning About Cultural Safety (YACS): https://public-health.uq.edu.au/project/yarning-about-cultural-safety-yacs
Book Chapters
Butler, Tamara, Anderson, Kate, Elder-Robinson, Elaina, Ngampromwongse, Khwanruethai, Garvey, Darren and Garvey, Gail (2024). Indigenous research methods and methodology. Indigenous and tribal peoples and cancer. (pp. 295-300) edited by Gail Garvey. Cham, Switzerland: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-56806-0_62
Anderson, Kate, Butler, Tamara, Gall, Alana, Elder-Robinson, Elaina and Garvey, Gail (2024). Co-design with Indigenous peoples. Indigenous and Tribal Peoples and Cancer. (pp. 305-309) edited by Gail Garvey. Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-56806-0_64
Smith, Ben, Anderson, Kate, Lebel, Sophie, Wu, Verena S., Butler, Tamara and Garvey, Gail (2024). Fear of cancer recurrence among indigenous and tribal people. Indigenous and Tribal Peoples and Cancer. (pp. 227-231) edited by Gail Garvey. Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-56806-0_47
Journal Articles
Butler, Tamara L., Morseu-Diop, Ami, Brotherton, Julia M.L., Peart, Leticia, Jayasekara, Inosha, Peart, Amelia, Ninomiya, Maya Morton, Anderson, Kate, Cunningham, Joan, Garvey, Gail, Jaure, Allison and Whop, Lisa J. (2025). An evaluation of Human Papillomavirus vaccination resources available to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adolescents and parents and caregivers in Australia. Patient Education and Counseling, 137 108820, 1-9. doi: 10.1016/j.pec.2025.108820
Anderson, Kate, Garvey, Darren, Howard, Kirsten, Butler, Tamara, Dickson, Michelle, Cunningham, Joan, Bainbridge, Roxanne and Garvey, Gail (2025). Understanding wellbeing from the perspectives of First Nations Australian youth: Findings from a national qualitative study. SSM - Mental Health, 7 100423, 100423-7. doi: 10.1016/j.ssmmh.2025.100423
Garvey, Darren, Carter, Ken, Anderson, Kate, Gall, Alana, Howard, Kirsten, Venables, Jemma, Healy, Karen, Bill, Lea, Letendre, Angeline, Dickson, Michelle and Garvey, Gail (2024). Understanding the wellbeing needs of First Nations children in out-of-home care in Australia: a comprehensive literature review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 21 (9) 1208, 1-19. doi: 10.3390/ijerph21091208
Howard, K., Garvey, G., Anderson, K., Dickson, M., Viney, R., Ratcliffe, J., Howell, M., Gall, A., Cunningham, J., Whop, L.J., Cass, A., Jaure, A. and Mulhern, B. (2024). Development of the What Matters 2 Adults (WM2A) wellbeing measure for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults. Social Science and Medicine, 347 116694, 1-12. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.116694
Garvey, Gail, Howard, Kirsten, Garvey, Darren, Dickson, Michelle, Howell, M., Butler, Tamara L., Cadet-James, Yvonne, Cunningham, Joan, Bainbridge, Roxanne, McGorry, Patrick, Williamson, A. and Anderson, Kate Mallory (2024). What Matters to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Youth (WM2Y): a study protocol to develop a national youth well-being measure. BMJ Open, 14 (3) e076119, 1-7. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-076119
Anderson, Kate, Elder-Robinson, Elaina, Ferguson, Megan, Fredericks, Bronwyn, Sherriff, Simone, Dickson, Michelle, Howard, Kirsten and Garvey, Gail (2024). Pathways between foodways and wellbeing for First Nations Australians. BMC Public Health, 24 (1) 502, 1-15. doi: 10.1186/s12889-024-18005-y
Gall, Alana, Howard, Kirsten, Anderson, Kate, Diaz, Abbey and Garvey, Gail (2023). The suitability and acceptability of the think-aloud method to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 22 16094069231182007. doi: 10.1177/16094069231182007
Caron, Nadine R., Adam, Wilf, Anderson, Kate, Boswell, Brooke T., Chongo, Meck, Deineko, Viktor, Dick, Alexanne, Hall, Shannon E., Hatcher, Jessica T., Howard, Patricia, Hunt, Megan, Linn, Kevin and O’Neill, Ashling (2023). Partnering with First Nations in northern British Columbia Canada to reduce inequity in access to genomic research. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20 (10) 5783, 1-31. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20105783
