What is your role and what does your work focus on?  

I am the Head of the Public Health discipline group at CMPH. My focus will be on providing leadership and support to the incredibly talented teachers and researchers in our group so that they can continue to enhance their excellent work in building knowledge, skills and capacity in public health, and generating new knowledge, evidence and ideas to inform effective public health policy and practice. Overall, like most people who work in public health, I want to contribute in the most effective way that I can to promote population health and minimise health inequities.

Where did you work and / or study before joining CMPH / Flinders?

I trained in the UK in medicine and public health. I moved into academic public health and worked principally at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne and Manchester University. I moved to the Department of Public Health at the University of Otago in Wellington, New Zealand, in 2005. I worked there for 19 years, including various spells as Head of Department. I have taught public health at undergraduate and postgraduate levels throughout my career. When I worked in clinical medicine, I spent time as a respiratory hospital doctor, and so it seemed natural to be interested in tobacco control practice and research, which has developed as my main area of research interest.

What inspired you to pursue a career in your current field, and how has your passion evolved over time?

As I said, my initial interest in public health in general, and in tobacco control in particular, was inspired by observations as a doctor: seeing so many patients suffering and dying from diseases like lung cancer, emphysema, and heart attacks, and knowing in many cases it was due to smoking and hence completely preventable. I was also fascinated by the political side of public health, as I realised that introducing impactful policy interventions that affect population health requires politicians to act. That opens up a whole new world of thinking about how you can positively influence policy. Over time, my passion has evolved to focus on the ambitious goal of eliminating smoking and the dreadful health effects it causes altogether (the tobacco ‘endgame’). I owe a huge debt to Māori leaders in Aotearoa New Zealand, whose Tupeka Kore (tobacco-free) vision raised my sights from thinking about how to reduce smoking to thinking about how to eliminate it altogether.

Can you share a memorable experience or project from your career that had a significant impact on you or the community?

We have recently experienced the highs and lows of public health in Aotearoa, especially in the field of tobacco control. The previous government introduced world-leading measures, such as removing nicotine from all cigarettes, with the aim of achieving New Zealand’s smokefree goal of equitably minimising smoking by 2025. Our research group was prominent (alongside many others) in advocating for these key measures, and we were all set to see our efforts realised. However, we descended from that high point with an almighty bump when the new government overturned the legislation and prevented the implementation of the policies.

Although that episode ended with a dramatic low, it illustrates that radical public health interventions are possible (the measures would have been implemented if not for the change in government). It also highlights the need for resilience and persistence in public health because setbacks are, unfortunately, inevitable. Looking on the bright side, there are some interesting developments in South Australia, with a tobacco-free generation policy currently being discussed—so hope springs eternal.

How do you like to relax or spend your spare time? 

I am quite an active person and have recently started running, with the hope of joining the running group in CMPH. In Wellington, I played football (soccer) and badminton regularly, so I’ll look for opportunities to continue those or perhaps try something new. I am also very interested in music and used to attend many live gigs in my (distant) youth. I lived through the explosion of punk rock and ‘new wave’ in the late 70s and early 80s and will always have a soft spot for that music, even if it’s not particularly relaxing!