Jaquelyne Hughes facts for kids

Jaquelyne Hughes is an amazing Torres Strait Islander woman who is a very important doctor and researcher. She works at the Menzies School of Health Research at Charles Darwin University. She is also a special kidney doctor, called a nephrologist, at the Royal Darwin Hospital.

Jaquelyne Hughes's Journey in Medicine

Jaquelyne Hughes studied very hard to become a doctor. She earned her first medical degree from the University of Newcastle in 2000. Later, in 2007, she became a specialist in kidney health, which means she is an expert in treating kidney diseases. She also earned her PhD from Charles Darwin University in 2013, which is a very high academic degree for research.

Helping People with Kidney Disease

Dr. Hughes has done a lot to help people with kidney problems, especially Indigenous Australians. She helped start a special group called the Australia and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplantation Registry (ANZDATA) Indigenous Working Group in 2014. This group works to improve care for Indigenous people who need kidney treatment. She also advises Kidney Health Australia on how to educate people about kidney disease.

One of her most important projects was leading a report for the Menzies School of Health Research. This report looked at how kidney care could be made better for Indigenous communities. She listened to many patients and their families. They shared how difficult it was to travel long distances, sometimes over 1000 kilometers, just to get dialysis. Dialysis is a treatment that helps clean the blood when kidneys don't work properly. Because of the long travel, some patients had to stop their treatment, which was very sad. Dr. Hughes's report suggested big changes to make this care easier to access.

She has written more than 40 research papers, sharing her important findings with other doctors and scientists.

Awards and Special Recognition

Dr. Jaquelyne Hughes has received many awards for her hard work and dedication:

• In 2012, she was named a Northern Territory Tall Poppy Winner. This award celebrates young Australian scientists.
• In 2013, she was recognized as the Top End (NT) NAIDOC Person of the Year. NAIDOC Week celebrates the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
• She received the Harry Christian Giese – Research into Action Award in 2016.
• In 2018, she was a finalist for the Bupa Health Foundation Emerging Health Researcher Award.
• In 2019, she was honored as the Australian Indigenous Doctors' Association Indigenous Doctor of The Year.