Associate Professor Jessica Biles is a long-standing academic at Charles Sturt University, where she has been shaping future healthcare professionals since 2008. She also holds an Adjunct Associate Professor role at The University of Sydney, School of Dentistry. Her research and teaching are deeply rooted in improving health outcomes for regional communities, with a strong focus on cultural safety and equity in healthcare.
Jessica’s work has supported local health districts and community-led initiatives, helping to build research projects from the ground up that reflect the real needs of people living in regional areas. Jessica is co-editor of the widely used textbook Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health and Wellness, and her recent publications in health workforce safety, mentorship and vaping offer insights to guide organizations, communities and policy makers.
Jessica brings a wealth of experience in leadership, education, and research. Her insights into health equity and youth engagement make her a valuable voice in conversations around health impacts on regional communities.

Teaching Interests

Jessica Biles is a nationally recognised educator and researcher in nursing, with a strong teaching profile across Australia. She is the co-editor of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health and Wellness, a widely used text that includes an online teaching guide and community-developed media resources. These materials have supported learners nationwide in developing culturally responsive healthcare practices. In 2016, Jessica was honoured with the Betty Jeffreys Award for her leadership in nursing research. Jessica's PhD, completed in 2017, was a phenomenological study titled Australian Indigenous Cultural Competence and Nursing, which explored cultural competence development among Bachelor of Nursing students. Jessica currently serves as the International Representative for the European Transcultural Nursing Society, reflecting her commitment to global perspectives in nursing education and practice.

Her academic and research interests include:

1. Rural Health Workforce

2. Leadership in postgraduate nursing education
3. Cultural care and competence in healthcare
4. First Nations health
5. Regional health inequalities
6. Nursing research and curriculum development

Research Interests

Associate Professor Jessica Biles’ research focuses on regional health equity, health workforce development, and cultural safety. She collaborates closely with regional communities and local health districts to support community-driven research initiatives that address local health needs and workforce challenges.

Jessica has secured over $650,000 in research funding, leading and contributing to projects that span mentoring programs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health professionals, rural nursing excellence, COVID-19 impacts on culturally diverse communities, and innovations in nursing education and evidence-based practice.

Her work is grounded in participatory and translational research approaches, with a strong emphasis on First Nations health, rural health systems, and inclusive education.

Jessica’s research and supervision activities contribute directly to several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including:

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being – through improving health outcomes in rural and underserved communities.
• SDG 4: Quality Education – via mentoring, supervision, and innovations in nursing and health education.
• SDG 5: Gender Equality – by supporting inclusive and equitable participation in health workforce development.
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities – through culturally safe practices and research that addresses systemic disparities in health access and outcomes.
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals – by fostering strong collaborations with communities, health services, and academic partners.

Jessica has supported two PhD students to completion, four Honours students (all receiving H1 grades), and three medical research projects. She currently supervises four active PhD students and one Honours student.

Summary of Competitive Grant Funding

• 2022- “DANMM that’s good!”: Evaluating the feasibility and acceptability of the Deadly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nursing and Midwifery Mentoring (DANMM) Program across rural, regional, and metropolitan NSW- NSW Translational Research grant (CI Mr Peter Fernando & Dr Jessica Biles) $360256.98
• 2022- Laying the foundations for a CSU Centre of Research Excellence in Rural Nursing- (AI- Dr Jessica Biles, Associate Professor Pauletta Irwin, Associate Professor Rachel Rossiter) $15,000
• 2020- COVID 19 and regional racisms: have isolation and social distancing measures become sanctioned discrimination for culturally and linguistically diverse peoples? ($30,000) Lead Professor Julian Grant (AI- Dr Jessica Biles)
• 2019- Strengthening Student Support and Reducing Online Attrition: A Pilot Project in the University’s Largest Undergraduate Course. ($199,000)- Project Lead

• 2019- Charles Sturt University, Faculty of Science Seed grant- $9885, Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Nursing and Midwifery workforce mentoring program in a rural NSW Local Health District2018- Charles Sturt University, Learning and Teaching grant- $9865, multi-disciplinary case study Educating health students for evidence-based practice: Three action research case studies.
• 2018- Improving Undergraduate Evidence-Based Practice Education: Four Participatory Action-Research Case Studies. CI- Kylie Murphy Researchers: Catherine Thomas, Jessica Biles, Clarissa Hughes, Marguerite Bramble, Tracey Parnell, Michael Curtin, Rodney Pope, Simon O’Connor, Lisa Brown, Linda Wilson, Evan Plowman, Lisa Speedie
• 2017- Preparing Students for Evidence-Based Practice: What’s happening? Dr Kylie Murphy, Ass/Prof Michael Curtin, Jessica Biles, Ruth Crawford $8456
• 2017- International Survey of Nurse Managers' Views on Compassion in Nursing. Professor Irena Papadopoulos; Dr Magdeline Aagard, Shelia Ali, Jessica Biles in collaboration with academics from 15 countries
• 2016- First year undergraduate nurses experiences of wearing uniforms whilst undertaking simulated clinical skills within nursing laboratories: A cohort comparison study: Protocol approval number: HREC 400/2015/15 CSU. CI: Karen Stanley
• 2016- Exploring the cultural aspects of compassion in nursing: An international on-line survey- International collaboration with Middlesex University
• 2010- 2017 PhD Candidate, School of Community Health, Charles Sturt University- Australian Indigenous Culture competence and Nursing.
• 2013 School of Nursing, Midwifery, and Indigenous Health Seed Grant - Research matters: harvesting collective wisdom to find new ways of engaging in research.
• 2013 Scholarship in Teaching Grant - Cassie's Story, Dyan Ngal: who is hearing and who is listening? A problem-based learning resource approach to transformative cultural competence experiences.
• 2013 Nursing Partnerships with Aboriginal Health Centres: A pilot project for undergraduate Nursing clinical placements.
• 2009 - 2010 The Living Curriculum: Bridging the gap between the espoused and the enacted curricula.

