Dr. Vinathe Sharma-Brymer is a Lecturer in Social Work in the School of Law and Society at UniSC and a core member of the Indigenous and Transcultural Research Centre (ITRC). Vinathe is an accredited social worker (AASW) and Forest School practitioner (UK). She is a passionate eco-social worker whose current research program examines the impact of extreme weather on women's wellbeing. She is an experienced practitioner in human and community welfare services (England, UK), community development (India), and natural disaster management (Australia). She uses her transnational, interdisciplinary education experience and research to work with individuals, families and communities to enhance wellbeing.
Trained as a context-responsive generalist practitioner, Vinathe is concerned with bringing about social and environmental justice. She uses a range of practice approaches such as empowerment, capacity-enhancing, and achieving human capabilities that reinforce her support for equality and equity for a better quality of life.
Vinathe collaborates with multidisciplinary national and international scholars and human development practitioners from Australia, the UK, USA, Europe, and India conducting research that progresses the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals - SDG3 (Good Health and Wellbeing), SDG5 (Gender Equality) and SDG13 (Climate Action). She produces useful and accessible research that encompasses human-nature relationships and green social prescribing, supporting the UniSC research agenda of Healthy Planet and Healthy Humans. Vinathe is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (UK) as well as an Associate Fellow-HEA (Indigenous Knowledges).
Professional and Board Membership
- Board, Youth Flourish Outdoors, Queensland, Australia
- Australian Association of Social Workers, Australia
- International Federation of Social Workers
- Ethnic Communities Council of Queensland, Australia
- Human Development and Capability Association, USA
- Queensland Outdoor Recreation Federation-Green Circle Member, Australia
- Outdoor Health Australia
- Forest School Education, England, UK
- Oceania Comparative and International Education Society (OCIES), Australia
Journal Editorial Board
- Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning, UK
Fellowships
- Associate Fellow (2022) and Fellow (2024), Higher Education Academy (UK)
- Associate Fellow (Indigenous Knowledges) (2024), Higher Education Academy (UK)
Awards
- International Postgraduate Research Fellowship (Australian Commonwealth Fellowship for PhD study)
Professional Social Media
- ORCID 0000-0003-4185-1795
Media and Communication
- Regular contributor to Sydney Kannada Vani, 2RRR Radio FM88.5.
As an interdisciplinary researcher, Vinathe has published more than 45 scholarly works including journal articles, book chapters, books, policy and research reports, and conference papers. Her translational publications are on various topics in psychology, social work, education, and gender studies. She specialises in qualitative research methodologies, valuing participatory co-designed approach. She is a member of cross-institutional interdisciplinary research teams and projects. She has contributed entries to UN Sustainable Development Goals–Goal 3 Good Health and Well-being and Goal 5 Gender Equality.
Research Grants
|
Grant/ Project name
|
Investigators |
Funding body & A$ value |
Year/s |
|
Elder Abuse: Best practice perpetrator interventions and programs research. |
Emily Moir, Vinathe Sharma-Brymer |
Relationships Australia
$110,000 |
2024 |
|
Program Evaluation of Social Prescription Pilot on the Fraser Coast. |
Dimitra Lattas, Vinathe Sharma-Brymer, Tamara Sysak, Andrea Thawley |
Hervey Bay Neighbourhood Centre
$20,042
|
2024-2025 |
|
UniSC- LAUNCH Pilot
Building community health pathways to green prescriptions and therapeutic horticulture A community based participatory research approach / action research. |
Ros Prichard, Vinathe Sharma-Brymer, Judith Maher, Angela Hinz, Daniel Wadsworth |
UniSC LAUNCH
$25,000 |
2024-2025 |
|
Investigating the mental health impacts and support needs of regional communities affected by extreme weather events. |
Eric Brymer, Royce Willis, Marg Rogers, Vinathe Sharma-Brymer, Navjot Bhullar, Matthew Leach
|
MANNA Institute
$10,000 (research component) |
2022-2024 |
|
Community gardens healing extreme heat stress: Exploring the wellbeing of vulnerable transcultural women from low socio-economic backgrounds |
Vinathe Sharma-Brymer |
Indigenous and Transcultural Research Centre
$3,000 |
2024-2025 |
|
UniSC SPARK ETHOS Essence of Research Leadership |
Vinathe Sharma-Brymer |
UniSC N/A |
2024-2025 |
HDR Supervision
Vinathe is supervising an HDR student project on the effects of asbestos exposure on health as well as coaching two potential HDR students on natural disasters and climate change impacting women. She has successfully supervised to completion four student research projects on the benefits of human-nature relationships on wellbeing.
Research areas
- Social Work, Climate Action, and Eco-social Justice
- Mental health and wellbeing
- Healthy ageing
- Gender
- Cross-cultural studies
In her current role at UniSC, Vinathe coordinates courses and teaches at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. She supervises students’ field placements and Higher Degree by Research students. She has taken a keen interest in developing Indigenous Social Work and Multicultural Social Work courses. Prior to UniSC, Vinathe taught at all levels in Psychology and Social Work disciplines at Australian College of Applied Professions. She coordinated a Psychology Honours study course, and also supervised the research projects of Master’s degree students in Counselling & Psychotherapy programs. Specifically in Social Work, she taught innovative study courses such as International Social Work, Ageing and Aged Care Services, and Intercultural Diversities in Professional Contexts.
Vinathe is currently the Program Coordinator of Human and Community Services programs at UniSC (undergraduate certificate, diploma and bachelor’s degree).
Teaching areas
- SWK251 Working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples
- SWK708 Engaging with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples
Program coordinator
Dr. Vinathe Sharma-Brymer’s research and engagement includes Social Work, climate action, and eco-social justice; mental health and wellbeing; healthy ageing; gender; cross-cultural studies.