Flinders PhD and SAHMRI researcher Dr Karen Hawke is about to tackle a polar expedition along with 77 other women researchers from around the world in a trip that aims to beef up their leadership skills and conduct scientific research.

Dr Hawke will set sail on the 20-day Homeward Bound journey from Ushuaia on the southern tip of Argentina on December 2.

Dr Hawke’s remarkable personal story, which includes her successful rehabilitation from years of drug addiction, was the subject of a recent  Advertiser article.

Dr Hawke is currently a researcher in Aboriginal maternal and child health at SAHMRI.

The University is sponsoring Dr Hawke’s Homeward Bound trip, and anyone else interested in assisting financially can make donations through SAHMRI or at her personal crowd funding page.