Dr Rachelle Warner is a multidisciplinary health researcher, policy expert, and executive leader with over two decades of experience spanning academia, government, and national reform. A proud Wiradjuri woman and disability advocate, she brings unique insight and integrity to her work on military and veterans’ health, reproductive justice, and systemic equity in health care.
Dr Warner holds a PhD in Medicine from the University of Adelaide, where her research focused on the reproductive health of Australian Defence Force (ADF) veterans deployed to the Middle East. Her research has been foundational in drawing national attention to the long-term impacts of environmental exposures, such as jet fuel, solvents, and noise, on the reproductive and general health of Defence personnel and their families. She is an Adjunct Fellow at both the Adelaide Medical School and the Robinson Research Institute.
In addition to her academic contributions, Rachelle has held senior leadership roles in multiple Commonwealth agencies, including the Department of Defence, the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, the Australian Taxation Office, and the Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman. As a Defence civilian for over 15 years, she deployed to Iraq, the MEAO and Philippines (Marawi) as a Senior Policy Adviser. She also returned to “the bench” as a molecular pathologist with ACT Health during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr Warner is the Co-Chair of National Science Week ACT (2025–2026) and served for seven years on the Council of the Australasian Military Medicine Association. She is a Certified Trauma-Informed Coach, and a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Her current research and policy interests include reproductive and environmental justice, endometriosis, military health equity, veteran-centred care, and the intersections of gender, disability, and trauma. With lived experience as both a veteran family member and as a person with disability, she brings depth, empathy, and intellectual rigour to all facets of her work.
As a member of the JMVH editorial board, Dr Warner contributes not only research and policy expertise, but also a longstanding commitment to ensuring that health systems, research, and policy serve those most impacted by service-related exposures, trauma, and systemic inequities.
