Welcome to Antidote

Bite-sized, tasty morsels of good health — delivered to your digital door

Ever since I was young, I’ve always wanted to be a doctor. I was that child at the community event more interested in the first aid ambulance at the back of the crowd, than the show on main stage.

Driven by a fascination with biology and the human body, and a deep satisfaction from contributing to the lives and health of those around me, it was in my blood.

During medical school, I loved every step and speciality — but in particular found myself drawn towards rural and community medicine. The deep trust and understanding that local medicos hold in communities across Australia, as well as their wide and specialist skillset, inspired me.

As I began my clinical years though, I soon noticed something. Whether it was in remote communities across Central Queensland, in aid camps of post-tsunami Sri Lanka, or at the coalface of the emergency department in a major tertiary Victorian hospital — the majority of those I saw and treated were suffering and even dying from diseases we knew how to prevent.

The leading causes of disease and early death were not the result of a lack of science, or knowledge, or know-how. They were the result of a lack of longterm policy commitment, and societal action.

Diseases like diabetes, heart disease and many cancers were inundating the health systems I was working in. And contrary to what many people think, these were not diseases of affluence or a lack of individual willpower. They were diseases of inequity, felt hardest in countries and communities that faced the greatest structural, economic and social barriers to good health.

These were diseases of injustice.

And while I could have continued to work at the clinical level treating patients who had succumbed to disease — a role and responsibility for which I had and have enormous respect — I wanted to do more.

Instead of standing at the base of the proverbial cliff, patching up those who had fallen to their peril… was there a way I could climb to the cliff edge and build a fence to protect communities and future populations?

So I left clinical medicine, at first for just a year, to pursue public health. I found myself in Denmark where I spent three formative years learning the power and impact of social policies to protect populations and promote health. Denmark has a similar GDP to Australia, and yet an obesity rate roughly half of ours.

Soon I had the opportunity to run a national survey in Mongolia, to analyse the burden of these preventable diseases, and support evidence-informed policy. Working closely with some of the most incredible local experts, my passion for public health grew and grew.

After finishing my PhD, and then a fellowship in the USA, I had the privilege to put my skills to the ultimate test working with the World Health Organization in Geneva. As a global advisor to governments on nutrition and prevention policy, I saw first hand the real challenges and difficult trade-offs governments face in addressing these wicked health challenges. I was humbled by the leaders who were making the tough calls and putting the well-being of their nations above all else. I was hardened by the complex political economies that halted health progress and stalled policy action. I was inspired and energised by the solutions that existed, that were effective in many of the communities and countries that I served, and that a healthier and fairer path was possible.

The cliff could be fenced.

Finally and after a decade abroad including running a global foundation focused on food systems transformation, a window opened to return back to Australia and lead VicHealth. The world’s first health promotion foundation and a model that Victoria took to the world in the late 1980s, VicHealth was a key inspiration for my early public health journey. So to have closed the loop and be back at VicHealth is a privilege.

What gets me out of bed in the morning, is a commitment to improving the health and lives of populations. The belief that everyone deserves a fair go, and that when it comes to enjoying a long and healthy life — no one should be left behind.

I hope to use this newsletter to share ideas and opportunities with you. I don’t come to Antidote with a pre-prescribed plan. Instead, I hope to build and grow a newsletter that is useful to you and to the communities I work with.

The health challenges we face are clear, but the solutions continue to evade us. We’ll explore these challenges, unpack the reasons why so many of us continue to live with poor health, and deep dive into what can be done about it.

Antidote will evolve and iterate. Feedback will always be appreciated.

I look forward to the journey ahead together.

Welcome to Antidote.

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Evidence spotlight 💡

Together with the Monash Sustainable Development Institute (MSDI), each dose of Antidote will include an update of the latest science on a timely and topical subject.

Bite-sized, flavourful and pre-digested.

Unpacking and decoding the evidence, the team at MSDI will keep us informed.

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Good news in the world of health 💙

We’re bombarded with bad news each and every day. That’s why Antidote will come with a short, sharp hit of healthy optimism.

Whether breakthrough or brainwave, this update from the world of health will aim to recharge, refocus and re-inspire.

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What I’m cooking this week 🍋

Finally, Antidote is not Antidote… without food. Another great idea from a subscriber, I’ll finish each update with a short recipe or seasonal tip.

Fresh, nourishing and always tasty — I hope this inspires more of you to venture into the kitchen, grow confidence in what and how you cook, and share in the healthful process of enjoying good food. Where and when you can.