Basil Hetzel Oration
| Wednesday, September 17, 2025 |
| 4:20 PM - 5:00 PM |
| Grand Ballroom |
Details
Prof. Rob Moodie - Professor of Public Health, School of Population and Global Health (MSPGH), The University of Melbourne
About the Basil Hetzel Oration:
The Basil Hetzel Oration recognises the contribution and commitment to Public Health Research and Advocacy of the Hon Dr Basil Hetzel AC who spent many years working in the international health arena and is well-known for his work on iodine deficiency disorders. Basil Hetzel was born in London in 1922. He graduated in medicine from the University of Adelaide in 1944. After postgraduate education and research in Adelaide (1945-1951); New York (Fulbright Research Scholar (1951-54); and London (1954-1955), he returned to the University of Adelaide as Reader and later Michell Professor of Medicine (1956-1968). From 1968-1975 he was Foundation Professor of Social and Preventive Medicine at Monash University in Melbourne. He then spent 10 years (1975-1985) with the CSIRO as first Chief of the CSIRO Division of Human Nutrition.
Speaker
Professor Rob Moodie
Professor of Public Health
The University of Melbourne
Power, Politics, and Public Health
Abstract
The oration will attempt to do justice to the theme of the conference, ‘leadership and collaboration to connect a divided world’ - in two parts.
The first part looks at the increasing disconnection that characterises the current state of the world and explores the powerful forces of market fundamentalism. These forces have been undermining our systems of government for decades and have become one of the most powerful drivers of global and local inequity. The second part discusses the leadership skills and approaches that can enable public health practitioners to generate essential partnerships and networks. These collaborations are indispensable to gain real traction and transformative power – power that is just, fair, and healthy.
The first part looks at the increasing disconnection that characterises the current state of the world and explores the powerful forces of market fundamentalism. These forces have been undermining our systems of government for decades and have become one of the most powerful drivers of global and local inequity. The second part discusses the leadership skills and approaches that can enable public health practitioners to generate essential partnerships and networks. These collaborations are indispensable to gain real traction and transformative power – power that is just, fair, and healthy.
Biography
Rob Moodie is Professor of Public Health at the University of Melbourne. Early in his career he worked in the Sudan for Save the Children Fund and Medicins Sans Frontieres, and then for Congress in Central Australia from 1982-1988. For many years he led HIV prevention work with the Burnet Institute, WHO and UNAIDS. Following his role as CEO of VicHealth from 1998-2007, he chaired the National Preventative Health Taskforce. He led the 2023 Lancet series on the Commercial Determinants of Health. He has been teaching and refining leadership skills training programs for the last 15 years mainly in Australia, Malawi and south Asia. He was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia in 2014.
Orator
Rob Moodie
Professor of Public Health
The University of Melbourne
Session Chair(s)
Kate McBride
A/Prof. Population Health
Western Sydney University
