Christy Newman

Christy Newman is Associate Professor at the Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW Arts and Social Sciences, where she has been conducting social research on health, sexuality and relationships for the past 15 years. Her research interests are focused on sexual and reproductive health, blood borne virus prevention and care, and sexual and gender diversity, and extend to the related fields of harm reduction, mental and emotional wellbeing, and child and family wellbeing. She works in partnership with advocates, clinicians and policy makers, particularly those who work with people affected by HIV and viral hepatitis and with LGBTQI+ communities. 

Christy has published more than 150 quality research outputs, including journal articles, book chapters and reports, and has led or contributed to securing over three million dollars in research funding, including from the ARC and NHMRC, and strategic and philanthropic grants from governments, industry and the university. She is Senior Editorial Advisor (and immediate past Joint-Editor in Chief) for Health Sociology Review, Joint Editor for Sexual Health, and Editorial Board member for the Journal of the International AIDS Society.

Christy was awarded the 2010 Paul Bourke Award for Early Career Research from the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia, and the 2017 Mid-Career Interdisciplinary Achiever Award from the Australasian Sexual Health Alliance. She was awarded a University Medal for her BA (1998) with honours in communications and cultural studies from Murdoch University, and a PhD (2004) in interdisciplinary studies in health, sexuality and culture from UNSW Sydney. 

Selected current projects:

• "my health, our family: documenting stories of family life in the context of HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C" (Critical perspectives on serodiscordance in family life: ARC Discovery DP160100134, Lead Investigator)
• "Queer Generations" (Belonging and sexual citizenship among gender and sexual minority youth: ARC Discovery DP150101292, Senior Qualitative Researcher/Mentor)
• "Trust in digital health" (Exploring online health data sharing practices among communities affected by HIV, viral hepatitis and STIs: Australian Department of Health, Lead Investigator)
• "What we do well: Stories of love, sex and relationships" (Fostering the sexual well-being of Aboriginal young people by building on social, cultural and personal strengths and resources: ARC Linkage LP170100190, Investigator)
• Understanding disparities in PrEP access (UNSW Collaborative Research Grant, Investigator/Researcher)
• Meaningful inclusion of trans and gender diverse populations in cervical cancer screening (Pilot study, Mentor/Investigator)