Dr Esther Alloun

As an applied social researcher, I use qualitative methods to support health services in developing evidence-based action to tackle health inequalities. I also conduct research to evaluate the impact of implementation.

I work as a Health Equity Research Associate in the Health Equity Research and Development Unit (HERDU), a partnership between the Centre for Primary Health Care and Equity at UNSW and the Sydney Local Health District. My research and teaching focuses on health equity, social determinants, barriers and enablers to health and wellbeing, and access to health care. I work collaboratively with health services and communities to explain causes of health inequities and develop evidence of effective actions to prevent and reduce inequities in health. As part of this work, I use a critical lens and my training in human geography to explore issues of power, inequalities, and belonging in diverse places. Ethnographic and narrative methods that attend to the ways people live and experience places are a central thread in my work. 

My research work at HERDU has a strong focus on outcomes that impact future policy and service models. For instance, our review of the equity-focused impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic informed recommendations to build resilience for future pandemic responses. These were submitted to the Federal inquiry into the pandemic. My work on new models of community-based peer education in social housing has also been commended for healthcare innovation and excellence.