DrLayla Edwards

Dr. Layla Edwards has made substantial contributions to public health research, particularly at the intersection of social determinants of health, justice health, chronic care,  and delirium. Her work spans multiple esteemed institutions, including University of Technology Sydney, Justice Health and Forensic Mental Health Network, University of Newcastle, Australian Catholic University, and Trinity College Dublin. Layla’s portfolio is diverse, encompassing qualitative insights with marginalised groups including people from culturally and linguisticaly diverse communities who live with advanced disease and theor carers, refugee and migrant women on the Thai-Myanmar border, and migrant youths in Sydney, demonstrating dedication to reducing health inequities through evidence-based research. 

Layla's PhD research rigorously explored the interplay between social determinants of health (e.g. housing, finances, child custody, mental health, social support) and substance use on recidivism rates among women exiting prison in New South Wales, Australia, using a decade-long retrospective cohort study of the Connections program. Her findings, which link the persistent socio‑economic supports gaps to increased likelihood of reimprisonment, have informed gender-responsive service provision models. These insights are being referenced by policymakers and justice health practitioners to advocate for integrated, trauma-informed throughcare and community integration programs tailored to women’s needs.

In 2025, Layla served as the Australian key informant for the Asia‑Pacific Hospice Palliative Care Network (APHN) Atlas of Palliative Care in the Asia‑Pacific Regions, the first comprehensive regional palliative care assessment. Launched in April 2025 at the 16th Asia Pacific Hospice Palliative Care Conference in Malaysia, this landmark atlas draws on data from approximately 120 national consultants to benchmark health policies, service delivery, education, access to medicines, and community engagement across WHO-defined regions. Through this role, Layla contributed critical national-level data and narrative context, helping shape advocacy tools that inform policy, expose gaps in integration and access to essential medicines, and strengthen regional commitment to universal health coverage and equitable palliative care access.