Welcome from the Head of School

Welcome to the Sydney School of Public Health at the University of Sydney.

This year we celebrate our centenary of Public Health learning at the University of Sydney. It is 100 years since the University Senate created the first Diploma of Public Health. Our first group of public health graduates comprised three medicos. Since then, well over 2,500 students from a wide variety of professional backgrounds have graduated from the School. Today we have a vibrant student population with 625 postgraduate students from 45 countries enroled in one of our 15 degrees or courses.

The richness and diversity of our student population is also reflected in our staff. We have academic staff from many countries. Our professorial staff are leaders in their field – in areas like tobacco control, screening and diagnostic test assessment, cancer control, chronic disease control, ageing, population health metrics and physical activity.

The staff you meet in the Edward Ford building on the main campus are just the tip of the ice berg. The great strength of the School is that we have many constituent centres and affiliates that bring considerable intellectual capital to the School and, collectively, make an important impact on the health of our community. With globalization our community extends to all parts of the globe. Our staff are working with leading institutions such as the World Health Organisation, Gates, AusAID, the Oxford Health Alliance and India Public Health foundation (to name a few) to bring the benefits of public health policy and practice to the people who need it most.

I invite you to explore our website for the people, projects and information that will help you connect with us and our mission to bring high quality evidence-based public health research, teaching and policy development to improving the health of the world’s population.

Whatever your connection with the Sydney School of Public Health at the University of Sydney I trust that your experience will be intellectually stimulating, enjoyable and one that keeps you coming back.

Glenn Salkeld