Bullen, Jonathan, Hill-Wall, Trish, Anderson, Kate, Brown, Alex, Bracknell, Clint, Newnham, Elizabeth A., Garvey, Gail and Waters, Lea (2023). From Deficit to Strength-Based Aboriginal Health Research—Moving toward Flourishing. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20 (7) 5395, 1-20. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20075395
Butler, Tamara, Smith, Ben, Pilatti, Kirsten, Brown, Bena, Anderson, Kate, Morris, Bronwyn and Garvey, Gail (2023). Fear of cancer recurrence among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women diagnosed with breast cancer. Current Oncology, 30 (3), 2900-2915. doi: 10.3390/curroncol30030222
Anderson, Kate, Elder-Robinson, Elaina, Howard, Kirsten and Garvey, Gail (2023). A systematic methods review of photovoice research with Indigenous young people. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 22 9231172076, 1-37. doi: 10.1177/16094069231172076
Anderson, Kate, Gall, Alana, Butler, Tamara, Ngampromwongse, Khwanruethai, Hector, Debra, Turnbull, Scott, Lucas, Kerri, Nehill, Caroline, Boltong, Anna, Keefe, Dorothy and Garvey, Gail (2022). Development of key principles and best practices for co-design in health with First Nations Australians. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20 (1) 147, 1-19. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20010147
Butler, Tamara, Gall, Alana, Garvey, Gail, Ngampromwongse, Khwanruethai, Hector, Debra, Turnbull, Scott, Lucas, Kerri, Nehill, Caroline, Boltong, Anna, Keefe, Dorothy and Anderson, Kate (2022). A comprehensive review of optimal approaches to co-design in health with First Nations Australians. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19 (23) 16166, 1-38. doi: 10.3390/ijerph192316166
Anderson, Kate, Elder-Robinson, Elaina, Gall, Alana, Ngampromwongse, Khwanruethai, Connolly, Michele, Letendre, Angeline, Willing, Esther, Akuhata-Huntington, Zaine, Howard, Kirsten, Dickson, Michelle and Garvey, Gail (2022). Aspects of wellbeing for Indigenous youth in CANZUS countries: a systematic review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19 (20) 13688, 1-44. doi: 10.3390/ijerph192013688
Butler, Tamara L., Lee, Natasha, Anderson, Kate, Brotherton, Julia M. L., Cunningham, Joan, Condon, John R., Garvey, Gail, Tong, Allison, Moore, Suzanne P., Maher, Clare M., Mein, Jacqueline K., Warren, Eloise F. and Whop, Lisa J. (2022). Under-screened Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women’s perspectives on cervical screening. PLoS One, 17 (8) e0271658, 1-16. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0271658
Gall, Alana, Diaz, Abbey, Garvey, Gail, Anderson, Kate, Lindsay, Daniel and Howard, Kirsten (2022). Self-reported wellbeing and health-related quality of life of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people pre and post the first wave of the COVID-19 2020 pandemic. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 46 (2), 170-176. doi: 10.1111/1753-6405.13199
Whop, Lisa J., Butler, Tamara L., Lee, Natasha, Cunningham, Joan, Garvey, Gail, Anderson, Kate, Condon, John R., Tong, Allison, Moore, Suzanne, Maher, Clare M., Mein, Jacqueline K., Warren, Eloise F. and Brotherton, Julia M.L. (2022). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women's views of cervical screening by self-collection: a qualitative study. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 46 (2), 161-169. doi: 10.1111/1753-6405.13201
Anderson, Kate, Gall, Alana, Butler, Tamara, Arley, Brian, Howard, Kirsten, Cass, Alan and Garvey, Gail (2021). Using web conferencing to engage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people in research: a feasibility study. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 21 (1) 172, 172. doi: 10.1186/s12874-021-01366-y
Green, Monica, Cunningham, Joan, Anderson, Kate, Griffiths, Kalinda and Garvey, Gail (2021). Measuring health care experiences that matter to Indigenous people in Australia with cancer: identifying critical gaps in existing tools. International Journal for Equity in Health, 20 (1) 100. doi: 10.1186/s12939-021-01433-2
