Tarun Weeramanthri is President of the Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA) and a member of the Governing Council of the World Federation of Public Health Associations.

He was Chief Health Officer in Western Australia from 2008 to 2018, and in the Northern Territory from 2004 to 2007. In 2014, he was awarded the Sidney Sax Medal by PHAA, for his contribution to public health in Australia, and in 2022 he was made a member of the Order of Australia for service to public health administration.

He is currently also Deputy Chair of the PathWest Board, a board member of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, and Chair of the Healthway Research Assessment Committee.

Ainslie is the President of PHAA WA Branch, and is the Food and Movement Programs Manager at Cancer Council WA, overseeing the LiveLighter® public education campaign and the Crunch&Sip® schools nutrition program. She also oversees the team’s advocacy activities, which aim to advance nutrition and obesity prevention policies in WA and Australia, primarily focusing on changes to the food environment.  She’s also Deputy Chair of Cancer Council Australia’s Nutrition, Alcohol and Physical Activity Committee. Ainslie has a background in law and nutrition and employs both these skills regularly in her roles. Ainslie enjoys collaborating with public health professionals including researchers, health promotion practitioners and public health advocates across her roles. Before finding her passion for public health, she worked in Perth and London as a corporate lawyer.

Kevin is an aspiring public health focused clinician-scientist working to integrate bench-to-bedside discoveries into the global community utilising population health measures. As a member of the 2023 APHC advisory committee, Kevin aims to maximise the accessibility for students and early career professionals as well as incorporate practical and informative sessions. In 2021, he joined the SYPPH committee to apply his theoretical training, work together with passionate students and early career professionals and make a measurable impact in motivating all those interested in public health. Kevin is interested in exploring the intersectionality and entirety of the healthcare pipeline, from drug discovery, clinical trials to commercialisation and community implementation. Through his professional experiences in biomedical research, public health and business development, Kevin ultimately endeavours to champion and empower his fellow peers and colleagues to join him in forging a multidisciplinary health career.  Kevin is both a Bachelor of Biomedicine graduate, and currently a MD Candidate with the University of Melbourne.

Ms Khwanruethai Ngampromwongse is a proud Wiradjuri, Wailwaan and Thai PhD Candidate in the First Nations Cancer and Wellbeing Research Program at the University of Queensland School of Public Health.

Khwanruethai is also the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice Cluster Convenor for the Public Health Association of Australia.

Khwanruethai’s PhD focuses on Cancer Screening at the Intersection: Supporting LGBTQISB+ First Nations peoples.

At the University of Queensland, Khwanruethai leads Enabling Cancer Screening for LGBTQISB+ Mob, a research project that centres the views and experiences of LGBTQISB+ First Nations people with the aim of improving the delivery of appropriate early detection and cancer screening for LGBTQISB+ First Nations peoples that is culturally safe, supportive of sexuality and gender identity, and ameliorates the discrimination related barriers to cancer care.

A public health leader with strong communication, marketing and governance skills, Sue-Ellen has a passion for improving health outcomes by building effective partnerships across the community.

She has a broad range of experience in strategic planning and implementation, policy, program and system development. She also has a keen interest in evaluation, translating research into practice and capability improvement.

Sue-Ellen holds a MPH and a Bachelor of Commerce. In her current role as Manager, Health Promotion Partnerships at Healthway, the Western Australia Health Promotion Foundation, Sue-Ellen leads Healthway’s community investment, particularly across the sport and arts sectors. She has also previously worked in the UK and is director of a mid-tier sport.

Dr Craig Cumming is an early career researcher who investigates mental health challenges, drug and alcohol-related problems, dual diagnosis, and preventable poor health outcomes for people impacted by the justice system, as well as people experiencing homelessness. Craig’s work has included interviewing study participants in custodial settings, as well as analysing a range of linked State and Commonwealth administrative data. He completed a Bachelor of Laws (Hons)/Bachelor of Criminology and Justice double degree at Edith Cowan University (ECU) in 2016, before completing his PhD at the School of Population and Global Health at the University of Western Australia (UWA) in 2024. Craig currently sits on the Board of Mental Health Matters 2 Ltd, a lived-experience-led charity that advocates for systemic reform to help people with mental health/AOD challenges who come into contact with the justice system.

