Who Are We?

Pat Anderson AO is a Co-Patron of the First Nations Eye Health Alliance. 

Aunty Pat is an Alyawarre woman known nationally and internationally as an advocate for the rights and health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people including community development, policy formation and research ethics. 

Aunty Pat was Co-Chair of the Referendum Council, the Co-Chair of the Uluru Dialogue, and a key advocate for the YES vote for the Voice to Parliament 2023 Australian Referendum.

Lose Fonua is the Chief Executive Officer for the First Nations Eye Health Alliance. 

Lose is a Wiradjuri woman trained in leadership, public and population health and has a long professional history of working in health promotion, medical research, prevention, capability building and strategy at a local, state, and national level.  

As the founding Director of consultancy company Tell Consulting, Lose's key passion is to see Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities with the requisite skills and resourcing to flourish and thrive. 

ceo@fneha.com.au

Secretary

Secretary First Nations Eye Health Alliance Nick Wilson is a proud Ngarrindjeri man and is originally from South Australia. Nick now lives and works on Larrakia Country in Darwin. 

Nick studied graphic design at university and has a keen interest in all things creative. Nick has worked in Indigenous health for over 13 years and has experience working the community-controlled, state government and tertiary education sectors. Nick has also worked for many years in health promotion, environmental health, trachoma and currently leads up a statewide team in workforce development. 

A/Professor Kris Rallah-Baker is a Yuggera/Warrongo/Wiradjuri man and Australia’s First and currently only Indigenous Ophthalmologist. 

Kris holds an Adjunct Associate Professorship with QUT, is an Honorary Associate Professor at the University of Melbourne, founding member and former President of the Australian Indigenous Doctors Association, former AMA Federal Councillor, Director on the Federal Board of the Royal Flying Doctors Service, technical advisor to the Fred Hollows Foundation, Chair of the Vision2020 Indigenous Committee, a Zeiss Key Opinion Leader, Director on the Board of the Nova Peris Foundation and Director/Owner of Sunshine Coast Ophthalmologists at Noosa and Nambour

Sara Carrison is a Ngarrindjeri woman who has found passion in Aboriginal and Torres Strait

Islander students who are studying or aspiring to study optometry. Sara firmly believes that creating a culturally safe environment in optometry education and the workforce is

essential for the success and well-being of First Nations peoples, and will ultimately contribute to improved eye health outcomes.

In her current role as an Associate Lecturer at Flinders University, Sara has the privilege of

directly supporting students through both teaching and involvement in the A Place for

Mob and A Place for Me in Optometry project. Sara is also a dedicated optometrist with a

strong commitment to improving eye health outcomes. 

Sara's roles on the Policy and

Education Committee and within the College of Nursing and Health Sciences’ Aboriginal

and Torres Strait Islander Collective enable her to advocate for policy changes that will

foster a safer and more inclusive environment for future generations.

Tom is an Ophthalmology Registrar at the RVEEH. A proud Gangalu man from Central Queensland, he grew up on Gooreng Gooreng country in Gladstone. 

His career as a health professional started as a pharmacist where he spent 5 years as a Pharmacy Officer in the Royal Australian Air Force prior to returning to study his MD/MPH at the University of Melbourne. He completed his junior doctor years at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital along with some locum work before returning to Melbourne to commence his specialist training. Tom has sat on the board of directors for the Australian Indigenous

Doctors’ Association (AIDA) and keeps his passion for First Nations Health central to his career and would one day love to move back to the Northern Territory to work having lived and worked there twice over his career and studies to date. 

Tom is a big advocate for junior doctors and doctors in training working conditions and aims to keep a healthy work-life balance. 

Tom strongly supports harm minimisation policy and is a passionate diversity and

LGBTIQA+ community member and advocate.

Lauren Hutchinson is a Murrawarri woman and optometrist. Lauren was born and raised on Wiradjuri country in the central west of NSW. 

She graduated from her Bachelor of Vision Science/Master of Optometry from QUT in 2017, following which, she returned to the central west, now residing back on the beautiful lands of the Wiradjuri people once again. Lauren has worked as an optometrist both in private practice and within the community-controlled sector. Lauren’s passions are in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, rural and remote and paediatric health and is committed to advocating for improving outcomes for her people in these spaces. 

In her spare time you can find Lauren spending time with her beautiful nieces and nephews, on a hockey field or fishing on the Galari (Lachlan River).

 Telaine Cowdrey is a dedicated Aboriginal and South Pacific Islander professional with a robust background in social justice, advocacy, and policy reform. With over a decade of leadership experience, Telaine has worked across the not-for-profit, education, and healthcare sectors, fostering meaningful partnerships and driving systemic change to benefit First Nations communities.

In her current role as Senior Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement Advisor at The Fred Hollows Foundation, Telaine plays a pivotal role in advocating for equitable healthcare access for First Peoples. She ensures that the Foundation remains publicly accountable as an ally organisation, committed to healthcare reform through the lenses of social justice and self-determination. 

Telaine’s leadership style is defined by authenticity, humour, empathy, and strategic thinking. Her impressive career includes roles with the Reach Foundation, Hester Hornbrook Academy, Elizabeth Morgan House, and Margaret Tucker Hostel for Aboriginal Girls, where she has led initiatives that challenge colonial systems and prioritise community-led solutions. Her expertise extends to policy development, stakeholder engagement, corporate governance, and community-driven advocacy. 

Telaine is also a sought-after MC and keynote speaker, sharing her insights at national and international conferences on First Peoples healthcare, human-centred design, and systemic reform. Proudly Aboriginal and South Pacific Islander, Telaine is deeply committed to dismantling barriers, amplifying community voices, and ensuring that First Peoples have access to good sight and culturally safe healthcare.