Beyond education – What shapes people's pathways into work?

Dr Sean Martin is the Longitudinal Head for the Ten To Men (TTM): Australian Longitudinal Study on Male Health at AIFS. As part of this role he oversees the management of the content, methodology, and fieldwork activities for TTM, as well as resultant data management and releases, analyses, and publications. Sean is a clinical epidemiologist by training with over 20 years’ experience in men’s health–related research. Most recently this included acting as the Research Lead within the Urological Research Group at the Freemasons Foundation Centre for Male Health & Wellbeing (University of Adelaide), and as a Senior Research Fellow (Epi.) with Wardliparingga Aboriginal Health Equity (SAHMRI). He has worked extensively with a range of prospective cohort studies throughout his career, with further experiences in laboratory science, health services, and clinical trials.

Dr Swen Kuh is a Principal Research Officer in the Quantitative Methods and Modelling team at AIFS, with research experience across academia and government.  She has a background in statistics and sociology, combining methodological expertise with a passion for uncovering patterns in social data and translating those insights to inform evidence-based policy and practice.
Previously, Swen held research fellow positions at Monash University and the University of Adelaide, where she worked on improving a population inference method called multilevel regression and poststratification (MRP). Her PhD research developed a holistic Bayesian framework to measure and explain the socio-economic health of countries, incorporating social, demographic and environmental factors while accounting for spatial dependence across countries.

Dr Salma Ahmed is a Principal Research Officer in the Quantitative Methods and Modelling team at the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS). Since joining AIFS in July 2023, she has contributed to research programs on family law, defence and veteran family wellbeing, and the settlement experiences of humanitarian migrants in Australia.

Salma has over a decade of experience in quantitative and policy research, including the analysis of large-scale survey and longitudinal data to examine social and economic outcomes. Her work has contributed to research on gender inequality, maternal and child wellbeing, education, migrant settlement, labour market participation and family-related policy. Salma brings skills in statistical analysis, research design and translating complex evidence into accessible insights for policy, academic and community audiences.

Kirsten is the Longitudinal Head of Growing Up in Australia: The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children at AIFS. She works with governments, researchers and practitioners to ensure longitudinal evidence helps Australia make better decisions for children, families and communities. Throughout her career, Kirsten has focused on using research, data and lived experience to drive social and economic reform, including initiatives that expanded workforce participation and created pathways to employment at scale. She is passionate about turning evidence into action and improving outcomes through better policy, services and systems.

Dr Neha Swami is a Research Fellow in the AIFS’ Growing Up in Australia team with a key responsibility to analyse and produce research evidence on a wide range of complex social and economic issues to inform policy advice and development around family wellbeing.

She has over eight years of experience in advanced quantitative analysis of large and longitudinal datasets, including structured equation modelling, linear and non-linear panel models, cost-benefit analysis, and latent growth modelling. She has experience with a wide range of academic and non-academic content, including research reports, annual statistical reports, peer-reviewed publications, media articles and stakeholder engagement materials, and in disseminating research findings to a diverse audience.

Catherine Andersson is the Group Head, Family Data, Studies and Society at AIFS. With more than 20 years of experience in monitoring and evaluating government policy, Catherine has held senior leadership roles at the Productivity Commission and the Victorian Department of Justice and Regulation.

Catherine has worked extensively with non-government organisations, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations, contributing to her strong understanding of social policy and Indigenous affairs. Prior to joining AIFS, she was an Assistant Commissioner for the Closing the Gap Review and Reporting Group at the Productivity Commission.