Dr Yuvisthi Naidoo (BEc (Econometrics Hons); Master of Policy Studies; PhD) is a Senior Research Fellow at the Social Policy Research Centre. She is a social policy researcher with expertise on the measurement and understanding of living standards, with a focus on poverty, inequality, deprivation, social exclusion and wellbeing. She has a unique set of research skills combining academically robust quantitative analysis of complex survey datasets, qualitative research methods, and project management in applied social policy. Her research program has direct policy relevance to improve the lives of socially and economically disadvantaged people. She has extensive experience working on ARC funded projects on poverty, deprivation and social exclusion, budget standards and with community sector organisations to influence government policy.

Before joining the SPRC, Yuvisthi worked for the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute on sustainable housing and support options for older homeless people. Prior to joining academic, Yuvisthi spent many years working in marketing and market research in the corporate sector, with consumer goods conglomerate Unilever; information technology company IBM; and strategic research consultancy Stancombe Research and Planning.

Yuvisthi completed her PhD in 2017 as the recipient of the Australian Institute of Population Ageing Research Scholarship (now known as the ARC Centre of Excellence in Population Ageing Research). Her thesis involved developing a set of economic metrics and a social indicator well-being framework to measure the economic standard of living and multi-dimensional well-being of individuals and applying the conceptual and methodological framework to analysis of older Australians.

In 2015, Australia with other UN member states committed to 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals aimed at ending poverty, protecting the planet and promoting prosperity to all. Her work to contributes towards Goal 1 (No Poverty), Goal 2 (Zero Hunger), Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-being), Goal 5 (Gender Equality), Goal 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and Goal 10 (Reduced Inequalities).