
Keynote Speakers
Keynote speakers are an integral part of a conference, bringing their individual outlook and expertise to the program, and enriching the delegate experience.
Below are the confirmed Speakers for the Public Health Conference 2026:
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Professor Evelyne de Leeuw
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Dr Alison Roberts
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Ms Ellen MacDonald
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Professor Ray Lovett - Professor, Mayi Kuwayu Study director, National Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Wellbeing Research, The Australian National University
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Dr Heena Akbar - Senior Lecturer at the School of Public Health, The University of Queensland
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Associate Professor Katherine Cullerton
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Ms Monika Kosinska - Global Technical Lead Social Determinants of Health Equity, World Health Organization
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Professor Clair Sullivan
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Professor Carol Maher
As new speaker's bios are received, they will be added below.

Prof. Evelyne De Leeuw
Chair
Canada Excellence in Research Chair, 'One Urban Health', Université de Montréal
Evelyne de Leeuw is professor and holds the Canada Excellence in Research Chair ‘One Urban Health’ at the Université de Montréal. The Chair connects two exciting health promotion fields: Healthy Cities and One Health. She is also Professorial Research Fellow at the University of New South Wales (Sydney) ‘Cities Institute’ – here she assists in health promotion dimensions of urbanism and healthy public policy. Evelyne has a decades long connection to the global health promotion and public health community. She was at the eponymous Ottawa Conference in 1986, which stirred her critical appraisal of the idea of Healthy Public Policy (later Health in All Policies). She was Secretary-General of the Association of Schools of Public Health ASPHER 1992-1998 and (helped) establish(ed) several Schools of Public Health. With Patrick Fafard she edits a book series on health political science. An upcoming book with Cambridge University Press (Well – Together) looks at intersectorality and One Urban Health. She also writes ‘recreatively’ (tree novels) aside from 400+ peer reviewed pieces and seven books. Current research projects include a strategic governance vision of Vertical Cities (including Montreal’s Underground City), urban cartographies of biodiversity, ruminant grazing in urban parks, re-introducing nature into healthcare systems, walkability for health and healthcare, transport justice in and for First Nations communities, policies for the gut microbiome and urban microbiome, place and culture and health in Aboriginal communities, wellbeing and place-based spirituality and eco-anxiety, and others.

Dr Alison Roberts
Commissioner
Productivity Commission
Alison has a PhD which focused on the implementation of collaborative primary health care services. Her career has had a focus on understanding and addressing complex public policy challenges, with board and executive roles including at the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation, South Eastern Melbourne Primary Health Network, Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, and the Parenting Research Centre. Alison has been co-lead commissioner on the PC's inquiry into Delivering Quality Care More Efficiently.

Ms Ellen MacDonald
Chief Executive Officer
Health Consumers Tasmania
Ellen grew up on the lands of the Turrbal people in South East Queensland and moved to lutruwita (Tasmania) in late 2017. A proud Queer and disabled woman based in Launceston, Ellen brings a strong commitment to equity and inclusion to her work. She has a professional background in community development, engagement, and disability advocacy, with more than fifteen years’ experience in governance and not-for-profit leadership—the last two as CEO of Health Consumers Tasmania. Ellen’s connection to health advocacy began after her own lived experience of young-onset bowel cancer in 2020. This sparked her involvement in consumer representation across multiple committees and advisory groups with a desire to share her expertise as a consumer to make meaningful change. Today, Ellen leads Health Consumers Tasmania with a vision of consumers and communities driving change across the health spectrum. She is deeply passionate about embedding lived experience at the heart of decision-making and under her leadership, the organisation champions innovative, place-based approaches that bring together diverse voices of consumers, clinicians, services, and communities, to co-design solutions to improve health outcomes for all Tasmanians.

A/Prof. Katherine Cullerton
Associate Professor
The University of Queensland
Katherine Cullerton is an Associate Professor in Global Health and Health Policy at the University of Queensland’s School of Public Health. Her research explores why evidence often fails to inform public health policy and examines the tactics used by the corporate sector to influence policy decisions. She also investigates how public health advocates can more effectively shape policy outcomes in Australia and internationally. A key focus of her work is understanding and managing conflicts of interest, particularly around engagement between public health researchers and the food industry. Katherine is a qualified dietitian and has worked across diverse settings, including Aboriginal health, schools, tobacco control, and national health policy.

Prof. Clair Sullivan
Director, Queensland Digital Health Centre
QLD Digital Health Centre, The University of Queensland
Professor Clair Sullivan is an internationally recognised leading practising and academic clinical informatician who helps drive digital health transformation in Queensland and globally. Clair is the Director of the Queensland Digital Health Centre at The University of Queensland. A specialist endocrinologist, Clair graduated with Honours in Medicine from The University of Queensland and earned a Research Doctorate in Medicine from the University of Leeds. In 2014, Clair began a parallel career in the emerging field of digital health and has held significant leadership roles in digital health practice and governance across government and academia. Her work is regularly translated into practice and informs policy in Australia and globally. Clair was appointed Associate Professor of Medicine in Clinical Informatics at UQ and is an Adjunct Professor at the Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology and an Adjunct Professor, School of Health and Biomedical Sciences at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. She is a fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, the Australian College of Health Informatics and the Australasian Institute of Digital Health. Clair serves on several national advisory boards for digital health. She is the recipient of several awards including the 2021 Premier’s Award for Excellence for her team’s work on the digital response to COVID-19 and the 2022 Telstra Brilliant Connected Women in Digital Health Award. She has generated over $30M in grant funding and has deep collaborations with government and industry. She is ranked in the top 1% of Medical Informatics researchers globally.

Prof. Carol Maher
Professor of Population and Digital Health
Adelaide University
Carol Maher is a leading Australian researcher in digital health and population health. Her work focuses on practical ways to improve physical activity, diet, sleep, and wellbeing at scale, using tools such as wearable devices, AI-driven coaching, and community-based partnerships. Carol’s research spans the full translation pathway. She has co-designed national guidelines, run large multi-site trials, developed and tested digital behaviour-change platforms, and partnered with government and service providers to deliver programs that reach real communities. She provides regular expert advice to government bodies and international organisations, including WHO and UNESCO. With more than 270 publications and strong engagement with policy, industry, and the public, she is recognised for helping shape how digital tools can improve health at a population level.





