Professor Christy Newman

Christy Newman (they/them) is Professor at the UNSW Centre for Social Research in Health as well as Acting Deputy Dean and Associate Dean Engagement and Impact for UNSW Arts, Design and Architecture. 

Christy is a qualitative social researcher of health, sexuality, and gender, with a background in sociology, communications and cultural studies. They have worked in partnership with communities, governments, and clinical services for almost two decades to understand the social dimensions of bloodborne viruses, sexual and reproductive health, as well as queer, trans and intersex health and rights more broadly, including their intersections with the related fields of mental health, Aboriginal health, harm reduction, disability, cancer prevention, violence prevention, adolescent health, family wellbeing, and gender and sexuality studies. They have authored 135 peer reviewed publications, and received 26 research grants totaling $6.9 million, including from the Australian Research Council, National Health and Medical Research Council, and state and federal health departments.

Christy is a queer/bi+ and non-binary person, and use the pronouns they/them. They aim to integrate their research expertise and lived experience in their contributions to public discussions of diverse genders, sexualities, relationships and families. Recent examples include an SBS Insight episode on multi-gender attraction, a Centre for Ideas digital conversation on gender, faith and family with author/broadcaster Daniel M. Lavery, podcast interviews on trust in digital health among people of diverse genders and sexualities and those affected by HIV and viral hepatitis, and a video project aiming to increase the visibility of trans and gender diverse students and staff in UNSW Arts, Design and Architecture. They are regularly consulted for their research expertise and advice on inclusive health, education and research practices, including as an inaugural member of the LGBTQIA+ Health Australia Research Network Steering Committee and NSW Health LGBTQ+ Health Strategy Implementation Committee.

In their role as Associate Dean, Christy leads initiatives to enhance the capacity and visibility of ADA researchers to work in consultation and partnership with external organisations and communities ('research engagement') and to achieve positive and sustained change through those relationships and collaborations ('research impacts'). They have a passion for promoting the distinctive and compelling 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 past projects include: 

• Sustaining sexual and reproductive health through COVID-19 pandemic restrictions
• 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
• 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
• HIV general practice workforce project
• Cultural politics of health magazine reader letters
• Industries, genres and citizenships in dance music magazines