Dr Kara Lilly has a background in health promotion having worked in a diverse range of practitioner roles for 15 years before joining UniSC. Her roles have included senior positions in health promotion, public health and management positions within the public sector. Since joining UniSC, Kara has taught across many courses in the discipline of public health and health promotion, including foundational public health courses, policy and advocacy, and professional practice / work integrated learning.
Kara’s research applies systems theories and health policy science to navigate challenges of
complex systems and decision-making processes, with a pragmatic approach to contribute to health promotion practice and/or policy.
Her PhD explored the policy-making environment of Australian local governments regarding a Health in All Policies approach. The mixed methods study applied a health political science lens to determine the factors influencing policy decisions to address the determinants of health at a local government level, culminating in a range of recommendations for future research, practice and policy in this setting.
Other research projects include: School-based playgroup quality assurance trial evaluation: Funded by the Queensland Department of Education ($87,000), the research undertook a formative, process and impact evaluation of the School-based Playgroup Quality Assurance Trial implemented in the North Coast Region, Early Childhood Education and Care.
Kara teaches in the Bachelor of Health Science and Master of Health Promotion programs. Kara is course coordinator for first year public health foundations subjects, along with advanced courses in health promotion, including policy and advocacy.
Teaching areas
- Placement Coordinator (Health Science)
- Health Promotion
Kara Lilly's specialist areas of knowledge include public health and health promotion.