The Lowitja Institute is Australia's national institute for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health research. It is an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisation, named in honour of its patron, Dr Lowitja O'Donoghue. The Institute was established in 2010, emerging from a 14-year history of Cooperative Research Centres in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health research. Since 1997, the Lowitja Institute and its predecessor CRC organisations, have led a substantial reform agenda in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health research by working with communities, researchers and policymakers, with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people setting the agenda and driving the outcomes. At present, we work in partnership with 22 participants around Australia, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health organisations, State and Australian government departments, and academic research institutions. Together, we aim to achieve demonstrable impact in better health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people through research, capacity building, workforce development, knowledge exchange and research translation.