Our executive
Head of School
Professor David Sibbritt
Professor David Sibbritt is Head of the School of Public Health. David is a Professor of Epidemiology who focuses on chronic diseases and in particular, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases.
David is an experienced quantitative researcher, with expertise in research methodology and statistical analyses. He is also a recipient of the Public Health Association of Australia mentor of the year award, for his extensive mentoring of junior academics. He has also supervised more than 30 PhD students to successful completion.
He has produced more than 350 academic publications, with an H-Index of >50, and has received more than 10,000 citations. He has also been a chief investigator on numerous National Health and Medical Research Council and Australian Research Council-funded projects.
David is a member of the Public Health Association of Australia, the Australasian Epidemiological Association and he is an Associate Editor of two international peer-reviewed journals.
Deputy Head of School (Research)
Distinguished Professor Jon Adams
Jon Adams is Distinguished Professor of Public Health and Deputy Head of School (Research) in the School of Public Health, UTS.
Jon was awarded a prestigious Fulbright Senior Scholarship (Fulbright Commission, 2019-2020) and he holds a number of national and international leadership positions/appointments with leading associations such as the PHAA and APHA as well as an Honorary Professorship in Public Health at the Imperial College London.
Jon is the world-leading public health and health services researcher focused upon self-care, informal health care and traditional, complementary and integrative medicine use and practice. Jon has led work commissioned and supported by a range of Health Ministries/Depts of Health, the Pan American Health Organization and the World Health Organization amongst others.
Jon's research program has attracted over $26M in competitive external funding to date including 23 Category 1 Grants. Jon is also dedicated to supervision, mentoring and teaching and learning excellence.
He was awarded the National Mentor of the Year Award by the Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA) in 2017, he has designed and directs/co-directs 4 world-first international research leadership programs focused upon a range of health professions, he currently supervisors 13 PhD students (with another 20+ completed and awarded) and has mentored over 90 early-career and mid-career researchers to date.
Jon has authored over 620 peer-reviewed academic publications and is Chief Editor of 11 international research books and author of over 70 book chapters with leading publishing houses.
Deputy Head of School (Teaching and Learning)
Associate Professor Deborah Debono
Deborah is passionate about improving the safety and quality of delivery of services across health and social care sectors and committed to doing so through teaching and research. Deborah is an internationally recognised expert in investigating the use of workarounds that are ubiquitous in health and social care. Identification of workarounds is pivotal to illuminating the difference between how work is imagined to be done (work-as-imagined) and how work is actually done (work-as-done). As such, understanding workarounds is pivotal to effective implementation and evaluation. Once identified, workarounds can inform strategies to address barriers to program implementation.
Currently Deborah: Co-Chairs the Justice Health and Mental and Forensic Health Network Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC); is Associate Editor and Editorial Board Member, Health Information Management Journal (HIMJ); Honorary Senior Research Fellow at Australian Institute of Health Innovation; Visiting Fellow, St Vincent's Clinical School, UNSW Medicine at the University of New South Wales, and Honorary Research Fellow, Uniting; Advisory member of the Care and Clinical Care Governance Committee, Anglicare. Deborah was a Director on the Anglicare Board (2019-2022) and a member of the SESLHD HREC (2016-2022). At UTS Deborah serves on the Faculty of Health and Faculty of Law Boards and the School of Public Health Teaching and Learning Committee.
Head of Discipline (Health Services Management)
Professor Emily Callander
Professor Emily Callander is health economist and health services researcher specialising in maternal, women's and child health. Emily is Professor, and Head of Discipline for Health Services Management in the School of Public Health. She leads a Women’s Economics and Value-Based Care research program, externally funded by a number of NHMRC and MRFF grants.
Emily collaborates widely across a number of key maternal health research centres within Australia and internationally to provide the economic evidence base to guide health service and policy decision-making. This includes undertaking economic evaluation alongside randomised controlled trials, measuring costs and outcomes with real-world linked administrative data, and conducting local-health service level economic modeling.
Emily sits on a number of maternal health state government committees; and she is a member of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee Economics Subcommittee, where she provides economic advice on all new drugs seeking public subsidisation through the PBS. Emily’s mission is to improve the equity and efficiency of health services and systems by embedding economic evidence into decision-making.
Head of Discipline (Indigenous Health)
Professor Faye McMillan AM FPS
Professor Faye McMillan is a proud Wiradjuri yinaa (woman) originally from Trangie, NSW, now living and working between rural/regional, urban NSW and the USA.