Gall, A., Diaz, A., Garvey, G., Anderson, K., Lindsay, D. and Howard, K. (2021). An exploration of the sociodemographic and health conditions associated with self-rated wellbeing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults. BMC Research Notes, 14 (1) 386, 1-8. doi: 10.1186/s13104-021-05794-3
Green, Monica, Cunningham, Joan, Anderson, Kate, Griffiths, Kalinda and Garvey, Gail (2021). Measuring cancer care experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia: trial of a new approach that privileges patient voices. Patient Experience Journal, 8 (2), 43-57. doi: 10.35680/2372-0247.1585
Garvey, Gail, Anderson, Kate, Gall, Alana, Butler, Tamara L., Whop, Lisa J., Arley, Brian, Cunningham, Joan, Dickson, Michelle, Cass, Alan, Ratcliffe, Julie, Tong, Allison and Howard, Kirsten (2021). The fabric of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander wellbeing: a conceptual model. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18 (15) 7745, 1-12. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18157745
Whop, Lisa J., Butler, Tamara L., Brotherton, Julia M. L., Anderson, Kate, Cunningham, Joan, Tong, Allison and Garvey, Gail (2021). Study protocol: Yarning about HPV Vaccination: a qualitative study of factors influencing HPV vaccination among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adolescents in Australia. BMJ Open, 11 (8) e047890, 1-9. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-047890
Bell, Lorraine, Anderson, Kate, Girgis, Afaf, Aoun, Samar, Cunningham, Joan, Wakefield, Claire E., Shahid, Shaouli, Ben Smith, Allan, Diaz, Abbey, Lindsay, Daniel, Masa, Adam and Garvey, Gail (2021). "We have to be strong ourselves": exploring the support needs of informal carers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with cancer. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18 (14) 7281, 1-16. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18147281
Garvey, Gail, Anderson, Kate, Gall, Alana, Butler, Tamara L., Cunningham, Joan, Whop, Lisa J., Dickson, Michelle, Ratcliffe, Julie, Cass, Alan, Tong, Allison, Arley, Brian and Howard, Kirsten (2021). What Matters 2 Adults (WM2Adults): understanding the foundations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander wellbeing. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18 (12) 6193, 1-21. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18126193
Gall, Alana, Anderson, Kate, Howard, Kirsten, Diaz, Abbey, King, Alexandra, Willing, Esther, Connolly, Michele, Lindsay, Daniel and Garvey, Gail (2021). Wellbeing of Indigenous peoples in Canada, Aotearoa (New Zealand) and the United States: a systematic review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18 (11) 5832, 1-31. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18115832
Anderson, Kate, Smith, Allan ‘Ben', Diaz, Abbey, Shaw, Joanne, Butow, Phyllis, Sharpe, Louise, Girgis, Afaf, Lebel, Sophie, Dhillon, Haryana, Burhansstipanov, Linda, Tighe, Boden and Garvey, Gail (2021). A Systematic Review of Fear of Cancer Recurrence Among Indigenous and Minority Peoples. Frontiers in Psychology, 12 621850, 621850. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.621850
Jaenke, Rachael, Butler, Tamara L., Condon, John, Garvey, Gail, Brotherton, Julia M. L., Cunningham, Joan, Anderson, Kate, Tong, Allison, Moore, Suzanne P. and Whop, Lisa J. (2021). Health care provider perspectives on cervical screening for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women: a qualitative study. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 45 (2), 150-157. doi: 10.1111/1753-6405.13084
Anderson, Kate, Diaz, Abbey, Parikh, Darshit Rajeshkumar and Garvey, Gail (2021). Accessibility of cancer treatment services for Indigenous Australians in the Northern Territory: perspectives of patients and care providers. BMC Health Services Research, 21 (1) 95, 95. doi: 10.1186/s12913-021-06066-3
Howard, Kirsten, Anderson, Kate, Cunningham, Joan, Cass, Alan, Ratcliffe, Julie, Whop, Lisa J., Dickson, Michelle, Viney, Rosalie, Mulhern, Brendan, Tong, Allison and Garvey, Gail (2020). What Matters 2 Adults: a study protocol to develop a new preference-based wellbeing measure with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults (WM2Adults). BMC Public Health, 20 (1) 1739. doi: 10.1186/s12889-020-09821-z
