Prof Stephen Simpson AC FAA FRS

Academic Director of the Charles Perkins Centre and Professor in the School of Life and Environmental Sciences at the University of Sydney, Executive Director of Obesity Australia

Professor Stephen Simpson is Academic Director of the Charles Perkins Centre, an Australian Research Council Laureate Fellow and Professor in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Sydney. 

Together with colleague David Raubenheimer, Stephen developed an integrative modelling framework for nutrition, the Geometric Framework which has been applied to a range of problems including the dietary causes of human obesity and ageing. 

Stephen has won several awards for his research including the Eureka Prize for Scientific Research (2008) and NSW Scientist of the Year (2009). He was also co-writer, narrator and presenter of the four-part documentary Great Southern Land, for ABC TV, which was aired to critical and viewer acclaim in September 2012.

A/Prof Annette Schmiede

CEO Digital Health CRC, Chair of Research Australia

Northern Sydney LHD And Research Australia

Annette maintains leadership and governance roles across Australia’s health, university and medical research sectors.  Until recently she was the Executive Leader of the Bupa Health Foundation, Australia’s leading corporate foundation dedicated to funding health and medical research. 

She is Deputy Chair of the NSLHD and Chair of Research Australia. She has a deep understanding of the complex policy and funding issues facing the provision of health services in Australia and the challenges of building a sustainable health system, particularly through maintaining healthy populations. This is especially evident with obesity and the need for action on obesity prevention to reduce the burden of other chronic diseases. Annette is an Adjunct Associate Professor in the School of Public Health at Sydney University.

Prof Emeritus Ian Caterson AM FRSN

Professor of Human Nutrition and Foundation Director of The Boden Collaboration for Obesity Nutrition, Exercise & Eating Disorders at the University of
Sydney

MBBS (Hons) BSc(Med) (Hons) PhD (The University Of Sydney) FRACP

Ian Caterson is currently Foundation Director of the Boden Institute of Obesity Nutrition Exercise and Eating Disorders, as well as Boden Professor of Human Nutrition at the University of Sydney. 

Prior to that he was Senior Staff Specialist and Director of Clinical Endocrinology at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney, where, in 1984, he established the first multi-disciplinary weight management service in Australia. He was a recipient of the prestigious Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Foundation Medal for 2015.

In 2005, Professor Ian Caterson alongside fellow colleagues, Professor Kopelman and Dr DIetz wrote a book titled Clinical Obesity, published by Blackwell Publishers.

Ian is a recognised expert on obesity, its causes, prevention and management. He was on the Prevention and Community Health Committee of the NHMRC of Australia and chaired the Expert Obesity Committee of the Australian National Preventive Health Agency. He is President-elect of World Obesity.

Ms Sue Bellino

Former Political Director for the Australian Nursing And Midwifery Federation

Sue Bellino is the Political Director for the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation, the union for nurses, midwives and assistants in nursing in Australia. The ANMF is Australia’s largest trade union. 

Sue Bellino coordinates the national campaigns, political strategy, and media and communications for the ANMF federally and has done for the last 10 years.

Sue currently coordinates the campaign and strategy for the national aged care campaign for the ANMF, Ratios for Aged Care, Make them Law Now.

Previously, Sue held the position of Senior Advisor at CPR Communications and Public Relations, and was Political Co-ordinator for the Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union for the 2007 WorkChoices Campaign.

Mr Andrew Wilson

Engagement lead for the Weight Issues Network

Andrew Wilson is a husband and father of a teenage son. He is passionate about helping people living with obesity and struggling with mental health issues. He enjoys swimming at his local pool, walking in the beautiful Blue Mountains, presenting on local community radio (10 years), beekeeping, trying to become a self-sustainable gardener and is a local Rural Fire Service volunteer firefighter. In 2019, Andrew founded Lads Living Large, a men’s obesity self-support group, with other likeminded men. Just months after losing a friend in 2019, he also founded the Mid Mountains Men’s Walk & Talk, a group of men who exercise, connect and support each other in the Blue Mountains area. Both of these groups have managed to support men through some very challenging times.

Prof Caroline Miller

Director of the Health Policy Centre at SAHMRI

Professor Caroline Miller is the Director of the Health Policy Centre at SAHMRI. She is also an NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow 2 at the University of Adelaide. Caroline is qualified in Psychology, Economics and Public Health.

The Health Policy Centre undertakes research in public health prevention – specialising in obesity prevention, tobacco control and COVID-19 policy. The Centre delivers timely and relevant evidence to inform public health policy reform, social marketing campaigns, and other interventions to change the context for health behaviours and reduce the preventable burdens of disease.

Caroline leads a program of research in obesity prevention, with a specialist focus on ultra-processed foods and beverages, including sugar sweetened and non-sugar sweetened beverages. She has specialist expertise in labelling and is currently investigating added sugar labels and consumer warning labels for beverages. She also has interests in public health communication, policy dialogue and reducing weight-stigma.

Caroline has specialised in tobacco control for over 25 years. She was one of a select group of scientists advising the Australian Government on world-leading tobacco plain packaging laws. She contributed to the research program which underpinned the law, and its defence against international legal challenges. She established and leads the Tobacco Control Research + Evaluation program which undertakes population monitoring, research and evaluation in all aspects of tobacco control, including vaping.

Caroline leads SAHMRI’s Community and Consumer Engagement strategy, and is committed to the involvement of people with lived experience in research, policy and services.

She is Vice President (Policy) Public Health Association of Australia, and Council Member Australian New Zealand Obesity Society (ANZOS).

Mr Alan Garner

BComm (University Of Calgary, Canada), CPA (CPA Canada and CA ANZ)

Alan was born in Calgary, Canada, moving to Australia with his wife in 2017. Alan believes that creating change and awareness starts with supporting our communities while fostering a sense of individual agency. Since arriving in Australia, Alan has discovered a passion for triathlons and a love of the coast.

Alan is a partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). He co-leads PwC Australia’s international capital markets team, supporting Australian companies navigate the complexities of global debt and equity offerings. With over 15 years’ experience at PwC, Alan has worked in Australia, Canada, the US and the UK across external audit, private client, not-for-profit, accounting technical, and consulting services.

Throughout his career, Alan has supported organisations undergoing significant transformations to enhance their governance practices and meet growing stakeholder needs. Alan previously served as the Director, Treasurer and Audit Committee Chair of Aventa Addiction Treatment for Women from 2013 to 2017.