Dr Amy Bright | 2021 recipient

Amy is an Occupational Physician Registrar. She currently holds a global role with Rio Tinto, in AFOEM’s first Chief Medical Officer in training position. Amy is committed to teaching and building collegial communities. Over the past two years, she organised and facilitated voluntary, informal national study groups, successfully supporting Junior registrars sitting exams. Amy held the positions of federal trainee representative, WA AFOEM trainee representative, and WA ANZSOM trainee representative (2019-2020). Her work reflects her principles of dedication, care, and humility. She received the AFOEM president’s award for trainee commitment (2020).

Dr Harry Chow | 2022 recipient

Dr Harry Chow is a Stage C AFOEM Advanced Trainee, working in the field of occupational and environmental medicine since 2017. He has a Master of Occupational and Environmental Health by Research from Monash University. He is currently the chairperson of the Victorian branch of ANZSOM (The Australian and New Zealand Society of Occupational Medicine).

Australian Capital Territory | Dr Kerryn Coleman and team
The team consists of Fellows Dr Kerryn Coleman (CHO), Dr Vanessa Johnston (Deputy CHO) and Dr Miranda Harris. Trainees are Dr Naomi Clarke, Dr Karin English, Dr Sabrina De Bellis-Ayres and Dr Claire Behm. The team plan, instigate and continually improve the ACT Health response to COVID to protect the health of the public.

New South Wales | Dr Kerry Chant and team
The team consists of Dr Kerry Chant, Chief Health Officer of NSW, and Health Protection NSW. Health Protection NSW is responsible for surveillance and public health response in NSW, including monitoring the incidence of notifiable infectious diseases and taking appropriate action to control the spread of disease. Dr Kerry Chant deserves particular credit for the way she has nurtured and grown Health Protection NSW over the past decade. She has tirelessly managed the pandemic, showing outstanding leadership in formulating timely responses to complex public health issues.

Northern Territory | Associate Professor Vicki Krause
Associate Professor Vicki Krause, Director of the NT Centre for Disease Control, has led the NT COVID response with utmost professionalism amidst significant professional upheaval. Her work, like many excellent public health professionals, goes unrecognised because of her outstanding success in health protection and disease control.

South Australia | Professor Nicola Spurrier and team
The team consists of Professor Nicola Spurrier, SA Chief Public Health Officer, and the team at the Communicable Disease Control Branch for SA Health. They provide safe, transparent and effective leadership, advice and guidance for the health of all South Australians during the pandemic. Throughout the public health emergency, Professor Spurrier has presented as calm, learned and collected.

Queensland | Dr Sonya Bennett
Dr Sonya Bennett, head of the Communicable Disease Branch for Queensland Health and Chair of the Communicable Disease Network of Australia, has been instrumental not only in the Queensland response to COVID but also the national response. Her leadership was recognised during the year with a secondment to Victoria and in August 2020 when she was appointed as Deputy Chief Health Officer for Queensland.

Tasmania | Dr Mark Veitch
Dr Mark Veitch, Director of Public Health at Public Health Services, leads the public health response to COVID in Tasmania. He demonstrates extraordinary leadership, provides clear and considered guidance to government and supports his colleagues and the public health workforce. He is an example of excellence in public health communication to people and groups at all levels, including politicians, colleagues and the public.

Victoria | Professor Brett Sutton and team
Professor Brett Sutton, the Victorian Chief Health Officer, is the face of public health medicine in the state for the COVID pandemic. He provides astute public health advice to inform the response and a collaborative approach amongst public health agencies and experts. Professor Sutton is a supportive leader for the public health team across all levels of government, health services, community organisations and businesses. His ability to engage with the community has been pivotal in ensuring strong public support for the necessary public health actions.

Western Australia | Dr Revle Bangor-Jones and team
Dr Revle Bangor-Jones, Principal Medical Officer in the Office of the Chief Health Officer and Deputy Coordinator of the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre in the Health Department, has been a leader in public health medicine in Western Australia for many years. She leads the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre strategy team, dealing with issues of communication and administration, and liaising with the State Health Incident Coordination Centre.

Dr Kate Murton | 2021 recipient

Dr Kate Murton is a final year Public Health Medicine Advanced Trainee currently working at the Aboriginal Health Council of SA. Kate graduated from the University of New England with a Bachelor of Medicine with Distinction and then completed a Masters of Public Health and Tropical Medicine at James Cook University. She then moved to Adelaide in 2018 to commence Public Health Medicine Advanced training and has worked at the Refugee Health Service, the Heart Foundation and the Communicable Disease Control Branch. Kate has a passion for social justice and environmental sustainability and hopes her career in public health can contribute to addressing inequities and the social determinants of health. When not at work, you will find Kate at the beach, in the garden or running the trails in the Adelaide Hills.

Dr Allison Hempenstall | 2023 recipient

Allison is a medical doctor, researcher and educator. She is a fellow with the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) and has been working throughout the remote Torres Strait in Australia for the past 4 years.

Allison was awarded a Fulbright Queensland Scholarship to undertake her Masters of Public Health, specialising in global health with the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in 2020, where she received the 2021 James H. Ware Award for Public Health Practice.

Dr Tarsha Bulathsinhala  | 2021 recipient

Dr. Tarsha Bulathsinhala is a final year advanced trainee in Rehabilitation Medicine, presently working at Westmead Hospital. She graduated from the University of New South Wales with a Bachelor of Medical Studies and Doctor of Medicine. Her keen interest in research began when she was a medical student, publishing her first paper on restless legs syndrome.

She is presently involved in a study looking at the development of a rehabilitation assessment protocol for COVID-19 patients post ICU admission. She was recently a finalist at the 2021 Northern Sydney Local Health District Exceptional People Awards for her contribution to the provision of clinical care to COVID-19 patients as part of a multidisciplinary acute rehabilitation service. Rehabilitation Medicine has given her the opportunity to marry her interests in research, education and evidence-based clinical practice. Her interests lie in the fields of movement disorders, substance-use disorders and musculoskeletal medicine.