Masa, Adam J., Martinez-Bredeck, Helena, Butler, Tamara L., Anderson, Kate, Girgis, Afaf, Aoun, Samar M., Cunningham, Joan, Wakefield, Claire E., Shahid, Shaouli, Smith, Allan B. and Garvey, Gail (2020). The experiences of caregivers of Indigenous cancer survivors in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States: a systematic review. Journal of Psychosocial Oncology Research & Practice, 2 (4) e040, 1-12. doi: 10.1097/or9.0000000000000040
Butler, Tamara L., Anderson, Kate, Condon, John R., Garvey, Gail, Brotherton, Julia M. L., Cunningham, Joan, Tong, Allison, Moore, Suzanne P., Maher, Clare M., Mein, Jacqueline K., Warren, Eloise F. and Whop, Lisa J. (2020). Indigenous Australian women's experiences of participation in cervical screening. PloS One, 15 (6) e0234536, 1-18. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0234536
Garvey, Gail, Cunningham, Joan, Mayer, Carole, Letendre, Angeline, Shaw, Joanne, Anderson, Kate and Kelly, Brian (2020). Psychosocial aspects of delivering cancer care to indigenous people: An overview. Journal of Global Oncology, 2020 (6), 148-154. doi: 10.1200/JGO.19.00130
Gall, A., Anderson, K., Adams, J., Matthews, V. and Garvey, G. (2019). An exploration of healthcare providers' experiences and perspectives of Traditional and complementary medicine usage and disclosure by Indigenous cancer patients. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 19 (1) 259, 259. doi: 10.1186/s12906-019-2665-7
Marcusson-Rababi, Beverley, Anderson, Kate, Whop, Lisa J., Butler, Tamara, Whitson, Nicole and Garvey, Gail (2019). Does gynaecological cancer care meet the needs of Indigenous Australian women? Qualitative interviews with patients and care providers. BMC Health Services Research, 19 (1) 606, 606. doi: 10.1186/s12913-019-4455-9
Gall, A., Anderson, K., Diaz, A., Matthews, V., Adams, J., Taylor, T. and Garvey, G. (2019). Exploring traditional and complementary medicine use by Indigenous Australian women undergoing gynaecological cancer investigations. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 36, 88-93. doi: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2019.06.005
Butler, Tamara L., Anderson, Kate, Garvey, Gail, Cunningham, Joan, Ratcliffe, Julie, Tong, Allison, Whop, Lisa J., Cass, Alan, Dickson, Michelle and Howard, Kirsten (2019). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People's domains of wellbeing: a comprehensive literature review. Social Science and Medicine, 233, 138-157. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2019.06.004
Green, Monica, Anderson, Kate, Griffiths, Kalinda, Garvey, Gail and Cunningham, Joan (2018). Understanding Indigenous Australians' experiences of cancer care: Stakeholders' views on what to measure and how to measure it. BMC Health Services Research, 18 (1) 982. doi: 10.1186/s12913-018-3780-8
Gall, Alana, Leske, Stuart, Adams, Jon, Matthews, Veronica, Anderson, Kate, Lawler, Sheleigh and Garvey, Gail (2018). Traditional and Complementary Medicine Use Among Indigenous Cancer Patients in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States: A Systematic Review. Integrative Cancer Therapies, 17 (3), 568-581. doi: 10.1177/1534735418775821
Brands, Jenny, Garvey, Gail, Anderson, Kate, Cunningham, Joan, Chynoweth, Jennifer, Wallington, Isabella, Morris, Bronwyn, Knott, Vikki, Webster, Samantha, Kinsella, Lauren, Condon, John and Zorbas, Helen (2018). Development of a national aboriginal and torres strait islander cancer framework: A shared process to guide effective policy and practice. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15 (5) 942, 1-16. doi: 10.3390/ijerph15050942
Devitt, Jeannie, Anderson, Kate, Cunningham, Joan, Preece, Cilla, Snelling, Paul and Cass, Alan (2017). Difficult conversations: Australian Indigenous patients' views on kidney transplantation. BMC Nephrology, 18 (1) 310. doi: 10.1186/s12882-017-0726-z