Summary of Publications

Jessica Biles has published extensively in the fields of health workforce, nursing education, cultural competence, regional health equity, and compassion in healthcare. Her work spans qualitative, participatory, and international collaborative research, with over 400 citations, an h-index of 9 (Google Scholar), and an i10-index of 6.

Key Themes in Publications

• Compassion in Nursing: International studies exploring nurses’ experiences and perceptions of compassion across 15 countries.
• Cultural Competence: Research on Indigenous Australian cultural competence in nursing education, including phenomenological studies and curriculum development.
• Mentoring and Workforce Development: Studies on mentoring programs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nurses and midwives.
• Health Equity and Racism: Systematic reviews and qualitative studies on pandemic-related racial discrimination and its health impacts.
• Evidence-Based Practice: Participatory action research on improving evidence-based practice education for undergraduate health students.
• Simulation and Learning Environments: Investigations into immersive simulation and its impact on student learning experiences.

Her recent publications also include work on AI in education, such as evaluating ChatGPT’s role in academic integrity, and community-driven health workforce research with First Nations communities: Jessica Biles - Charles Sturt University Research Output

Professional Memberships and Awards

Associate Professor Jessica Biles maintains active involvement in national and international nursing and health education networks. She currently serves as a Director of the Australian Nurses Memorial Centre and as the Australian Representative on the Board of the European Transcultural Nursing Association (since 2013). Jessica is also a long-standing member of the Hume Region Nurse Educators Group (since 2005) and is affiliated with the Australian Rural Health Education Network and the Australian Volunteers Association. She previously held membership with the Australian Nurse Teachers Society (ANTS) and holds life membership with the University of Sydney.

Current Higher Degree Research Students

Patience Moyo- Exploring the utilisation of structured clinical handover frameworks by nurses in acute care settings among selected hospitals in regional New South Wales: Barriers and enablers,

Principal Supervisor: Jessica Biles Co-Supervisors: Associate Professor Judith Anderson, Prof Karen Francis

Atemthi Dau- 'Catching Up: The Life of a Refugee Child' An autoethnographic exploration of journeying through marginality and Refugeehood (current)

Principal Supervisor- Associate Professor Samantha Jakimowicz Co-Supervisors: Associate Professor Denise Blanchard (CI), Dr Jessica Biles (CI)

Bright Jose: Cardiac self-efficacy, Self-Management, and Health-related Quality of Life in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease in Regional, NSW

Principal Supervisor: a/Prof Jessica Biles Co-Supervisors: A/Prof Cannas Kwok, dr Kristy Robson 

Luke Marks: From Frameworks to Frontlines: Exploring the Practice of Nursing Leadership

Principal Supervisor: A/Prof Jessica Biles Co-Supervisor: A/Prof Rachel Kornhaber

Francette Geraghty-Dusan: How should we value One Health? An exploration of how ‘health’ is currently valued across the One Health spectrum and how a better understanding of this would help measure impact and make better cross-sectoral policy decisions

Principal Supervisor: A/Prof Andrew Peters Co-Supervisor: Dr Nicola Wunderlich, A/Prof Jessica Biles, Dr Tamara Riley

Lisa Do (USYD): Exploring the experiences of dental and oral health practitioners in rural and remote Aboriginal communities in NSW.

Principal Supervisor: Professor Woosung Sohn Co- Supervisors: Yvonne Dimitropoulos, A/Prof Bradley Christian. Dr John Skinner, A/Prof Jessica Biles

Completed PhD Students

Maksi Morris- (completed 2025)- General practice nurse engagement in behaviour change for lifestyle risk: A grounded theory study

Principal Supervisor: Dr Jessica Maree Biles, Co-Supervisor: Prof Elizabeth Halcomb, Co-Supervisor: Aspro Maree Anne Bernoth, Co-Supervisor: ASPRO Yazdan Mansourian

Sean Mack (completed 2024)- The role of leadership in building, facilitating, and sustaining a person-centred approach to working with residents, in the residential aged care environment.

Principal Supervisor: Associate Professor Maree Bernoth Co-Supervisor: Dr Jessica Biles

Completed Medical Students

Cameron Martin (2022-2024)- The lived experiences early career doctors and their experiences of race-based discrimination. Dr Jessica Biles (PS), Dr Vannessa Wong (CI)

Chloe Campbell (2022-2024)- The lived experiences early career doctors and their experiences of race-based discrimination. Dr Jessica Biles (PS), Dr Vannessa Wong (CI)

Elizabeth Smith (2022- 2024)- Share the Dignity: Exploring period poverty in regional Australian tertiary institutions. Dr Tracey Parnell (PS), Dr Jessica Biles (CI)

Completed Honours Students

Eliana Stafford- Gaffney (2024- H1)- What do women want? A qualitative study into the career goals of female paramedics in Australia.

Principal Supervisor: Dr Jessica Biles Co-Supervisor Ms Alisha McFarlane

Pavani Subramaniam (2023- H1)- Understanding Paramedics’ Experiences of Everyday Racism in Australia.

Principal Supervisor: Associate Professor John Rae Co-Supervisor Dr Jessica Biles, Dr Sophia Dywili, Ms Hannah Stack  

Grace Madden (2022- H1)- The workplace sexual harassment experiences of early career female paramedics in regional New South Wales.

Principal Supervisor: Dr Jessica Biles Co-Supervisor Ms Alisha McFarlane