Season 1, Episode 5

Lauren Richardson

Project Manager, Office of the Secretary, Department of Premier and Cabinet; Director, Evidence Based Medicine and Health Policy, Guidelines and Economists Network International (GENI)

Guest biography

Lauren Richardson holds advanced degrees in health science, medical science, public health, and global health. As one of the AFR’s Top 100 Future Leaders, she has a strong background in public health policy, primary healthcare reform, and infectious disease surveillance. She served as CEO of a community health initiative dedicated to health promotion and literacy and now works at the Department of Premier and Cabinet (DPC), focussing on whole-of-government savings and efficiencies. Lauren serves as a Director at Guidelines & Economists Network International (GENI) and is an invited expert advising on strategies to address Australia’s chronic disease burden. She recently played a pivotal role in developing Victoria’s COVID-19 policy response.

Key concepts mentioned in Lauren's interview

• Health equity: The condition where no group experiences unfair, avoidable, or remediable differences in health outcomes. This means providing equal opportunities for health across all groups, defined by social, economic, demographic, or other factors. Health equity is achieved when everyone has the chance to reach their full health potential.
• Systems thinking: An analytical framework that views systems holistically, examining the relationships between constituent parts and their function within larger systems over time. In public health, it involves evaluating both downstream and upstream influences on health, including social determinants and their effects on overall health and illness.
• Global health: A multidisciplinary field focused on health issues and solutions that extend beyond individual nations. It aims to improve health equity and address global health disparities by coordinating international efforts and leveraging diverse disciplines such as economics, diplomacy, and sociology. Unlike public health, which is often localised, global health targets transnational problems requiring collaborative, cross-border solutions.
• Visionary thinking: The capacity to grasp the big picture and end goal, and to inspire colleagues by clearly outlining the steps required to achieve that vision.
• Health surveillance: The continuous and systematic collection, analysis, and interpretation of health data to monitor health traits or factors of interest. For example, the Australian Government monitors notifiable diseases including tuberculosis and measles through surveillance systems.
• Health policy: The plans and procedures enacted by governments and other bodies to achieve a healthy society. Good health policies are evidence-informed, consider prevention and determinants of health, and incorporate behavioural/implementation science to maximise compliance and uptake.

Top tip for students

Its fine to be a planner, but stay open to unexpected opportunities.

Quote to live by

E.O. Wilson who wrote Letters to a Young Scientist: Go as far as you can; the world needs you, badly."  
You can watch a TED Talk he delivered here.

A recommendation from  Lauren

Read: The New Public Health, Fourth Edition by Fran Baum

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