Australian Public Health Conference 2025

Sidney Sax Public Health Medal
About the Award: The PHAA bestows this national award on a person who has provided a notable contribution to the protection and promotion of public health, solving public health problems, advancing community awareness of public health measures and advancing the ideals and practice of equity in the provision of health care. The nominee does not need to be a PHAA member.

Winner: Dr Dawn Casey, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, NACCHO

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Emerging Leader Award

About the Award: This awards is an opportunity for the PHAA and our members to recognise and acknowledge PHAA members, with up to ten (10) years’ public health experience in their careers, including early career professionals’ significant contribution to the PHAA. The award will identify an individual who demonstrates exceptional leadership through outstanding service to PHAA, Branches and/or Special Interest Groups (SIG’s). The award will recognise, acknowledge and reward the contributions, achievements and service in emerging PHAA leaders, representing a fundamental investment in building a stronger leadership culture within the PHAA. 

Winner: Dr Michelle Jongenelis, Director of Centre Operations, Melbourne Centre for Behaviour Change, The University of Melbourne

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Tony McMichael Public Health Ecology and Environment Award
About the Award: Eligibility for nomination is open to a person (not just PHAA members) who has made a significant, discernible contribution in the combined domains of public health and ecology or environmental health, which is consistent with and has contributed to fulfilling the aims of the PHAA and the Environment and Ecology Special Interest Group.

Winner: Professor Peng Bi, School of Public Health, The University of Adelaide

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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Public Health Award

About the Award: The PHAA bestows this competitive award on a person who has provided a notable contribution to the promotion of public health to benefit Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, solving public health problems, advancing community awareness of public health measures and advancing the ideals and practice of equity in the provision of Indigenous health care.
Winner: Dr Michelle Dickson, Sydney School of Public Health, The University of Sydney

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PHAA Mentor of the Year

About the Award: This award is made to a senior member of PHAA who has made a significant contribution to mentoring early-career professionals/practitioners/students to acknowledge a public health professional who has demonstrated outstanding dedication to mentoring students/early career professionals/practitioners.

Winner: Professor Sharon Friel, Director Menzies Centre for Health Governance, The Australian National University

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Student Think Tank Competition
About the Award: The National Public Health Student Think Tank Competition is a chance for students to showcase their innovation and enthusiasm for the field of public health. The prompt is broad, allowing students to address a need of their choosing, and encouraging them to be innovative in their response. We are looking for creative, original ideas which demonstrate the student’s future mindedness in the field of public health.

Winner: Alison Ainsworth, The University of Sydney

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Life Member Award
About the Award: The award of Life Member recognises current members of PHAA who have demonstrated a long-term commitment to PHAA as evidenced by long term membership of, and active participation in, the Association, and who have made a substantial contribution to Public Health sector.

Recipient: Mr David Templeman

Abstract Awards
About the Awards: The abstract presentation awards have been created to highlight the great work presented at the Australian Public Health Conference and recognise the contribution presenters have to the program and public health sector. Abstracts submitted for the Australian Public Health Conference 2021 have been reviewed against the award criteria and five (5) abstracts from each criteria were shortlisted as finalist in the abstract presentation awards. 

 

Winners Abstract Awards 2021

• Public Health Researcher Award: Associate Professor Carolyn Nickson

• Advocacy & Leadership Award: Honorary Associate Professor Julie Smith

• Capacity Building Award: Dr Laksmi Govindasamy

• Early Career/Young Professional Award: Dr Amy Carrad

• First Time Presenter Award: Ms Lyra Egan

• Best e-Poster Award: Ms Eliza Kitchener 

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