Professor John Catford MA MSc MB BChir DM DCH FFPH FRCP FAFPHM FIPAA FAICD

Dean, Faculty of Health, Medicine, Nursing & Behavioural Sciences
Deakin University

John Catford is the Dean of the Faculty of Health, Medicine, Nursing and Behavioural Sciences, and Professor of Health Development at Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia - positions he has held since 2002. He is Editor-in Chief of the journal Health Promotion International, published by Oxford University Press, which he helped to set up in 1986. He is also an Adjunct Professor at Monash University.

The Faculty is responsible for the major health and human services related teaching and research activities within Deakin. A wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate programs and short courses are offered to assist students to achieve their career goals and professional aspirations in the health and human services sector. The medical, nursing, public and allied health courses are highly regarded by the professions and industry, and all can lead to higher degree studies, either by coursework or research. There is a strong emphasis across all disciplines in health and wellness promotion, prevention and early intervention.

Over the last twenty years Professor Catford has had extensive experience in the planning, management, and evaluation of health services, both nationally and internationally. From 1998-2002 he was the Chief Health/Medical Officer and Executive Director of Public Health for the State Government of Victoria. State wide responsibilities included disease prevention and control, national health priorities, drugs services, medical research and workforce development. He was the Government’s principal spokesperson for a range of health related issues including communicable diseases, environmental health, health promotion, and food. During this period he was a Director of the Australian and New Zealand Food Authority (ANZFA) and a Member of the Council and Executive Committee of the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).

In 1984 he was appointed as the first Professor of Health Promotion in Europe, Director of the Heartbeat Wales programme and Chief Executive of the Health Promotion Authority for Wales based in Cardiff, UK. During 1994 and 1995 he worked for the World Health Organisation as Health Policy and Public Health Adviser to Ministers of Health in Central and Eastern Europe. He has published widely with more than 300 publications, and was co-author of the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion in 1986 as well as the recent Bangkok Charter for Health Promotion in a Globalized World.
John brings a wealth of experience and insights into the science of the delivery of public health services from policy, program and research perspectives. His interests include chronic disease prevention, child and youth health, health workforce development, rural and regional health, whole of government approaches and mainstreaming public health approaches into health services.

Current external roles include:
• Chair of the Postgraduate Medical Council of Victoria Board;
• Chair of the Youth Substance Abuse Service;
• Chair of Kinect Australia (incorporating VicFit in Victoria);
• Board Director of Diabetes Australia (Victoria);
• Governor of the Windermere Foundation;
• Chair of the Research and Evaluation Committee for the Victorian Government’s Life Program;
• Member of the Victorian Worksafe Advisory Committee for the WorkHealth Program;
• Member of the Australian Government’s Expert Advisory Committee on Population Health;
• Member of the Commonwealth Chief Medical Officer’s Expert Advisory Panel on Clinical and Health Policy;
• Member of Universities Australia Working Group on Health Workforce.

Previous roles (2006-2008) included:
• Medical Vice President of the National Heart Foundation Victorian Division;
• Member of the National Obesity Taskforce and Chair of its Scientific Advisory Committee;
• Consultant for the development of the National Chronic Disease Strategy;
• Member of the Victorian Government’s Biomedical Research External Advisory Panel.
John trained in medicine at Cambridge University, paediatrics at the London Hospital, public health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and received his Doctorate of Medicine from the University of Southampton.