Yarlalu Thomas is an Aboriginal Australian from the Nyangumarta Pitjikarli group. He is, originally from a small Aboriginal community called Warralong, in the Pilbara desert region of North West Australia. The first in his community to complete a high-school certificate, he enrolled in a Bachelor of Medical Science and Doctor of Medicine (MD) currently in his final year at the University of Western Australia.
Between his bachelor’s degree and MD, Yarlalu was awarded the inaugural Roy Hill Community Foundation Fellowship. His fellowship has enabled him opportunities to experience working at WA Register of Developmental Anomalies, Genetic Services WA and Cliniface, to transform genetic health care services for remote Indigenous people.
Yarlalu also works with Pilbara Faces, which aims to understand 3D facial variation of ATSI peoples to provide more accessible, quicker and non-invasive diagnosis for children with rare and genetic diseases.
Yarlalu also launched the UNESCO-endorsed Lyfe Languages project to translate medical terminology into ATSI languages, and Indigenous languages internationally. He combines the newest scientific and medical knowledge with old and ancient wisdom.