SUMMARY REPORT 1 The Melbourne School of Population Health’s vision is to inculcate a population health approach in all areas of health care and in the community where opportunities for disease and injury prevention exist. What is population health? Population health is an approach to health that aims to improve the health of the entire population and to reduce health inequities among population groups. The study of population health is focused on understanding health and disease in the community, and on improving health and well-being through priority health approaches MELBOURNE SCHOOL OF addressing the disparities in health status between social groups (Australian Institute for Health and POPULATION HEALTH Welfare). OUR MISSION SUMMARY REPORT 2009 To conduct and enhance research that addresses issues of population MESSAGE FRom The School has also played an important advisory health and health social sciences, THE HEAD OF role in the Federal Government’s national response and to educate undergraduates and SCHooL to the 2009 influenza pandemic. Our Vaccine and postgraduate students, clinicians, Immunisation Research Group (VIRGo) reacted to the scientists, professionals and One of the most urgency of the H1N1 pandemic by fast-tracking key rewarding aspects public health leaders through the research projects in order to provide policy makers enrichment of our educational of my role is seeing with the best, most up-to-date-advice. our talented staff programs in public health. responding quickly to Beyond our shores, I’m also proud of the The Melbourne School of real-world challenges. humanitarian contributions of our Centre for Population Health aims to This year has brought International Mental Health (CIMH), which is setting Head of the Melbourne strengthen the understanding, several notable up a national taskforce to facilitate the development School of Population capacity and services of society to opportunities for our of more effective mental health systems in Vietnam. Health, Professor Terry meet population health needs and Centres and Units This desperately needed initiative has been Nolan. to improve the quality and equity of to provide timely, supported by a prestigious Atlantic Philanthropies health care. pragmatic and, where grant of $US2 million over four years. It is the first appropriate, compassionate responses to situations time Atlantic Philanthropies has chosen a University The population health approach of critical need. In these scenarios, our ability to of Melbourne project for major funding, and it recognises that health is a capacity collaborate closely with the key players – including recognises the Centre’s international standing. or resource rather than a state, a the communities involved – is just as important as definition which corresponds more Collaboration also lies at the core of a new the deep knowledge and expertise we bring. to the notion of being able to pursue partnership between the School and the State one’s goals, to acquire skills and The 2009 Black Saturday bushfire disaster was Government departments of Human Services and education and to grow. one such situation that drew on all of the above. Health, within the North and West Metropolitan I’m proud of the contributions of our School to the Region (NWMR). The School’s contributions include: This broader notion of health Bushfire Recovery Initiative, which is supporting improving population health planning; addressing recognises the range of projects that aid recovery from the 2009 Victorian workforce needs in children’s and disability services; social, economic and physical bushfires and better prepare for future bushfires. and social and well-being issues associated with the environmental factors that The McCaughey Centre’s role in this university- physical environment and service models of selected contribute to health (Public Health Agency of Canada). wide program has been to conduct a population public housing sites. health survey designed to assess the impact of the bushfires and the recovery programs on the health On a more formal note, our status as a Graduate and wellbeing of individuals and communities. This School has been officially recognised in the statutes has been a productive collaboration between the of the University of Melbourne. McCaughey Centre and the Australian Red Cross, Nationally and internationally, however, the School’s Rotary Health, Centrelink and the Department of status has long been recognised for the research Health and, of course, the communities stricken by expertise and experience that has been built up this tragedy. over many years within our nine specialised centres 2 MSPH and units. I congratulate all of our staff on their fine Emerging Research LIFE Award, which is awarded to work