Profile
Dr Alex Brebner on public health and making change upstream
A Hamilton-based registrar on the pandemic that pulled him into public health, and why he sees more potential to do good there than anywhere else.
RACP – Tell us about yourself and your background.
Dr Brebner – Ko Alex Brebner toku ingoa. I’m a Public Health Medicine Registrar. I grew up in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland and went to the University of Auckland and graduated in 2015. I worked as a medical registrar in Taranaki and Waikato before starting my journey in public health in 2020. I helped support the Waikato Public Health Service during the COVID-19 pandemic and then the National Public Health Service Intelligence team before my current role in Te Whatu Ora Improve.
What drew you to studying medicine in the first place?
I was always very scientifically minded, so wanted to have a career that was science related. I was attracted to Medicine because it combines the enjoyment of scientific pursuit with the reward of contributing to society in a positive way.
"I like the holistic view that is required in public health and the need to understand issues from many perspectives: political, cultural, ethical, scientific, economic and more."
What drew you to public health?
I first entered public health at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic which was an exciting time because of the rapid pace of change and the challenge of navigating all the unknowns. However, I also like that public health is a broad field, with many different opportunities. What interests me about public health is the ability to make change upstream, so you can make decisions that influence a large population of people, so there is a lot of potential to do good. I like the holistic view that is required in public health and the need to understand issues from many perspectives: political, cultural, ethical, scientific, economic and more.
What do you find most rewarding about your job?
The ultimate reward comes from the ability to positively influence the lives of many people. On a more practical level, I have an interest in data analytics, epidemiology and artificial intelligence and love that my job allows me to explore these topics in depth and depends on the technical skills I have in these areas. I also appreciate that my job allows me to think through issues at a slower pace and lets me build strong relationships with a diverse group of peers.
What does a typical day look like for you?
Once I’ve dropped my daughter off to kindy, I return home or bike into the office, make a coffee and sit down at the computer. From there I will mostly be emailing, attending meetings, reading, reviewing and writing documents or analysing data. The range of tasks and projects that I might work on is broad, for example I might conduct a literature review, project manage a quality improvement initiative, helping developing a policy, strategy or framework, or performing a cost effectiveness analysis of a new health technology.
Is AI used much in your work? What role do you see AI playing in the work you do?
In my current role I’m supporting the NAIAEAG (National Artificial Intelligence and Algorithm Expert Advisory Group) so our work revolves around AI. In terms of how we might use AI to do this work, AI is already used day-to-day in ways that we aren’t always conscious of, for example spell checkers and videocall background filters. The rise of generative AI and in particular large language models is likely to have a significant impact on how we work, but it’s difficult to predict exactly how. It seems likely that it will substantially impact how we find information, brainstorm, write and improve documents, and analyse data. I think it will also shape the way we learn and in fact I am currently using generative AI to assist my own studies.
"Central to all public health work is the challenge of addressing health inequities and in particular strengthening the health of Māori and Pacific communities."
What do you think are the biggest challenges facing public health in New Zealand?
Central to all public health work is the challenge of addressing health inequities and in particular strengthening the health of Māori and Pacific communities. Additionally, public health has a key role to play in many important challenges, be it climate change, the aging population, delivering health services in a resource-constrained environment or integrating emerging AI tools into health in a safe, ethical and efficient way.
What do you do to de-stress or relax?
For me the formula is pretty simple, spend time with my family, play tennis, do some gardening, blob in front of the TV, and if I get the chance then go for a long walk in the bush.