Associate Professor Summer May Finlay (CSCA, BSSC, GC-EDHE, MPHA, PhD) has over 20 years of experience working in and with the tertiary sector, state and federal governments, and Indigenous organisations. Over the last 10 years, Finlay has established an extensive and unique research program in Indigenous health. Her program or research, with a focus on Indigenous health service delivery, policy and overcoming health disparities, is driving change. It encompasses young Aboriginal people, mixed methods health services research in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander primary care, and evaluations and women’s health, offering a fresh perspective on these critical areas. Finlay has extensive experience engaging with the state and the Australian governments on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and wellbeing policies. Her contributions in Indigenous health have been recognized with three awards from the Public Health Association of Australia (Presidents Award 2017, Fellowship 2020 and President's Award 2021), and she was also the University of Wollongong Open Access Week Indigenous award winner in 2024.
​
Finlay has extensive leadership experience. Her leadership roles include Chair of Thirilli (2025-current), Editor of the Australian New Zealand Journal of Public Health (2020-2025), and Co-Chair of the UOW Indigenous Research Strategy Committee (2024-current). She has also served as Co-Chair of the Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council of NSW Human Research Ethics Committee (2020-2025), Co-Chair of the World Federation of Public Health Associations Indigenous Working Group (2019-2023), and Vice President (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) of the Public Health Association of Australia (2017-2021).