By Liz McGrath

From Darwin dreamer to Indigenous birth-care pioneer, this Territory doctor is leading the charge.

Growing up in Darwin in a working-class family, Kiarna Brown (MBBS ‘06) had big dreams of university life, even before she fully understood what that meant.

Today, she is a pioneering First Nations obstetrician, leading groundbreaking work to address one of Australia’s most pressing health challenges: the disproportionately high rates of preterm births among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women.

“I was always an ambitious kid who loved learning,” reflects Kiarna, a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist working on Larrakia Country in the Northern Territory. 

“But I didn't graduate with the grades to study medicine straight away.”

After high school, the vivacious young student began a health science degree in Melbourne, but something didn't quite click.

The change came when she took a job as a receptionist at an Aboriginal community health organisation.

“That experience really cemented that I wanted to work in health,” Kiarna recalls. “I had found a passion for making change in Aboriginal health.” 

When she spotted an advertisement for UWA's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander pre-medicine program in the Courier Mail, she took a leap of faith.

Despite having never been to Perth before, she flew west for the six-week intensive course, earned a place in UWA's medical degree, and found her second home at the University’s School of Indigenous Studies, or SIS.

“The people at SIS really did become my family,” she says. “I met people who I actually work with now – one who was a couple of years above me and mentored me, is a neonatologist here in Darwin.”

Image: Kiarna Brown at home with her family.

Today, Kiarna is tackling one of the Territory's most challenging health disparities. 

The preterm birth rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander babies in the NT is almost double that of the non-Aboriginal population at over 14 per cent – among the highest rates in the world.

“As an obstetrician working in the Territory, I see the devastating effects of babies born too early far too often,” she says. 

“This equates to too many mothers walking out of hospital without their babies in their arms and too many babies starting life already at a disadvantage.”

As the NT clinical lead for the Australian Preterm Birth Prevention Alliance, the obstetrician is spearheading innovative approaches to address this crisis. 

Her work includes leading yarning groups in remote communities, asking practical questions about how health services can improve, and listening to women's experiences with maternity care.

“It boils down to people's access to healthcare services,” she explains. 

“When women feel safe and respected, they're going to engage with maternity services more often and they're going to have more meaningful relationships with their healthcare providers.”

This commitment to community-led solutions has shaped her research at the Menzies School of Health Research, where she recently accepted a Senior Research Fellow appointment. 

Her studies have revealed that while many risk factors for preterm birth are similar between Indigenous and non-Indigenous women, access to care and cultural safety make a critical difference in outcomes.

Between her clinical work at Royal Darwin Hospital and Darwin Private Hospital, research commitments, and family life with her husband Chris and their two sons, Jake and Samuel, Kiarna maintains strong connections to her community.

Image: Dr Kiarna Brown (far-right) with her Royal Darwin Hospital colleagues.

She's even found time to play in the inaugural Tiwi Bombers women's football team, though she jokes she's “not a player anymore, unfortunately, although I’m still involved!”

Her husband Chris has added a hoppy twist to her medical career – at their family microbrewery, he's crafted the ‘consultant pale ale’ in her honour, which she laughs “makes me a bit popular at work sometimes”.

Looking ahead, Kiarna’s ambitions remain as bold as they were when she was at school

She's working toward completing her PhD, focused on finding innovative ways to prevent poor perinatal outcomes for First Nations women in the Top End. But perhaps even more importantly, she's working to inspire the next generation.

“I would love to see way more First Nations obstetricians around the country,” she says. 

“I definitely want another Indigenous obstetrician up here in the Top End, even just more doctors around the hospital and around the community and in our remote communities would be great!”

For Kiarna the work is and always will be deeply personal.

“If we are going to be serious about closing the gap in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, then preterm birth prevention is the best place to start,” she says.

Through her leadership in the ‘See, Stop, Scan’ campaign and her commitment to culturally informed care, this UWA alumna is helping to write a new chapter in Indigenous maternal health – one that honours traditional practices while embracing modern medical advances. 

A journey that began with a young girl’s dream in Darwin and has evolved into a mission to ensure every First Nations baby has the best possible start in life.

For more information on the national preterm birth prevention efforts visit the Australian Preterm Birth Prevention Alliance.

Read the full issue of the Winter 2025 edition of Uniview [Accessible PDF].