Sonali Varma

Biography

Sonali Varma (she/her) graduated from the Australian National University with a Bachelor of Arts & Bachelor of Science (Honours), and was awarded the University Medal. Drawing on her lived experience with mental ill-health, Sonali works across research, advocacy, and community to improve outcomes for young people and marginalised groups. She currently works at the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare and the University of Sydney’s Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use. She also serves as a Board Director for both the Australian Association for Adolescent Health and the Youth Coalition of the ACT. Sonali has experience spanning government, academic, and not-for-profit sectors, and is particularly interested in prevention-based approaches to youth mental health. At Oxford, she hopes to pursue a MSc in Global Health Science and Epidemiology, building the skills to combine data-driven and community-led approaches for more equitable mental health outcomes. Outside of her work, Sonali enjoys lifting weights, baking vegan sweet treats, and irritating her two younger brothers.