The Meaning of Health Podcast

Ep 147 - Dental Public Health w/Dr Mohammed Junaid

Ingrid and Craig chat with Dr Mohammed Junaid from the UWA Dental School and Oral Health Centre of Western Australia. Junaid is a practicing public health dentist, lecturer and researcher, who trained in India and obtained professional qualifications from Royal Colleges of Glasgow and England before completing his PhD at UWA. As part of his role, he organises the Clinics to Communities program in Perth. His previous clinical work has seen him travel different regions in India. Junaid discusses the importance of oral health, and the impact it can have on other aspects of a person’s life if it is not taken care of. He also talks through his philosophy of treating the person rather than just their teeth, as many people have a range of life challenges that impact on their oral health, and need to be understood before helping them make decisions about their oral health care. Junaid also shares his thoughts on the oral health system generally in Australia, and challenges created by funding and resourcing issues, in part due to the fact that oral health care is not funded by Medicare for a majority of Australians. You can read more about Junaid and his work here: https://research-repository.uwa.edu.au/en/persons/mohammed-junaid-2/ As always, if you want to get in touch with the podcast, you can contact us at: meaningofhealth@outlook.com Instagram Twitter/X Bluesky @healthmeanswhat FaceBook @MeaningofHealth Visit our website: https://meaningofhealth.com.au/

Episode 146 - Managing Health Ageing w Jo-aine and Cheng

Continuing our aged care series, Dorina chats with Jo-aine Hang, a research fellow at the University of Western Australia and private physio therapist, and Cheng, a Health sociologist at the University of Western Australia. They speak on healthy aging, managing fall risks and keeping up cognitive function. Interestingly, they discuss how hospitals can be a cautionary environment for elderly patients, as well as individual issues that arise with aging and considering cultural dimensions for exercise recommendations and diets. Research is fundamental into allowing people with concerns with activity and being stationary to find a balance. They further talk about the aging population in Australia and the importance of understanding ageing in Australia. You can read more on Jo-aine Hang and her work here: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jo-Aine-Hang#:~:text=About&text=Dr%20Jo%2DAine%20Hang%20is,University%20of%20Notre%20Dame%20Australia. You can read more on Chang and her work here: https://research-repository.uwa.edu.au/en/persons/cheng-yen-loo/ As always, if you want to get in touch with the podcast, you can contact us at: meaningofhealth@outlook.com Instagram Twitter/X Bluesky @healthmeanswhat FaceBook @MeaningofHealth Visit our website: https://meaningofhealth.com.au/

Ep 145 - Ageing, Dementia & Music w Dr Simone Marino

We kick off our series looking at aged care and the health of aging populations with a conversation with Dr Simone Marino, a researcher at Edith Cowan University. Simone’s work is at the intersection of aging, dementia and cultural anthropology. Simone also serves as a Music & Cultural Engagement Consultant for WA InCasa Aged Care. Simone discusses his background working with migrant communities, and the role that music plays in helping people from these communities who live with Dementia, as well as family caregivers. You can read more about Simone and his work here: https://www.ecu.edu.au/schools/arts-and-humanities/staff/profiles/sage-futures/dr-simone-marino As always, if you want to get in touch with the podcast, you can contact us at: meaningofhealth@outlook.com Instagram Twitter/X Bluesky @healthmeanswhat FaceBook @MeaningofHealth Visit our website: https://meaningofhealth.com.au/

Ep 144 - International Women's Day 2026 [women's health series]

We celebrate International Women’s Day in this special live episode, recorded at the University of Western Australia on 9 March 2026. The panel was hosted by Prof Fiona McGaughey, Pro Vice Chancellor Academic Advancement & Diversity at UWA. The panel featured UWA academics Prof Pat Dudgeon, Prof Caitlin Wyrwoll, Prof Tanya Fitzgerald and Dr Dani Barrington. You can read more about the panellists here: https://www.uwa.edu.au/news/article/2026/march/meet-the-panellists-for-international-womens-day The conversation covers a range of issues that have created challenges for women in public and private life over several decades, and contributed to a gender imbalance which has made it more difficult for women to advance in their careers and across society generally. The panel share their own experiences, and their thoughts on where they would like meaningful change to be made to address the historical gender imbalances that still persist today. The event was supported by Graduate Women WA: https://graduatewomenwa.org.au As always, if you want to get in touch with the podcast, you can contact us at: meaningofhealth@outlook.com Instagram Twitter/X Bluesky @healthmeanswhat FaceBook @MeaningofHealth Visit our website: https://meaningofhealth.com.au/

Ep 143 - Narrative Therapy with Marnie, Mark & Greg

We continue our mental health series as Courtney and Craig chat with Marnie, Mark and Greg about their work using narrative therapy to help people navigate life’s challenges. Our guests compare and contrast how narrative therapy and western medical approaches can differ. The conversation covers themes such as respectful practice, group work, addressing violent behaviour and working with people with alcohol and other drug issues. Our guests also talk through how they working with clients can help therapists to reflect on their own experiences and lives. Some useful resources: https://www.metaphortraining.com/about-5-4 https://dulwichcentre.com.au https://dulwichcentre.com.au/product/telling-our-stories-in-ways-that-make-us-stronger-barbara-wingard-jane-lester/ https://dulwichcentre.com.au/product/collective-narrative-practice-responding-to-individuals-groups-and-communities-who-have-experienced-trauma/ https://dulwichcentre.com.au/holding-our-heads-up/ And some references that support the work being talked about: https://dulwichcentre.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/finding-the-voice-to-speak-by-Dion-Anderson-Bea-Anderson-Mark-Hammersley-Marnie-Sather-Greg-Smith.pdf https://dulwichcentre.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Crossing-the-River-A-Metaphor-for-Separation-Liminality-and-Reincorporation.pdf As always, if you want to get in touch with the podcast, you can contact us at: meaningofhealth@outlook.com Instagram Twitter/X Bluesky @healthmeanswhat FaceBook @MeaningofHealth Visit our website: https://meaningofhealth.com.au/