Dr Skinner has held diverse roles in public health policy, research, management, consultancy and reconciliation. He has gained national recognition for his contributions to public oral health research, policy, and practice. In 2014 John was appointed as the Director of the Centre for Oral Health Strategy NSW where he led the development of the Oral Health 2020 and the Aboriginal Oral Health strategic plans for NSW. John completed a Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Sydney in 2017 on the oral health of teenagers in NSW. In March 2018 Dr Skinner commenced at The University of Sydney as a Senior Research Fellow at the Poche Centre for Indigenous Health and was their Research Director until June 2022. His key passion lies in collaborative research with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to enhance their access to services, increased community research capacity and impactful outcomes. This involves co-designing service delivery models, preventive initiatives, and workforce programs. John is currently the Research Lead at the Djurali Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research Centre based at the Heart Research Institute and works on a range of projects related to diabetes, cardiovascular disease, oral health, air quality, asthma and eating disorders. He holds academic affiliations as the Associate Professor at Macquarie University, Charles Sturt University, and The University of Sydney.