Nouria Salehi | |
|---|---|
 Salehi in January 2020 | |
| Born | |
| Education | Kabul University |
| Alma mater | Claude Bernard University |
| Awards | Victorian Senior Australian of the Year (2012) Victorian Honour Roll of Women (2021) |
Nouria Sultana SalehiAM is an Afghan-Australian nuclear physicist, biophysicist and humanitarian. She is the founder of the Afghan Australian Development Organisation.
Salehi was born inAfghanistan and was educated atKabul University. She graduated with a PhD from theClaude Bernard University in Lyon, France.[1]
Salehi began practising nuclear medicine in Kabul but chose to migrate to Australia in 1981, shortly before theRussian invasion.[2]
Salehi worked as a nuclear physicist and biophysicist with Melbourne Health from 1983 to 2017,[3] most recently in the Department of Nuclear Medicine at the Royal Melbourne Hospital.[1]
She founded the Afghan Australian Development Organisation in 2001 and serves as its executive director.[3] She also founded the Afghan Australian Volunteers Association and was president from 2002 to 2006.[3] She has also served as a committee member for a number of other refugee, ecumenical and human rights groups.[3]
Salehi was awarded theMedal of the Order of Australia in the1997 Queen's Birthday Honours for "service to human rights, particularly through the Afghan community, and to refugees and women's support groups".[4] She received theCentenary Medal in 2001[5] and was promoted toMember of the Order of Australia in the2019 Australia Day Honours for "significant service to the Afghan, migrant and refugee communities".[6]
Salehi was named Victorian Senior Australian of the Year in 2012[7] and was inducted onto theVictorian Honour Roll of Women in 2021.[8] She was made a life member of The Order of Australia Association in 1997[1] and has served as anAustralia Day Ambassador since 2012.[3]