Dr Shoshannah Kiriam is an interdisciplinary academic and occupational therapist with over a decade of program and research experience in Australia, the Pacific, and South Asia. They hold a PhD in Anthropology and International Development (University of Adelaide) and a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours, UniSA). Their work bridges research, teaching, and community development, with a focus on health equity, co-design, and participatory practice.
About me
Dr Shoshannah Kiriam is an interdisciplinary academic and occupational therapist with over a decade of program and research experience in Australia, the Pacific, and South Asia. They hold a PhD in Anthropology and International Development (University of Adelaide) and a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours, UniSA). Their work bridges research, teaching, and community development, with a focus on health equity, co-design, and participatory practice.
About me
Doctor of Philosphy in Arts(Human Society) The University of Adelaide
Bachelor of Applied Science (Occupational Therapy) with Honours University of South Australia
Dr Kiriam has held leadership and academic roles internationally and in Australia, including:
Head of Urban Programs, SAJIDA Foundation (Bangladesh, 2020–2022): Led co-design and scale-up of a trauma-informed poverty alleviation program
Community Development Officer, Ministry of Cultural and Internal Affairs (Marshall Islands, 2018): Advanced disability-inclusive policy and emergency planning programming.
Urban Health and Equity Research Fellow, icddr,b (Bangladesh, 2012–2014): Conducted participatory research on health equity and governance.
Teaching Fellow, BRAC University (2013–2015): Delivered public health courses on qualitative research and urban health.
Dr Kiriam’s research and practice is about working alongside communities to solve problems that impact everyday lives. They are passionate about co-design and participatory methods, where community members and people with lived experience shape the direction of projects and policies.
Their current and past work explores:
Youth mental health and wellbeing – developing creative, community-led supports in regional and rural areas.
Gender and health equity – examining how homelessness, poverty, caregiving, and social structures affect health and participation in meaningful occupation.
Trauma-informed and inclusive practice – building systems and services that respond holistically to people’s needs.
Research
Excludes commercial-in-confidence projects.
Co-designing a wellbeing intervention with rural young people, SA Dept of Human Services, 25/07/2024 - 01/07/2025
Research
Research outputs for the last seven years are shown below. Some long-standing staff members may have older outputs included. To see earlier years visit ORCID or Scopus
Open access indicates that an output is open access.
| Year | Output |
|---|---|
| 2020 |
Open access
8
8
7
|
| Year | Output |
|---|---|
| 2024 |
Open access
1
1
1
|
| 2020 |
Open access
8
8
7
|
| 2017 |
10
9
6
|
Research
Dr Kiriam’s research and practice is about working alongside communities to solve problems that impact everyday lives. They are passionate about co-design and participatory methods, where community members and people with lived experience shape the direction of projects and policies.
Their current and past work explores:
Youth mental health and wellbeing – developing creative, community-led supports in regional and rural areas.
Gender and health equity – examining how homelessness, poverty, caregiving, and social structures affect health and participation in meaningful occupation.
Trauma-informed and inclusive practice – building systems and services that respond holistically to people’s needs.
External engagement & recognition
| Organisation | Country |
|---|---|
| Karolinska Institute | SWEDEN |
| SAJIDA Foundation | INDIA |
| University of Adelaide | AUSTRALIA |
| University of South Australia | AUSTRALIA |
Teaching & student supervision
Teaching & student supervision
Supervisions from 2010 shown
| Thesis title | Student status |
|---|---|
| Play, Talk and Tea - Parents' perspectives of their involvement in allied health early childhood intervention groups. | Current |
| Supporting foster carers in using play as a therapeutic tool | Current |
