Industry members
David Towl
Executive Lead, Community Impact, Access Health and Community
David has more than 15 years’ experience in health promotion, health policy and community development. He is a qualified paramedic having formerly held senior clinical, training and risk management roles with St John Ambulance in both New Zealand and Australia.
David is a previous State President and National Treasurer of the Australian Health Promotion Association. He currently serves as Secretary of Chalk Circle, an independent not-for-profit, creating conversations around gender literacy to empower the next generation. David is passionate about raising the profile of prevention and health promotion within the health sector, as well as about gender and health, and the role that men play within the health promotion profession.
Todd Harper
CEO Cancer Council Victoria
For three decades, Todd Harper has led organisations dedicated to global public health and prevention, including Cancer Council Victoria, Quit Victoria and VicHealth. Todd is President of the NCD Alliance. Since 2011, as Cancer Council Victoria’s Chief Executive Officer, Todd has led the organisation’s important work in cancer research, prevention, support, and advocacy.
During this time Cancer Council has led research initiatives in tobacco plain packaging, screening campaigns, obesity prevention, been at the forefront of bans on solariums and campaigns on junk food, alcohol and smoking.
Todd has a bachelors degree in economics, a postgraduate diploma in health promotion, a masters degree in health economics, and was recently awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Deakin University for ‘outstanding contributions and commitment to public health and for willingness to be innovative and brave in advocating for public health’.
Aileen Thoms
As Director of Primary Health and Innovation at Kooweerup Regional Health Service, Aileen has extensive experience in public health care for over 35 years. Aileen has a background in primary health including health promotion prevention-based roles and project management, emergency nursing, mental health, and aged care. She has worked in clinical and leadership roles in metropolitan and rural health services.
Aileen has developed and delivered social and community-based initiatives that improve health and wellbeing for the community and enabled the development of KRHS as a Health Promoting Health Service over 14 years. As an experienced leader in the complex health environment, Aileen has built strong partnerships with community and other agencies to strengthen collaboration and achieve positive outcomes.
Aileen has interest in how the ecological determinants of health effect the liveability of the environments in which we live and the impacts on those who have the poorest health outcomes.
Deakin members
Dr Erik Martin, Lecturer, Public Health
Professor Jennifer Watts, Head of School, Health and Social Development
Dr Matthew Dunn, Lead, Public Health and Health Promotion
Teresa Capetola, Director, Postgraduate Health Promotion
Dr Shane Kavanagh, Director, Postgraduate Public Health
Associate Professor Lisa Gold, Director, Postgraduate Health Economics
Dr Hayley McKenzie, Co-director, Bachelor of Public Health and Health Promotion
Dr Julie Abimanyi-Ochom, Director, Bachelor of Public Health and Health Promotion
Dr Trish Taylor, Co-director, Bachelor of Public Health and Health Promotion
Graduate representatives
Elise Tulloch
Student representatives
Nick Pascual, Master of Public Health
Katherine Coghlan, Bachelor of Public Health and Health Promotion
Meagan Forder, Bachelor of Public Health and Health Promotion
Contact us
Get in touch or visit us at our Melbourne Burwood, Geelong Waterfront or Warrnambool Campuses.
+61 3 9251 7777