Professorial Lecture Series - Professor Alex Brown

Overcoming health Inequalities experienced by Aboriginal Australians: Is there light at the end of the tunnel?

The Professorial Lecture Series will be held on the last Monday of each month, with each series delivered by a newly appointed professor.

The first in our series is Professor Alex Brown who is a medical doctor and researcher. Alex's lecture will commence at 6.00pm, followed by drinks and nibbles (provided) in the foyer of the lecture theatre.

Despite significant attention to the inequalities in health and social outcomes experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, the stark realities of disadvantage and marginalisation continue to pervade contemporary Australian society. On almost all indicators, Indigenous Australians fare worse than their non-Indigenous counterparts. This has become one of society’s most enduring divides. Previous policies, investments and approaches have offered glimmers of hope, and not all indicators of disparity are heading in the wrong direction. But progress is painfully slow - almost imperceptible. What will it take to change the course of inequity? What role could science play in reducing the gap experienced by our First Peoples? What role can an institution play in such a grand societal challenge?

Hear more about our speaker:

Professor Alex Brown has been involved in policy since he commenced as a doctor.
He has been heavily involved in engaging government and lead agencies in setting the agenda in Aboriginal cardiovascular disease management and control and chronic disease policy more broadly.

He sits on a range of national committees, including the Heart Foundation, chairs the Cardiac Society Indigenous Cardiovascular Council and was a member of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Equality Council (2009-2012). In July 2012, Alex joined SAHMRI to lead the Aboriginal health research. He joined the University in 2019 as a joint appointment with SAHMRI, with a focus on Health Equity.