Scott is a Public Health Physician and General Practitioner with over 25 years of experience in leadership, management, advisory and clinical positions across the Tasmanian health system including the Office of the Minister for Health, the state government public health unit, non-government organisations, an Aboriginal Community Control Health Organisation, and other primary care and academic research organisations.

He currently serves as Deputy Director of Public Health at the Tasmanian Department of Health, and is a member of the Premier’s Health and Wellbeing Advisory Council and the Tasmanian Health Senate.

Scott is recognised for his leadership and expertise in addressing the determinants of health, improving health and wellbeing and reducing health inequities using population health approaches, including cross-sectoral approaches, in the Tasmanian community.

He loves planting Australian and Tasmanian plants, caring for his family animals, spending time in Tasmania’s abundance of green and blue environments and listening to diverse genres of music.

Professor Sarah Durkin is a leading expert in health communication, focusing on tobacco control, cancer prevention, and health behavior change. As Head of the Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer at Cancer Council Victoria and Honorary Professor at The University of Melbourne, she researches the effectiveness of multimedia campaigns and policies across diverse populations. With over 120 peer-reviewed publications and extensive global influence, her work has shaped tobacco control and public health strategies. Recognized with prestigious awards, Sarah provides strategic guidance to health agencies and governments worldwide and continues to mentor future leaders in health communication and policy research.

Alanna Sincovich has a PhD in Public Health from the University of Adelaide and is Manager, Translational Research at Preventive Health SA. She has over 10 years experience in public health research environments, with a focus on population health approaches to ensuring equity in child health and development outcomes, both in Australia and internationally. She leads the Translational Research function within Preventive Health SA, including development of the agency’s Strategic Research Agenda.

Dr Emma Lea is a Senior Lecturer and Course Coordinator Postgraduate Programs in the Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre at the University of Tasmania. Emma has a PhD in public health nutrition from the University of Adelaide. She is currently involved in research and education which aims to enhance dementia prevention and increase the capacity of the aged care workforce to support people living with dementia, which is the leading cause of burden of disease for older Australian adults. A member of the Public Health Association of Australia since 2014, Emma is currently a committee member of the Tasmanian branch.

Erika Gunadasa is an Assistant Director in the Prevention and Wellbeing Policy Section at the Department of Health, Disability, and Ageing. She oversees prevention policy, including the National Preventive Health Strategy 2021-2030. Erika has completed a Master of Public Health and a Graduate Diploma in Public Policy. 

Much of Holley’s working life has been at the intersection of health and social policy or programming, working with Australian Red Cross on local, state and national food security responses including policy and advocacy. Holley worked in Timor Leste alongside local women who were running a malnutrition rehabilitation centre and began a Masters of Public Health at the same time.

​

Through learning and experience, Holley has become deeply interested in the whole food system and the processes and politics that shape who eats what. With a keen and growing interest in the food systems’ impact on climate change, Holley recently completed a Graduate Certificate in Climate Policy. Holley is a public health nutritionist striving for a healthier, more fair food system, that everyone can enjoy, without costing the earth.

​

Holley is Secretary of the Tasmanian PHAA Branch and an active member of the Food and Nutrition Special Interest Group.

Dr Mishel Shahid is the Manager, Systems Science and Research at The Australian Prevention Partnership Centre and a member of the Centre’s Scientific Advisory Committee. Mishel has an educational and training background in dentistry, epidemiology, public health, and prevention research. Her expertise lies in applied, policy-relevant research and evidence synthesis, with a focus on systems thinking, advanced epidemiological methods, and capability building for chronic disease prevention. Mishel holds a PhD in Public Health from Griffith University and a Master’s in Dental Public Health from the University of Dundee, UK.

Lily joined the PHAA team in late 2022 as a Policy Officer.
 

She gained both her Bachelor of Nursing and Master of Public Health degrees from the University of Queensland.

​

Lily has applied her skills in aged care, health promotion and preventative health both in Australia and abroad; and has gained valuable insight into advocacy, policy and health equity while recently living and working in Washington D.C., USA.

​Anouk has a background in health promotion, public health, communication, and nutrition spanning academia, NFP, corporate, think tanks, and private practice. 
 

Alongside time in scientific publishing and clinical nutrition practise, Anouk has been a lead contributor to projects in the areas of research and resource building for health communication and food waste, developing health strategy and policy, and establishing a long-term organisation and sector vision.  Anouk enjoys mobilising diverse stakeholders to deliver robust and aligned outcomes for projects, organisations, sectors, and populations.

Mohana is a public health executive with experience across local and state government, health services, and international settings. Proven record of leading strategy, surveillance, and equity-focused intelligence to inform policy and system reform. 
 

As Lead Epidemiologist at Monash Health, Board Member of the AHPA National Board and former Director of Epidemiology and Analysis during Victoria’s COVID-19 response, she brings capability in complex decision-making, cross-sector partnerships, and translating evidence into action. Mohana brings lived experience across global health systems, and centres equity, prevention, and impact in all aspects of her work.

As General Manager, Policy, Advocacy and Prevention, Paige is responsible for leading the strategic advocacy efforts for the organisation to guide policy decision-making and improve the outcomes for Australians living with, or at risk of, lung disease. Her teams’ focus is on the prevention and early detection of lung disease, while continuing to strongly advocate for equitable access to services, support, and research investment. Paige holds a Master of Public Health and a Bachelor of Health Sciences from the University of Queensland. She has held several roles across the NGO sector, including previous work in health promotion programs, policy, advocacy and research. 

Carolyn Wallace is a seasoned public health professional with a diverse background in the social determinants of health. Through various roles in local government, primary health, community services and regional development, she has worked extensively on collaborative initiatives that bridge gaps between health systems and underserved populations. Her expertise lies in partnership brokering, governance, social research and linking policy to practice.  As the Research and Impact Manager at VicHealth, Carolyn provides leadership at the critical intersection of system change research and evaluation. 

Dr Chris McKay is a Koori man (Wiradjuri) and early-career epidemiologist specialising in the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and Indigenist epidemiological methods. He is a Research Fellow working on Mayi Kuwayu: The National Study of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Wellbeing, exploring the links between culture, health, and wellbeing. He completed his PhD at The University of Melbourne, focusing on the cardiometabolic health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth and the individual, social and environmental factors associated with staying healthy.

Associate Professor Michelle Jongenelis has expertise in health promotion, intervention development and evaluation, behavioural psychology, and clinical psychology. She works across multiple and diverse health-related behaviours including alcohol and tobacco control, nutrition, and physical activity. Michelle works as a researcher and consultant for a broad range of organisations covering the not-for-profit and government sectors. She sits on the Australian Council on Smoking and Health, and the World Federation of Public Health Associations' Tobacco Control Working Group. She is also Deputy Chair of the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand's Tobacco and Other Products SIG and co-convenes the Public Health Association of Australia's Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs SIG.

Joanne is an experienced health promotion professional having worked in various roles across the government, non-government and research sectors over the last twenty years.  Joanne commenced at Healthway in 2009 and is currently Senior Manager Policy and Strategy, responsible for driving Healthway’s strategic agenda and advocacy efforts.  She has a strong commitment to preventative health action and reducing the escalating impacts of chronic disease.

Sandra leads research, evaluation, data and impact functions at Health and Wellbeing Queensland, the State’s prevention agency. She works with partners across government, health services and academia to support knowledge translation, research partnerships and learning health system approaches that embed evidence into prevention policy, programs and systems, with a focus on strengthening chronic disease prevention, advancing systems-level change and reducing health inequities in Queensland.