throughout the year and thank our supporters “an organisation, group or individual who are in their for appreciating our efforts to ensure that our work early career as a researcher and have been judged continues to deliver real-world benefits. to have been producing research of an excellent standard within suicide prevention”. HIGHLIGHTS Rosemary McKenzie and the Centre for Health Start-ups, Renewals, Arrivals, Departures Policy, Programs and Economics (CHPPE) Mental Three Indigenous development and health Health Team won the 2009 Australasian Evaluation milestones were achieved: Society Award for Excellence in Evaluation for the • The Collaborative Research Centre (CRC) for Best Policy and Systems Evaluation. This was for Aboriginal Health was successfully re-bid, their six-year evaluation of the Access to Allied bringing in $25.5 million over five years. Psychological Services (ATAPS) component of the • The National Institute for Aboriginal and Federal Government’s Better Outcomes in Mental Torres Strait Islander Health Research Limited Health Care (BOiMHC) program. was established. Promotions • The Murrup Barak Melbourne Institute for Indigenous Development was launched in Professor Jane Pirkis (CHPPE) November, with Professor Ian Anderson as Associate Professor Lyle Gurrin (MEGA Epi) Director. Senior Appointments The Key Centre for Women’s Health in Society changed its name to the Centre for Women’s Professor Ian Anderson has been appointed as Health, Gender and Society and celebrated its 21st Director of the Murrup Barak Melbourne Institute for Anniversary in November 2009. Indigenous Development. The Institute will provide a focal point for work occurring across the University in Internationally, Professor David Studdert and Indigenous studies. Associate Professor Harry Minas formed part of the University of Melbourne’s Mission to India, Public Professor Liz Waters (McCaughey Centre) was Health Research Institute of India in September 2009. appointed to the newly endowed Jack Brockhoff Chair of Child Public Health. A formal launch of this Chair, At a local level, the partnership with the Department recognising the wonderful gift from the Jack Brockhoff of Human Services (DHS) and Department of Health Foundation, will take place on 23 March 2010, hosted has progressed to the North Western Metropolitan by the Dean. The bushfire tragedy has affected many of Health Region. us, through the loss of friends and colleagues. Professor Professor Alistair Woodward, Head of the School Waters played a leading role in the University’s of Population Health at the University of Auckland, contribution to the community’s rebuilding effort. undertook a sabbatical with us in the Centre for Associate Professor Marilys Guillemin has been Molecular, Environmental, Genetic and Analytic appointed as the Faculty’s new Associate Dean Epidemiology (MEGA Epi). Professor John Mathews (Equity and Staff Development), succeeding was appointed the Executive Officer for the Menzies Professor Doris Young, who has become Associate Foundation, succeeding Professor John Coghlan, but Dean (Academic). In addition, Associate Professor continued his active research role in VIRGo and MEGA Marilys Guillemin was Acting Head of the Centre for Epi. Health and Society for 2009. Associate Professor John Fitzgerald has been appointed Significant Lectures and Presentations Executive Manager at VicHealth, (Healthy Eating, Alcohol, Tobacco, UV Exposure and Research), having Miegunyah Public Lecture spent the past three years in the Centre for Health and The University attracted internationally respected Society as a VicHealth Senior Research Fellow, and as global health and pandemics scholar Professor the Faculty’s Associate Dean (Knowledge Transfer). Lawrence Gostin, of Georgetown University, to deliver the 2009 Miegunyah Public Lecture at the University Awards of Melbourne on Wednesday, 16 September. His topic was ‘Meeting the Basic Survival Needs of the Professor Hugh Taylor, Harold Mitchell Chair of World’s Least Healthy People: Towards a Framework Indigenous Eye Health, was awarded the Helen Keller Convention on Global Health’. Prize for Vision Research, in recognition of over 30 years’ work in eye health. Professor Taylor is a passionate Melbourne School of Population Health advocate for Indigenous eye health and committed to Public Lectures eliminating trachoma, a blinding and curable eye disease. The School continued its very active public lecture series throughout 2009, with our many expert Dr Adrian Lowe (MEGA Epi) received the Dean’s speakers covering diverse and diverting topics. Award for Excellence in a PhD Thesis. These included Dr Nigel Gray on tobacco (Historical Dr Erminia Colucci (CIMH) was honoured in the blunders, industry malfeasances