Vale Professor Kerin O’Dea AO

It is with deep sadness that the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute recognises the passing of Professor Kerin O’Dea.

Kerin, a nutrition scientist and public health researcher, had an unwavering commitment during her career spanning over 40 years to the progression of women in research and Aboriginal Health equity. 

In 1984, Kerin published landmark research with Aboriginal people in the Kimberly that provided evidence that the traditional hunter-gather lifestyle was protective of type 2 diabetes by significantly improving or returning metabolic abnormalities to normal.

Kerin’s status was recognised formally by receiving many prestigious awards during her career, including an Order of Australia in 2004 for her research in nutrition, particularly with Aboriginal populations.

These awards were truly deserving of her unique contributions, as her passion came from personal interactions, a thirst for knowledge, to share knowledge and her ability and generosity as a mentor to many.

During her time at the University of South Australia as Director of the Sansom Institute for Health Research (2009 to 2012), Professor O’Dea was a research investigator on the NHMRC Indigenous capacity development grant that saw the graduation of seven Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander PhD candidates, whom are now in leadership roles in public health and Aboriginal health research.

Of those, three completed their post-doctoral training at SAHMRI and are in research leadership roles in Aboriginal Health Equity.

The inaugural Theme Leader of Aboriginal Health Equity SAHMRI was a doctoral candidate of Kerin’s and continued a career long professional and personal relationship.

Today there are five AHE team members who have worked, collaborated and/or been mentored by Professor O’Dea in Aboriginal Health, public health, nutrition and/or diabetes related research.

Professor Kerin O’Dea was a life force, passionate about science and unwaveringly generous in her support of colleagues and students, many of whom recall being encouraged by Kerin – with kindness and humour - to challenge themselves, broaden their horizons or look at things in a new way.

Kerin will be greatly missed by all who knew her.