Kaya, my name Is Saira Rind, a proud Yamatji Badimaya woman, deeply rooted in the rich cultural tapestry of my heritage. Hailing from the Yamatji Country, I carry the spirit of my ancestors, fostering a strong connection to the land and traditions. As a passionate advocate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander empowerment, I have dedicated my career to contributing meaningfully to the advancement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Through my roles in health promotion, community engagement, and education initiatives, I strive to amplify the voices of my people and promote positive change. With a commitment to cultural sensitivity and a deep understanding of the complexities faced by my communities, I am driven to contribute to a more equitable and reconciled Australia. Embracing the teachings of my ancestors, I navigate my journey with resilience, pride, and a profound sense of responsibility to the generations that follow.

Matt works at Cancer Council WA where he is responsible for delivering Cancer Council’s national occupational and environmental cancer prevention project, KNOW Workplace Cancer. Matt completed a PhD in the Curtin School of Population Health researching asbestos exposure in the residential environment. Previously, he worked at a road safety research centre where he was involved in a diverse range of projects from examining Western Australian drivers’ attitudes toward, knowledge and use of advanced driver assist pre-crash technologies through to identifying road safety issues for Aboriginal people living in regional and remote WA. Matt is currently the Vice President of the PHAA WA Branch.

Dr Emma Croager is a PHAA Fellow and has worked in leadership, disease prevention and health promotion for more than 20 years. Emma is based on Yawuru Country in the Kimberley where she works for a regional health service. She has experience across the university, not-for-profit, private and government sectors and her work is guided by the principles of evidence, equity, ethics and empowerment.

Penelope Strauss (she/her) is a Research Fellow in Youth Suicide Prevention at the Telethon Kids Institute and an adjunct research fellow at the University of Western Australia. Penelope received her Master of Public Health and PhD from the University of Western Australia. Her current research aims to decrease rates of suicide among LGBTQA+ young people in Australia and she has an overarching interest in equity issues.

Dr Denise Sullivan has a career spanning over twenty-five years in senior management and executive roles in the state public and not-for-profit health sectors. 

​

As Director Chronic Disease Prevention with the Department of Health, she leads the development of state chronic disease and injury prevention policy and planning frameworks and contributes to the shaping of the national preventive health policy agenda.
 
Her professional interests cover many aspects of chronic disease and injury prevention encompassing health communications, health promotion and research, public policy on health, and workforce planning and development. She has a particular interest in furthering collaborations with other sectors with a mutual interest in promoting a more active and healthier WA community, and creating and sustaining environments that support this.

​

Denise is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Leadership WA Signature Program, an Associate Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management and the Australian College of Health Service Managers, and an Adjunct Professor with the School of Allied Health, UWA.

Sneha is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Indigenous Oral Health Unit at the University of Adelaide. She has a dental background with a masters in oral pathology with a keen interest in oral and oropharyngeal cancers. Sneha currently leads an NHMRC funded project - "Human Papillomavirus and oropharyngeal cancer in Indigenous Australians cohort study"; and is also involved across other research projects involving Indigenous oral health. Sneha is passionate about cancer disparities and oral health inequities in the global Indigenous Health context. She is actively involved in advocacy for oral health equity and dental care services, and is the co-convenor for the Oral Health SIG within the Public Health Association of Australia."

Mr Terry Slevin has been Chief Executive Officer for the Public Health Association of Australia since May 2018.

He is Adjunct Professor in the National Drug Research Institute at Curtin University and Adjunct Professor in the College of Health and Medicine at the Australian National University.

He is a Fellow of PHAA and was the first Vice President (Development) of the Association.