Philomena is a lifelong activist and advocate for human rights. She is a Medical Anthropologist with additional qualifications in education, gender studies and professional writing. She works as an independent consultant to government, academic, health and community organisations, and holds a position as Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne where she also lectures.

Her expertise includes family and sexual violence, gender and health, LGBTQ health and wellbeing, disability and aged care services, autopsies and death and dying. She was an expert witness to the Commonwealth Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse and the Victorian Royal Commission on Family Violence. She is the Chair of the Human Research Ethics Committee, Victorian Dept of Health & Dept of Families, Fairness and Housing.