Category: Students and young professionals
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Reflections on SA Population Health Conference 2025
Eva Kemp, Sharon Kemboi, Honoka Nishida, and Lynne Lagahit The South Australian (SA) Population Health Conference is getting bigger each year. Held on 24 October, this year’s conference had 78 abstracts and 140 attendees. Some of the PHAA SA Branch student representatives reflected on their experience and shared what they…
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Save UTS Public Health School and strengthen health education
Ximena Tolosa, Andrea Britton, Jesse Hoopes, Md Saiful Islam, Lisa Sharwood, Sandra Steele, Andrew Japri, Peter Black The PHAA One Health Special Interest Group (SIG) stands with the Australasian Epidemiological Association, the Medical Journal of Australia and other institutions in opposing the proposed closure of the School of Public Health…
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In the settler colonial state, how do we incorporate decolonisation into curriculum meaningfully and successfully?
Shayal Prasad and Penelope Smith with Gem Allinson, Holly Donaldson, Dr Kath Francis, Isabelle Haklar, Angela Semanda, and Kesang Thrinlek In the following piece, we use the terms First Nation Australians, Indigenous People and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander as per the PHAA Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Guide to…
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Why did I choose to leave medicine and pursue a career in public health?
Natalia Sterling My friends, family, colleagues and lecturers often ask this question. The story begins in my final year of medical school in Poznan, Poland, the city where my mum grew up. I truly enjoyed studying medicine, learning how to help people by understanding how disease disrupts the normal human…
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Prevention is Political – Reflections from the 2025 Preventive Health Conference
Allyson Todd I am grateful to have been supported by the PHAA NSW Branch Scholarship to attend the 2025 Preventive Health Conference in Canberra. It felt both surreal and serendipitous to be in Australia’s capital just days before the 3 May federal election under the conference theme ‘Prevention is…
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Finding my place in public health through purpose
Louis Commins “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Lao Tzu It is this ancient Chinese proverb that resonates most with me as my internship with the Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA) comes to an end and I look to my future career in public…
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Public health campaigns beyond borders
Professor Muhammad Aziz Rahman In Australia and around the world, government, not-for-profit, and private organisations campaign to raise awareness for various public health issues. Specific days, weeks, or months are often used to commemorate or advance global health, like Movember, STEPtember, and World Heart Day. With hundreds of global health…
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Intern applications have entered the Chat… (GPT)
Lily Pratt, PHAA Policy Officer It has been another incredible turn-out for the 2025 PHAA policy and advocacy intern program with almost 300 applications vying for several spots at PHAA, Cancer Council, Dementia Australia, and Lung Foundation Australia. Typically, the Policy and Advocacy team each January reviews every application (a…
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Reflections on the South Australian Population Health Conference
Chelsea Dyer, Kesiye Leghemo, Zahra Ali Padhani and Tharika Rodrigo The South Australian Population Health Conference on 25 October was so successful it sold out the venue. Hosted by the state Branches of PHAA and the Australian Health Promotion Association, the conference is the state’s premier developmental opportunity for emerging…
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The value of connection for public health scholars
Erin Fitzpatrick, Penelope Smith, Toya Ricci, Xavier Mills, and Khwanruethai Ngampromwongse Pursuing a PhD requires intense focus, often resulting in isolation from social pursuits, employment, and many aspects of regular life. Academic systems can exacerbate feelings of isolation and loneliness, through ruthless competition and emphasis on individual success. While pursuing…
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Adversity to advocacy: Ruqia’s path to public health
Ruqia Mohamed As a first-generation Australian Somali, my life has always been intertwined with the threads of family, culture, and faith. Growing up, our home was filled with laughter, shared meals, and endless conversations. These elements of our close-knit family life were the foundation of my upbringing, instilling in me…
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Why attend a PHAA conference?
A big part of our work at PHAA is delivering conferences which cover different public health topics, like prevention, disease control, and mental health. Our conferences are hosted around Australia and provide a platform for public health professionals to network, collaborate, and learn from one another. We’re looking forward to…
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“One of the best things I’ve done”: student reps describe volunteering with PHAA
Priyanka Mascarenhas, Negin Mirzaei Damabi, Jay Kongsawat, Faith John, Zahra Ali Padhani, Chijindu Etalong These six student representatives from the PHAA South Australia Branch share their experience volunteering with the Association, and how they developed confidence, networks, and skills they will use throughout their public health careers. We’re excited to…
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Nikhil Kumar on bridging the gap between uni and the real-world
While initially daunting, the transition straight from university life to the dynamic world of public health at PHAA was filled with invaluable lessons and experiences. I joined the Association as an intern in January, after completing a Master of Public Health at the end of 2023. I was most surprised…