In 23/24 Faye completed the Commonwealth Fund Harkness Fellows program, conducting internationally comparative research on a key health care delivery or policy issue with mentorship from leading U.S. experts. In 2023 Faye was made a Fellow of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia as well as being awarded the University of Wollongong Alumni award for Professional Excellence. In 2022 she was named as the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, Australian Pharmacist of the Year. In the 2021 Queen's Birthday Honours List Faye was awarded the Australian Medal (AM) in the General Division of the Order of Australia for "significant service to Indigenous Mental Health, and to tertiary education". Furthermore, in March of 2021, she was named one of two Deputy National Rural Health Commissioners, a role that continues to today, and in 2019 was honoured to be named as the NSW Aboriginal Woman of the year.
Faye is a Senior Atlantic Fellow for Social Equity (Atlantic Institute), as well as a Senior Fellow with Advance HE. She is a founding member of Indigenous Allied Health Australia (IAHA) and was a board member of IAHA from 2009-2017 (and chairperson from 2010-2016). Faye joined UTS in Oct 2022 as Professor of Indigenous Health, and Head of Discipline (Indigenous Health). Faye has over 20 years of experience in the Higher Education Sector and over 30 years in the health sector.
Senior Lecturer, Course Director (M Public Health)
Dr Daniel Demant
Dr Daniel Demant is an epidemiologist and Senior Lecturer in SoPH, and is Course Director (MPH). Daniel holds a diverse range of qualifications, including degrees in Public Health, Epidemiology, Education, and Applied Social Sciences. His extensive research contributions have been published in leading peer-reviewed journals and presented at national and international conferences.
As a researcher, Daniel specialises in epidemiological study designs and quantitative data analysis, focusing on LGBTQ+ health. His research has been used to inform and develop health policy in the areas of sexual wellbeing and substance use domestically (e.g., the NSW Health HIV Strategy or the Queensland Government Child Safety Practice Manual on working with young people and alcohol and other drugs) as well as overseas (e.g., UK Government Advisory Council on the issue of Drugs).
Daniel serves in different leadership positions in teaching as the Director for the Postgraduate Public Health courses since July 2024 and previously as the Course Director for the Bachelor of Public Health from 2020 to 2023. In addition, Daniel currently serves as the Chair of the Medical Research Ethics Committee and was a board member of the Council of Academic Public Health Institutions Australasia (CAPHIA).
School Manager
Jo Dwyer
Jo Dwyer is the School Manager of Public Health, a position she has held since 2022. Prior to this, she managed the School of Nursing and Midwifery at UTS from 2020 to 2023.
As School Manager, Jo provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for the professional staff within the School of Public Health, ensuring the delivery of high-quality services that meet the needs of a diverse range of stakeholders. Her responsibilities encompass a broad spectrum of areas, including operational management, financial oversight, workforce planning and development, governance and compliance, stakeholder engagement, and the implementation of strategic initiatives. She also plays a key role in refining systems and procedures, driving process improvements, and managing key projects that enhance the School’s operational effectiveness.
Her extensive career spans multiple sectors, including government, primary and secondary education, non-governmental organisations, corporate enterprises, and higher education. She has held leadership positions at The University of Sydney and now at UTS, bringing a wealth of experience in fostering innovation, operational excellence, and collaborative leadership.
Our Academic and Professional Staff
Below are our continuing and fixed term academic and professional staff. Please visit the UTS Profiles of our academics to learn more about their teaching, research and engagement work. The school’s work is also supported by more than 50 casual academic and casual professional staff, that regularly change depending on requirements.
