I am descended from the Arrernte people of Central Australia and migrants from Sweden, Germany, and Britain. Born and raised in Port Augusta, I completed university training in Adelaide before working at universities in the United Kingdom (2010-2013) and Queensland (2013-2024).

I specialise in understanding social aspects of healthcare, which I apply across teaching, research, and community work.

My research explores communication between healthcare users and providers, often within a field of conversation analysis. Key areas of investigation include palliative care for children and adults, mental health care, and healthcare for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. I regularly partner with key stakeholders (e.g., industry organisations, clinicians, consumers), which is critical to ensure my research delivers robust and practical knowledge. My research work includes supervising higher degree by research (e.g., PhD) students conducting their own research in areas related to my own research.

Research Impact: By working with recordings of real-world social interactions, my research is easily applied to ensure real-world impact. My experience of real-world engagement includes:

• Development and nationwide dissemination of prompt lists (available here and here) that can be used by families of children with life-limiting conditions to enhance their consultations with healthcare professionals.
• Translating research findings into eLearning to support effective communication with and about children with life-limiting conditions.
• Comprehensive evidence synthesis that underpinned development of Australia's first National Action Plan for Paediatric Palliative Care. 
• Awareness-raising campaign materials to enhance understanding of the bredth of ways palliative care can help people with life-threatening and life-limiting conditions. 

Research Projects: Some current and past funded research projects include:

• Lines, L., Hunter, S., Ekberg, S., Briley, A., Winter, A., Feo, R., Whitham, J., Seiboth, M., Aldred, M., Gao, W. & McPherson, T. (2025). REACH for Kids: Enabling healthy childhoods through Respectful EngAgement, Communication and Help (REACH) for families experiencing adversities. Leahurst Nurses' Foundation Incorporated. 
• Bradford, N., Herbert, A., Ekberg, S., Sansom-Daly, U., Hynson. J., Carter, H., Yates, P., Bowers, A., Vemuri, S. & Evans, H. (2024). Paediatric Palliative Care Centre of Research Excellence. National Health and Medical Research Council (APP2035240)
• Ekberg, S., Slade, D., Ekberg, K., Bradford, N., Yates, P., Sansom-Daly, U., Reymond, E. & Herbert, A. (2023). Understanding communication about advance care planning across the lifespan. Australian Research Council Discovery Grant (DP240100072).
• Laurens, K., Rogers, T., Ekberg, S., Williams, K., Berthelsen, D., Wright, J-H., Plitz, L., Priddle, C. (2023). Footprints in Time: The Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children (LSIC) Early Childhood Research Report. Australian Government Department of Social Services. A webinar about this project is available from Family and Relationship Services Australia. 
• Pratt, G., Combo, M., Bernardes, C., Ekberg, S., Isua, G., Medlin, L., Burke, K., Birch, S., Meuter, R., Scott, J., Douglas, T., Alchin, A., Toombs, M., Henaway, C., Bean, N. (2021). Communication training for mental health professionals: developing cultural sensitivity and capability to improve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people mental health outcomes. NHMRC Ideas Grant (App: 2011912)
• Ekberg, S., Bowers, A., Bradford, N. & Ekberg, K. (2020). Literature review on paediatric palliative care to inform the development of a National Action Plan. Department of Health, Australian Government.
• Ekberg, S., Stevenson, J., Martinez, K., Win, M.M., Lord, S., Yates, P. & Sansone, H. (2019). Managing expectations and information needs in initial palliative care consultations. The Prince Charles Hospital Foundation (INV2019-27).
• Pratt, G., Bryant, M., Meuter, R., Ekberg, S., Lin, I. & Birch, S. (2019). Improving communication and health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People living with chronic pain. Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) - Rapid Applied Research Translation (RART)
• Bradford, N., Ekberg, S., Brain, D. & Yates, P. (2018). Addressing survivorship and palliative care needs in children and adolescents with brain cancer. Children’s Hospital Foundation (CCABCR011)
• Danby, S., Ekberg. S., Rendle-Short, J., Yates, P., Bradford, N., Herbert, A., Bluebond-Langner, M. (2017). Extraordinary yet mundane talk: Children navigating palliative care. Australian Research Council Discovery Project (DP180101941).
• Ekberg, S. (2016). Talking about Troubles: A comparison of everyday and therapeutic talk. Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DE170100026).
• Ekberg, S., Yates, P., Danby, S., Herbert, A. & Bradford, N. (2016). The 'So Many Questions' Project. Gilead Sciences Europe Ltd.
• Leydon-Hudson, G., Little, P., Moore, M., Ekberg, S., Heritage, J., Drew, P., Stuart, B., Stevenson, F., Ogden, J., Chew-Graham, C., Mercer, S. & Brindle, L. (2012). A proof of concept trial to improve elicitation of patients’ concerns in primary care consultations, National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) School for Primary Care Research (UK).

My team includes the following staff: 

• Dr Holly Sansone, Research Fellow, ARC Discovery Project: Understanding communication about advance care planning across the lifespan
• Ms Bianca Warner, Senior Project Officer, NHMRC Paediatric Palliative Care Centre of Research Excellence project: Co-designing a care pathway for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children with life-limiting conditions, their families, and their communities
• Ms Johanna Wright, Research Assistant, NHMRC Ideas Grant: Communication training for mental health professionals: developing cultural sensitivity and capability to improve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people mental health outcomes
• Ms Lina Hoberg, Research Assistant, NHMRC Ideas Grant: Communication training for mental health professionals: developing cultural sensitivity and capability to improve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people mental health outcomes

I am currently supervising the following higher degree by research projects:

• Rachel Cooke (Principal Supervisor): Loss in paediatric palliative care: a conversation analytic study of communication between families and clinicians in routine clinical consultations
• Ireni Farag (Principal Supervisor): Accomplishing a shared understanding of culture within mental health
• Hayley Fung (Principal Supervisor): Improving communication of survivorship care information to rural cancer survivors transitioning from treatment in a major city to self-management back home
• Sara Carrison (Principal Supervisor): Holistic approach to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples success in optometry education
• Nick Mills (Associate Supervisor): The perspectives of parents and children: must a clinician's choice of language and words adapt and evolve over the course of the child's illness?
• Michelle Mitolo (Associate Supervisor): Advance care planning communication in paediatric palliative care
• Melanie Rolfe (External supervisor): Trauma-informed psychosocial interventions for parents of children with brain tumours
• Mariah Nelson (External supervisor): Family-clinician communication around symptom management for children in palliative care

I have previously supervised the following higher degree by research projects: 

• Oluwaseyifunmi Agbejule (Associate Supervisor) (2023). Enabling health professionals to provide effective self-management support for cancer-related fatigue. 
• Hartiah Haroen (Associate Supervisor) (2022). An exploration of the concept of integrated palliative cancer care in the Indonesian context. 
• Elizabeth Johnston (Associate Supervisor) (2022). Dietary intake, care, and communication after primary treatment for ovarian cancer.
• Holly Sansone (Primary Supervisor) (2022). The interactional organisation of reassurance in telephone-based paediatric palliative care. 
• Stefanie Lopriore (Associate Supervisor) (2020). Exploring communication and men’s health service use on an Australian health helpline. 
• Sharifeh Younesian (Associate Supervisor) (2019). The influence of maternal interactive beliefs and style on the language development of preterm and full-term children.