Dr Allison Salmon

Dr Allison Salmon (she/her)
Director

With a public health sector career that has spanned over 25 years. Allison is a leading public health researcher, epidemiologist, and evaluator who is passionate about using evidence and innovation to inform services, systems, and practices.

She brings a wealth of experience to evaluations, strategic planning, and impact measurement.

Prior to her work with the Centre, Allison led complex research and evaluation projects and supported research governance. Her content expertise includes alcohol and other drugs - including drug consumption spaces, overdose prevention and tobacco control - mental health, and applied epidemiology – click to view Allison’s peer review publications.

Allison grew up on Gudjala country in Queensland, and now lives and works on Gadigal land.

Maria Tchan

Maria Tchan (she/her)
Director of Impact

Maria is a renowned evaluator, facilitator, clinician and community engagement expert with over 20 years’ experience across government, academic research, and the not-for-profit health and social sector. A champion of change, she brings expertise in service design and implementation, impact measurement and evaluation, facilitation, co-design, and community engagement.

Maria is known for her robust yet pragmatic approach to evaluation coaching and training and has conducted over 50 practical training sessions to community service organisations.

She is passionate about community-led approaches to mental health and primary care programs.

Maria lives and works on Wallumedegal country. 

Natasha (Tash) Larter

Tash Larter (she/her)
Principal Consultant

Tash is a proud Yuin woman from the South Coast of NSW who is passionate about improving health equity for Aboriginal people, particularly children and young people and those in regional communities. As such, Tash combines her lived experience and academic knowledge to support individualised needs to improve health outcomes and equity.

Her areas of expertise include public health and academic research, evaluation, strategic planning and system performance improvement.

Tash believes it is essential to build reciprocal partnerships with Aboriginal communities, to elevate the voices of those living in the communities in order to support individualised needs to improve health policy, health care services and address inequity.

Tash grew up on, and now lives and works on Dharawal Country.

Lucy Demant

Lucy Demant (she/her)
Principal Consultant

For nearly twenty years, Lucy has been working to improve outcomes for marginalised children, young people and the community. Lucy’s experience spans the alcohol and other drug sector, youth mental health and education, with specific expertise in health promotion, primary prevention, and early intervention approaches.

Lucy is also a practised policy developer, advocacy specialist, and strategic thinker. She has led major workforce development and capacity-building projects and delivered complex programs at scale. A natural collaborator, Lucy is skilled at cultivating sophisticated partnerships and engaging diverse stakeholders.

Lucy brings her Management Coaching expertise to The Centre's services - she is adept at coaching managers at all levels, honing their practice, and creating high-performing, cohesive teams.

Lucy lives and works on Wurundjeri Country..

Dr Becca Hardy

Dr Becca Hardy (she/her)
Associate Consultant - Research & Evaluation

Becca specialises in knowledge translation, implementation, and evaluation of health and social services.

With experience in implementation science, co-design, and participatory research, she brings a systems perspective and collaborative approach to support meaningful, evidence-informed change that is grounded in the needs of service users and those who support them.

She has held leadership roles in academic and health and social service settings to co-produce relevant, actionable research and evaluation.

Becca lives and works on Gadigal land.

Dr Tina Peckmezian

Dr Tina Peckmezian (she/her)
Associate Consultant

Tina brings over 15 years’ experience as researcher, writer, and educational developer. 

She is passionate about translating complex themes in medicine, science, and healthcare into meaningful content for diverse audiences. Tina is a published researcher and writer across academic, government and private sector institutions, where she has written and edited literature reviews, government reports, journal articles and a range of evidence-based resources for technical and lay audiences.

Her most recent projects include several systematic literature reviews, the development of a competency framework and curriculum in public health intelligence for the World Health Organization, and ongoing workshop design and facilitation for the UNSW Medicine Program Redesign project.

Tina lives and works on Kurringgai land.