Dimitra Papavassiliou is a community development and research professional with extensive experience across humanitarian, government, and academic sectors.

She currently leads consumer and community involvement initiatives at the Menzies Institute for Medical Research, fostering lived-experience leadership and collaborative approaches to research.

Dimitra has supported communities locally and internationally, including work in refugee protection, gender-based violence prevention, and human rights. Her contributions have been recognised through the UTAS College of Health Community Engagement Award (2024) and her leadership in the team awarded the NSW Humanitarian Project Award (2020).

Passionate about trauma-informed practice, inclusion, and social justice, Dimitra has presented at conferences and published multiple papers on community development. She is also currently studying law to practice in the criminal justice space, deepening her commitment to advocacy and systemic change. Outside of work,

Dimitra enjoys running, water sports, and spending time in the garden with her family.