Janya comes from New Zealand but has lived in Cairns since 1995. She is a Senior Research Officer and Coordinator of the Empowerment Research Program, which aims to explore how the concepts of empowerment and control might contribute to a better understanding of the social determinants of Indigenous Australian health and wellbeing.
Janya has a Masters Degree in Public Health from Sydney University and many years experience working in the health promotion field. Her areas of interest/experience have included Indigenous health, alcohol and drugs, sexual health, and HIV prevention..