- Distinguished Professor Jon Adams – Distinguished Professor of Public Health, Deputy Head of School (Research)
- Professor Scott Avery – Professor of Indigenous Disability, Health, and Wellbeing
- Dr Kirsten Baker – Postdoctoral Research Fellow
- Katie Burnett – Senior Clinical Administration Officer
- Professor Emily Callander – Professor, Head of Discipline (Health Services Management)
- Tristan Carter – Postdoctoral Research Associate
- Dr Sungwon Chang – Senior Lecturer
- Janelle Craig – Lecturer, Course Director (Health Services Management)
- Professor Angela Dawson – Professor & FoH Associate Dean Research
- Dr Mariana de Souza e Souza – Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Research Fellow
- Dr Daniel Demant – Senior Lecturer, Course Director (M Public Health)
- Associate Professor Michelle DiGiacomo – Associate Professor, Course Director (Palliative Care)
- Jo Dwyer – School Manager
- Dr Hope Foley – Postdoctoral Research Fellow
- Associate Professor Jane Frawley – Associate Professor
- Dr Klaus Gebel – Senior Lecturer
- Dr Rachel Grove – Chancellor’s Research Fellow
- Professor Andrew Hayen – Professor of Biostatistics
- Evie Heap – Project Coordinator
- Dr Suyin Hor – Senior Lecturer, HDR Program Coordinator
- Yanan Hu – Research Associate
- Dr Peter Lekkas
- Dr Shannon Lin – Senior Lecturer, Course Director (Diabetes)
- Associate Professor Tim Luckett – Associate Professor
- Dr Abela Mahimbo – Senior Lecturer
- Jacintha Manton – Associate Lecturer, FoH Indigenous Student Liaison Officer
- Professor Faye McMillan AM FPS – Professor of Indigenous Health, Head of Discipline (Indigenous Health)
- Dr Heidi Merrington – Postdoctoral Research Fellow
- Associate Professor Nikki Percival – Associate Professor
- Bernard Saliba – Senior Lecturer, SoPH Academic Liaison Officer
- Dr Albie Sharpe – Lecturer, Course Director (B Public Health)
- Professor David Sibbritt – Professor of Epidemiology, Head of the School of Public Health
- Michelle St Lambert – Senior Administrative Officer
- Associate Professor Amie Steel – Associate Professor
- Josephine Tilgals – Centre Coordinator, ARCCIM
- Jasmine Williams – Aboriginal Research Assistant
- Dr Sarah Wise – Senior Lecturer
Our Honorary Staff
Honorary appointees are recognised academic, business or community leaders who associate themselves with the school to collaborate with, assist and provide advice. The school is fortunate to be supported by the following honorary staff:
- Dr Heena Akbar – Fellow
- Mohammad Basim Al-Ansari – Fellow
- Ana Paula Antunes Ferreira – Visiting Fellow
- Shifa Basjarahil – Visiting Fellow
- Professor Deborah Bateson – Professor
- Dr Jennifer Bichel-Findlay – Fellow
- Dr Clare Boerma – Fellow
- Dr Patricia Bradd – Associate Professor (Industry)
- Dr Gwendoline Burton – Fellow
- Dr Michael Camit – Fellow
- Jane Carland – Fellow
- Dr Yan Cheng – Fellow
- Gabriel Cheung – Fellow
- Akanisi Adikainona Dawainavesi – Visiting Fellow
- Associate Professor Marcelo Demarzo – Visiting Fellow
- Om Prakash Dhungel – Fellow
- Dr Renee E Dixson – Fellow
- Dr Tina Dixson – Fellow
- Dr Robyn Drysdale – Associate Professor (Industry)
- Elsa Fentie – Visiting Scholar
- Professor Gerald Fogarty – Professor
- Associate Professor Anne Grunseit – Associate Professor
- Dr Josephine Gwynn – Fellow
- Associate Professor Benjamin Harris-Roxas – Associate Professor
- Robyn Henao Urrego – Fellow
- Associate Professor Anita Heywood – Associate Professor
- Professor Ponndara Ith – Professor
- Associate Professor Melissa Kang – Associate Professor
- Dr Surendra Karki – Fellow
- Mark Kearin – Industry/Professional Fellow
- Fleur Kelly – Fellow
- Dr Abolhassan Khavarpour – Fellow
- Dr Linda Kurti – Fellow
- Alexander Lee – Industry/Professional Fellow
- Professor Mingzi Li – Professor
- Dr Paul Long – Associate Professor (Industry)
- Dr Virginia Macdonald – Fellow
- Carrie Marr – Professor (Industry)
- Dr Thomas McClean – Associate Professor
- Dr Cindy McIntyre – Visiting Fellow
- Dr Gopi Anne McLeod – Visiting Fellow
- Dr Dominic Morgan – Professor (Industry)
- Dr Lee Muddle – Visiting Fellow
- Dr Ngatho Mugo – Fellow
- Associate Professor Sally Nathan – Associate Professor
- Dr Ashley Ng – Fellow
- Dr Jeremy Y Ng – Associate Professor
- Dr Kathleen Peters – Fellow
- Dr Mark Ragg – Fellow
- Dr Claire Rogers – Fellow
- Dr Tuly Rosenfeld – Professor
- Dr Nadom Safi – Fellow
- Dr Carla Saunders – Fellow
- Dr Kathrin Schmieder – Visiting Fellow
- Max Gebhard Schnepf – Visiting Fellow
- Dr Deborah Stockton – Fellow
- Dr Stephanie Taplin – Associate Professor
- Dr Rebecca Tinning – Associate Professor
- Dr Nguyen Toan Tran – Professor (Industry)
- Dr Loïc Treffel – Visiting Fellow
- Troy Trgetaric – Professor (Industry)
- Dr Andisheh Vahedi – Fellow
- Grace Ward – Fellow
- Professor Megan Williams – Professor (Industry)
- Professor Mirkuzie Woldie Keire – Professor
- Sarah Yeo – Visiting Fellow
Dr Theodros Zemedu – Fellow