Morris, Bronwyn A., Anderson, Kate, Cunningham, Joan and Garvey, Gail (2017). Identifying research priorities to improve cancer control for Indigenous Australians. Public Health Research and Practice, 27 (4) e2741735. doi: 10.17061/phrp2741735
Anderson, Kate, Cunningham, Joan, Devitt, Jeannie and Cass, Alan (2013). The IMPAKT study: using qualitative research to explore the impact of end-stage kidney disease and its treatments on aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. Kidney International Supplements, 3 (2), 223-226. doi: 10.1038/kisup.2013.19
Anderson, Kate, Cunningham, Joan, Devitt, Jeannie, Preece, Cilla and Cass, Alan (2012). “Looking back to my family”: Indigenous Australian patients’ experience of hemodialysis. BMC Nephrology, 13 (1) 114. doi: 10.1186/1471-2369-13-114
Anderson, Kate, Devitt, Jeannie, Cunningham, Joan, Preece, Cilla, Jardine, Meg and Cass, Alan (2012). If you can't comply with dialysis, how do you expect me to trust you with transplantation? Australian nephrologists' views on indigenous Australians' 'non-compliance' and their suitability for kidney transplantation. International Journal for Equity in Health, 11 (1) 21. doi: 10.1186/1475-9276-11-21
Morton, Rachael L., Devitt, Jeannie, Howard, Kirsten, Anderson, Kate, Snelling, Paul and Cass, Alan (2010). Patient views about treatment of stage 5 CKD: a qualitative analysis of semistructured interviews. American Journal of Kidney Diseases, 55 (3), 431-440. doi: 10.1053/j.ajkd.2009.11.011
Anderson, Kate, Yeates, Karen, Cunningham, Joan, Devitt, Jeannie and Cass, Alan (2009). They really want to go back home, they hate it here: the importance of place in Canadian health professionals' views on the barriers facing Aboriginal patients accessing kidney transplants. Health and Place, 15 (1), 390-393. doi: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2008.03.002
Anderson, Kate, Devitt, Jeannie, Cunningham, Joan, Preece, Cilla and Cass, Alan (2008). "All they said was my kidneys were dead": Indigenous Australian patients' understanding of their chronic kidney disease. Medical Journal of Australia, 189 (9), 499-503. doi: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2008.tb02144.x
Devitt, Jeannie, Cass, Alan, Cunningham, Joan, Preece, Cilla, Anderson, Kate and Snelling, Paul (2008). Study Protocol - Improving Access to Kidney Transplants (IMPAKT): A detailed account of a qualitative study investigating barriers to transplant for Australian Indigenous people with end-stage kidney disease. BMC Health Services Research, 8 31. doi: 10.1186/1472-6963-8-31
Cass, Alan, Cunningham, Joan, Anderson, Kate, Snelling, Paul, Colman, Sam, Devitt, Jeannie, Preece, Cilla and Eris, Josette (2007). Decision-making about suitability for kidney transplantation: results of a national survey of Australian nephrologists. Nephrology, 12 (3), 299-304. doi: 10.1111/j.1440-1797.2007.00784.x
Anderson, Kate, Cass, Alan, Cunningham, Joan, Snelling, Paul, Devitt, Jeannie and Preece, Cilla (2007). The use of psychosocial criteria in Australian patient selection guidelines for kidney transplantation. Social Science & Medicine, 64 (10), 2107-2114. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2007.02.012
Cunningham, Joan, Cass, Alan, Anderson, Kate, Snelling, Paul, Devitt, Jeannie, Preece, Cilla and Eris, Josette (2006). Australian nephrologists' attitudes towards living kidney donation. Nephrology, Dialysis, Transplantation, 21 (5), 1178-1183. doi: 10.1093/ndt/gfl029
Anderson, Kate, Rieger, Elizabeth and Caterson, Ian (2006). A comparison of maladaptive schemata in treatment-seeking obese adults and normal-weight control subjects. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 60 (3), 245-252. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2005.08.002
Conference Paper
Cass, Alan, Devitt, Jeannie, Preece, Cilla, Cunningham, Joan, Anderson, Kate, Snelling, Paul, Eris, Josette and Ayanian, John (2004). Barriers to access by Indigenous Australians to kidney transplantation: The IMPAKT study. National Indigenous Dialysis and Transplant Symposium, Richmond, VIC, Australia: Wiley-Blackwell. doi: 10.1111/j.1440-1797.2004.00352.x