Kyle Andrew RyanAboriginal health & medical education researcher

Experience

A decade of work across medical education, health and governance

Since 2017 my work has moved between university research and teaching, national medical-education leadership, community-controlled governance and frontline practice — consistently anchored in Aboriginal knowledges and accountability to community.

Current roles

University of Queensland, and community practice

Jul 2026 – present
Senior Research Assistant
First Nations Cancer and Wellbeing Research Program · UQ School of Public Health

Research support within the School of Public Health, contributing Aboriginal research methods, measurement and community-engagement practice.

  • Working on CanCo — A Prospective First Nations Cancer Cohort, an NHMRC Project Grant establishing a prospective cohort with First Nations people.
  • Brings the same commitment to Indigenous data sovereignty and community ownership that governs my measurement work elsewhere.
NHMRC-funded researchFirst Nations cancer & wellbeingCohort studyCommunity engagement
2021 – present
Casual Academic — Academic Tutor (Professional)
UQ, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences

Teach into postgraduate INDH7001 (Indigenous Health) in the School of Public Health, and Health, Society and Research 1 & 2 in the medical program.

  • Marking and assessment-design input for a cohort of approximately 500 medical and public-health students.
  • Apply Aboriginal pedagogies — yarning, story and relational accountability — as teaching practice, not decoration.
Medical educationAssessment designRelational pedagogies
Dec 2025 – present
Systems & Research Coordinator
Yiliyapinya Indigenous Corporation

Design and maintain the data and systems behind an Aboriginal-led brain-health and healing model for young people (10–17) in, or at risk of entering, the youth justice system.

  • Build the data-governance and measurement framework for a community-led randomised controlled trial with the Paul Ramsay Foundation — data dictionaries, wellbeing measurement, quality assurance, systems architecture and ethical oversight.
  • Ground the trial’s data practice in Indigenous data sovereignty and community ownership.
  • Secure grants, lead interns, and translate program data into evidence community owns and can act on.
Data governanceRCT designMeasurementIndigenous data sovereignty

National leadership

Aboriginal health & medical education

2022 – 2024
Board Director (Student)
Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association (AIDA)

One of six AIDA Board members (announced 2022, Gold Coast); re-elected for a second term (16 November 2023, nipaluna / Hobart).

  • Led a national student representative council with a representative from every medical school.
  • Travelled with the Board to medical schools, including Notre Dame, Fremantle (WA).
  • Partnered with the NT Primary Health Network to bring students to the Northern Territory for community engagement.
  • Represented UQ internationally at the Pacific Region Indigenous Doctors’ Congress (PRIDoC), Vancouver, July 2022.
GovernanceNational representation
2022 – 2023
Inaugural Co-Chair, Indigenous Committee
Australian Medical Students’ Association (AMSA)

Co-founded the committee and built its governance into an enduring national portfolio, establishing a co-chair model (with Isobella Kruger).

  • Co-authored the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health in the Medical Curriculum policy (2022).
  • Contributed (via UQ) to the AMC’s revised accreditation standards on Aboriginal health and cultural safety.
PolicyCurriculum
2023
Rural Health Summit Co-Convenor
Australian Medical Students’ Association (AMSA)

Co-convened (with Senuri Pinto) the first rural medical student summit held in the Northern Territory; co-led a team of 12 volunteers; drew NT media coverage.

2022
Founder, Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health Seminar
The University of Queensland

Established the governance, partnerships, structure and funding for UQ’s first ATSI health seminar, which has continued since.

Academic & student support

Growing the Aboriginal medical workforce

2021 – 2025
Postgraduate Tutor, ITAR Program
The University of Queensland

One-on-one tutoring and support for incoming Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander medical students over four years, strengthening progression and retention.

Retention & progressionWorkforce development

Community-controlled governance

Board leadership

Sep 2021 – Jun 2025
President & Chair of the Board
Inala Wangarra Inc (Aboriginal Community-Controlled Organisation)

Led a five-director, community-elected board of an organisation with approximately $2M annual revenue — cultural governance accountable to community.

  • Direct responsibility for complaint management and internal governance.
  • Drove a cultural shift toward a more wholesome, community-accountable organisation; represented community at state-level forums.
  • Concluded the term by presenting a new strategic vision, co-designed with board, staff and community, at the final AGM.
  • Remain a member of the organisation since the conclusion of the board term.
Board chairCultural governanceComplaints & risk

Youth wellbeing & education practice

Working directly with young people

2024 – 2025
Learning Success Officer
QUT, Oodgeroo Unit

Designed and implemented a student case-management framework, consolidating fragmented support into a centralised, culturally responsive system.

  • Spearheaded a campaign that doubled pre-orientation attendance (from about 30 to about 60 students).
Aug – Dec 2024
Behavioural Officer
Hymba Yumba Independent School

Supported Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people from Prep to Year 12.

  • Co-designed the school’s first internal suspension program as a culturally safe alternative to exclusionary discipline.
  • Conceived and led Songlines of Science, integrating Aboriginal knowledge with STEM for Years 5–10.
2025
First Nations Teacher Aide
Balmoral State High School
Jan 2017 – Dec 2021
Volunteer speaker & youth engagement
Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Foundation (QATSIF)

Over five years, travelled intermittently across rural and regional Queensland on a volunteer basis, sharing my own story with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students completing senior schooling — encouraging young mob to finish school and to back their own dreams.

  • Spoke directly with students in their own communities rather than asking them to travel to the city.
  • Used pathway and possibility as the frame — what becomes available once school is finished, told from lived experience.
Youth aspirationRural & regional QueenslandStorytelling