Personal profile
Biography
Dr Gabriela Fernando is an Assistant Professor of Global Health and part of the foundational academic team at Monash University, Indonesia. Prior to joining Monash University, Gabriela served as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow for the Gender & Health Hub at the United Nations University International Institute for Global Health. She also served as a sessional academic for the School of Public Health at the University of Queensland, Australia.
Gabriela's research focuses on the intersections of women's health and poverty, including the impacts of climate change on health outcomes. Her work is grounded in participatory research methods and applies an intersectional gender lens, primarily in South and Southeast Asia.
Dr. Fernando holds a PhD in Global Health from the University of Queensland, Australia. Her thesis explored the intersections of microfinance programs, public health outcomes, and gender perspectives, with a particular focus on women in Sri Lanka. She also completed a Master of International Public Health and a Bachelor of Science (Hons.) at the University of Queensland, Australia.
Monash teaching commitment
Education/Academic qualification
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Queensland
Award Date: 1 Dec 2020
Master of International Public Health, University of Queensland
Award Date: 31 Jul 2015
Honours , University of Queensland
Award Date: 1 Dec 2013
Bachelor of Science (Biomedical Science), University of Queensland
Award Date: 1 Dec 2012
Research area keywords
- Non-communicable diseases
- Women's health
- Gender equality
- Microfinance and financial inclusion
- Social determinants of health
- Global health
- Qualitative Methods
- climate change and health
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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SDG 1 No Poverty -
SDG 2 Zero Hunger -
SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being -
SDG 5 Gender Equality -
SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth -
SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities -
SDG 13 Climate Action -
SDG 14 Life Below Water -
SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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Kita bersama (We are Together): Reducing Violence-Induced Mental Health Issues in Indonesian Youth
Wangge, G. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), Palguna, A. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Fernando, G. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Olivier, P. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Kusumaningrum, A. (Associate Investigator (AI)) & Kaligis, F. (Partner Investigator (PI))
1/01/25 → 31/12/26
Project: Research
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Amplifying Thriving Community Voices: Building an Ethical Framework for Participatory Research with Children and Adolescents in Health and Climate Change in South and Southeast Asia.
Wangge, G. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), Fernando, G. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Sari, W. L. (Partner Investigator (PI)) & Siagian, C. (Partner Investigator (PI))
11/11/24 → 11/11/25
Project: Research
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WHO CHRD: Advancing normative, epistemic and democratic climate and health research methods and theory in Malaysia and Indonesia
Pandya-Wood, R. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), Wangge, G. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Azhari, A. (Chief Investigator (CI)) & Fernando, G. (Chief Investigator (CI))
11/11/24 → 11/11/25
Project: Research
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Bridging Vulnerabilities: A Comparative Study on the Economic and Health Wellbeing of Transit Refugee Women and Domestic Care Worker Women in Indonesia
Fernando, G. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Puspita, S. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Diah Tricesaria, D. (Associate Investigator (AI)) & Watterson, J. (Chief Investigator (CI))
25/08/23 → 31/12/24
Project: Research
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A theory of change approach to enhance the post-2030 sustainable development agenda: a better approach is needed to assess potential impact and feasibility of proposals
Allen, C., Malekpour, S., Weitz, N., Bennich, T., Pedercini, M., Sagar, A., Griggs, D., Raven, R., Sun, Y., Pradhan, P., Sénit, C.-A., Stevance, A.-S., Leininger, J., Lafortune, G., Llanos, A. O., Onoda, S., Fernando, G., Lechner, A. M., Mohan, A. V. & Guan, T. & 3 others, , 15 Jan 2026, In: Science. 391, 6782, p. 241-244 4 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Other › peer-review
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Healthcare access and outcomes for refugee women in transit: a scoping review of facilitators and barriers in South and Southeast Asia
Fernando, G., Khafiyya, A. N., Tricesaria, A. A. I. D., Watterson, J. & Puspita, S. S., 2025, (Accepted/In press) In: Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health. 23 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review Article › Research › peer-review
Open Access1 Link opens in a new tab Citation (Scopus) -
Unravelling the nexus of microfinance and women’s non-communicable disease (NCD) health outcomes in Sri Lanka: an exploratory study
Fernando, G., Durham, J., Hill, P. S. & Gouda, H., 2024, In: Global Public Health. 19, 1, 12 p., 2396941.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
Breaking the silence: unveiling the intersection of climate change and youth mental health in Indonesia
Kaligis, F., Wangge, G., Fernando, G., Palguna, I. B. N. A., Pramatirta, B. & Purba, N. V. T., Dec 2023, In: Medical Journal of Indonesia. 32, 4, p. 249-253 5 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Other › peer-review
Open AccessFile4 Link opens in a new tab Citations (Scopus) -
Examining the evidence of microfinance on non-communicable disease health indicators and outcomes: a systematic literature review
Fernando, G., Durham, J., Vlack, S., Townsend, N., Wickramasinghe, K. & Gouda, H., 2022, In: Global Public Health. 17, 2, p. 165-179 15 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review Article › Research › peer-review
5 Link opens in a new tab Citations (Scopus)
Activities
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South and Southeast Asia Climate and Health responder Course
Fernando, G. (Session chair)
16 Jul 2025Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Contribution to workshop, seminar, course
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Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit
Fernando, G. (Keynote/plenary speaker)
5 Jun 2025Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Contribution to conference
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EQUitable Implementation research and Practice network (EQUIP Network)
Fernando, G. (Keynote/plenary speaker)
31 Oct 2025Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Contribution to workshop, seminar, course
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Plan International Indonesia Annual Youth Forum
Fernando, G. (Invited speaker)
31 Oct 2025Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Contribution to workshop, seminar, course
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Centre for Planetary Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo Seminar Series
Fernando, G. (Keynote/plenary speaker)
16 Sept 2025Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Contribution to workshop, seminar, course
Press/Media
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Women are central to climate change adaptation in Southeast Asia
Pandya-Wood, R., Fernando, G., Azhari, A. & Tomkins, Z.
11/11/24
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Article/Feature
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Net zero needs women
Fernando, G., Walters, J., Ho, S. & Gosper, S.
11/11/24
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Article/Feature
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Domestic Workers' Vulnerability in Indonesia
8/03/24 → 8/04/24
1 item of Media coverage, 1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Article/Feature
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Women bear the brunt of Asia’s climate failures
31/12/23
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Article/Feature
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Women Bear the Brunt of Asia’s Climate Failures
Gunawardana, S. & Fernando, G.
28/12/23
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Article/Feature