Media Release

September 9 2009

UniSA researcher to lead NHMRC committee

Professor Kerin O'Dea UniSA public health researcher Professor Kerin O’Dea AO has been appointed as a member of the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and will chair the NHMRC’s new Prevention and Community Health Committee.

Prof O’Dea, who is Director of UniSA’s Sansom Institute for Health Research, takes up the new appointments through to end June 2012.

A nutrition scientist who has made major contributions to understanding the relationship between diet and chronic diseases, Prof O’Dea is delighted to be one of 18 new NHMRC members from around Australia. She is one of two South Australian appointees – the other is SA Health’s Chief Medical Officer Professor Paddy Phillips.

Prof O’Dea’s role as chair of the NHMRC’s Prevention and Community Health Committee was announced by Parliamentary Secretary Mark Butler this week.

Prof O’Dea said the Prevention and Community Health Committee would provide expert advice on promoting and maintaining good health and wellbeing, including such matters as public and environmental health, illness prevention, community and health consumer issues, and healthy ageing.

“I’m looking forward to the challenge,” said Prof O’Dea, who recently launched a new vision for the Sansom Institute to address South Australia’s – and Australia’s – public health challenges into the future.

UniSA Deputy Vice Chancellor Research and Innovation Professor Caroline McMillen warmly congratulated Prof O’Dea on her appointment and said UniSA had built a reputation as a highly connected research active organisation making a strong contribution to the community.

NHMRC is the Australian Government’s peak body for funding health and medical research in Australia, funding over $718 million in research in 2009. The new Council will be chaired by Professor Michael Good, who has been appointed for a second term, and is Director of the Queensland Institute of Medical Research.