Dr Dona Jayakody

Did you know that every three seconds, someone in the world develops dementia? Dementia is the loss of memory, which interferes with a person's daily life and activities. Imagine a future where we don't have to worry about our loved ones going through dementia. This may sound far-fetched; however, Dr Dona Jayakody has made it her mission to delay or arrest dementia by treating its number one risk factor - hearing loss.

Dona is the Deputy Head - Brain and Hearing at Ear Science Institute Australia. She is an internationally recognised researcher, leading large clinical trials and producing numerous outputs (39 research publications; 3 reports; 9 manuscripts under review; 677 citations, and 70 conference presentations - including 22 invited speaker presentations; $3.8 million in research funding). She advocates for hearing health in the community through radio interviews, public health seminars, YouTube videos, podcasts, and newspaper articles.

As STA STEM Ambassador, Dona works closely with Senator Dorinda Cox to increase awareness of hearing loss and dementia in Aboriginal communities. As a Director for the Australian Society for Medical Research, she influences the decision makers through scientific, political and public advocacy to promote a healthy and equitable Australia by empowering medical research.

Dr Dona Jayakody is a Superstar of STEM.