Professor Christy Newman

Professor Christy E. Newman (they/them) is a social researcher of health, gender and sexuality at the Centre for Social Research in Health and Associate Dean Engagement and Impact in UNSW Arts, Design and Architecture. 

With a background in sociology, communications, and cultural studies, they have worked in partnership with community, government and health industry partners for two decades to understand the social dimensions of bloodborne viruses, sexual and reproductive health, as well as queer, trans, and intersex health, rights, and inclusion. They have authored 146 peer reviewed publications, and received 26 research grants totaling AUD$6.9 million from the Australian Research Council, National Health and Medical Research Council, as well as public sector and for-purpose health agencies. This research has also made contributions to the intersecting fields of mental health, Aboriginal health, harm reduction, disability, cancer prevention, violence prevention, youth and family wellbeing, aged care, and gender and sexuality studies.

Christy is a queer/bi+ and non-binary person who integrates lived experience and research expertise in contributing to public discussions on diverse genders, sexualities, relationships, and families. Examples include a video project on trans and gender diverse students and staff in UNSW Arts, Design and Architecture, an SBS Insight episode on multi-gender attraction, a Centre for Ideas digital conversation on gender, faith and family with Daniel M. Lavery, and a Sydney Mardi Gras public lecture on queer families. 

In their role as Associate Dean, Christy leads initiatives to enhance the capacity and visibility of UNSW Arts, Design and Architecture researchers to partner with public, private and for-purpose sector organisations on collaborative projects aiming to achieve positive and sustained change. They have a passion for promoting the distinctive contributions of the arts, humanities, and social sciences, and facilitating multidisciplinary collaborations across and beyond the university. Visit Creating Impact on the ADA website to learn more.

Selected current projects include:

• UNSW Community of Practice for inclusive research with Queer, Trans and Intersex people (CoPQTI)
• Routledge Handbook of Sexuality, Gender, Health and Rights (forthcoming: Dec 2023)
• Elgar Encyclopaedia of Queer Studies (forthcoming: 2024)
• ARC Discovery Project: The sociology of health data for sexuality and gender diverse people 
• ARC Linkage Project: When caring ends: Understanding and supporting informal care trajectories
• Dynamic Gender Project
• NHMRC Partnerships Project: Enhancing behavioural surveillance to address gaps and disparities in Australia's HIV response in a changing epidemic
• BiSHH: Bi+ Sexual Health and HIV Survey
• Responding to monkeypox virus among gay and bisexual men in Australia (RE:MPXV)
• Dementia Australia Research Foundation Grant: Co-designing training and engagement resources to help community visitors to make and maintain social connections with LGBT+ people with dementia
• Aust Govt Dept of Health: Vax4Health (HPV vaccination in special schools)
• WWBA Small Grant: Beyond women's health: Bringing gender inclusion into gynaecological research

Selected past projects include: 

• Waiting to be seen: social perspectives on trans health
• my health, our family: documenting stories of family life in the context of HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C
• Trust in digital health among communities affected by BBVs and STIs in Australia
• Sustaining sexual and reproductive health through COVID-19 pandemic restrictions
• Trans inclusive cervical cancer screening
• Queer generations: belonging and citizenship among gender and sexual minority youth
• What we do well: strengths based research about Aboriginal young people's sexual wellbeing
• Positively women: project and exhibition
• Understanding disparities in PrEP access
• StraightMSM study: heterosexually-identified men who have sex with men
• You, Me and HIV: serodiscordant couple's study
• Managing HIV in general practice settings
• Primary health care project on HIV and depression
• Cultural politics of health magazine reader letters
• Industries, genres and citizenships in dance music magazines