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Early childhood development (ECD) is important to many disciplines, however two dominate: education and health. Each discipline adopts distinct approaches, and while both have their merits, combining them can present challenges, especially when it comes to measurement. The recent policy advances towards universal 3 year old preschool offers unique opportunities to foster collaboration. This presentation will aim to promote an openness to a more cohesive system of support for children and families, ensuring optimal ECD outcomes.

OUR ORATOR
Professor Sally Brinkman, Professor at Education Futures, University of South Australia and Director of the Fraser Mustard Centre.

Sally Brinkman is a Professor at Education Futures, University of South Australia (UniSA) and Director of the Fraser Mustard Centre a research translation partnership between the UniSA and the Department for Education. Her research focuses on improving the healthy development and early learning of young children in disadvantaged communities across Australia, Asia, the Pacific, Latin America, and the Emirates. Sally collaborates closely with international governments and donor organizations such as the World Bank, UNICEF, and UNESCO to drive meaningful change. She specializes in population monitoring and pragmatic randomized control trials to understand inequality in child outcomes and assess intervention impact and cost-effectiveness. Sally's research has significant global and local impact, across disciplines providing valuable insights for early education, community development, and development economics. She is recognized as a leading authority in child development metrics, advising governments and contributing to influential Expert Advisory Groups. With over 200 publications, including renowned journals like The Lancet, and Nature Medicine Sally's research effectively bridges academia and policy.

OUR CHAIR
Professor Carol Maher (HDA Co-Convenor), Professor of Population and Digital Health, Medical Research Future Fund Investigator / Deputy Director of the Alliance for Research in Exercise, Nutrition and Activity (ARENA), University of South Australia