Associate ProfessorKathryn Aston-Mourney

As a scientist, educator and leader my aim is to create meaningful and lasting improvements in health and health care for our community. I was honoured that this commitment was recognised and celebrated with the Women in Community Life Leadership Award from the City of Greater Geelong in 2024, a reminder of the value of work that connects research, education and community impact.

My academic practice is driven by a commitment to create innovative, equitable, and evidence‑informed environments in which students, colleagues, and research communities can thrive. Working at the intersection of diabetes research, medical education, research training, and institutional governance, I bring a distinctive combination of scientific expertise, analytical capability, and values‑based leadership grounded in fairness, transparency, and a deep belief in enabling others to succeed.

Research Training: In my role as the Faculty of Health Graduate Research Director, I lead one of the largest research training portfolios in the university, supporting more than 650 candidates. My work has delivered major institutional reforms, new policies, strengthened governance, expanded pathways for clinicians and mature age candidates, enhanced neuroaffirming supervision practices and a recruitment strategy that significantly increased domestic candidate scholarships and enrolment. These changes have reshaped the equity, diversity, and quality of Deakin’s research training environment and have been recognised internationally.

Teaching: In the Medical Doctorate (MD) program I lead the Human Biology block, delivering expert medical science teaching and continually innovating engaging, equitable and neuroaffirming practices that help all students achieve their full learning potential. My focus is on preparing future clinicians for effective, patient‑centred care and building learning environments where students feel supported, confident and ready for the demands of clinical training.

Research: I lead the Islet Biology Research Laboratory, where my team investigates the biology of insulin‑producing cells, the mechanisms that drive diabetes and emerging therapeutic approaches that move us closer to transformative treatments. I have supervised research candidates to outstanding outcomes and am proud to see them continue to make meaningful contributions across research, industry and clinical practice. I remain committed to fostering a research environment that is collaborative, rigorous and supportive, where researchers can grow in capability, confidence and independence.

Leadership: A recognised leader across the university, I provide strategic leadership that strengthens policy, governance and the overall academic environment. I contribute to institutional initiatives that improve equity, wellbeing and research integrity and work closely with colleagues to refine systems that support effective teaching, supervision and candidature management. My leadership centres on creating structures that enable people to succeed, whether through clearer pathways for research candidates, more inclusive practices for staff or improved experiences for students. I aim to build a university culture that is collaborative, transparent and supportive, where strong evidence guides decision making and where people feel valued and able to thrive.