Research Action Awards

Two public health researchers were honoured in the Research Action Awards 2025 for their impactful contributions to policy and practice and alcohol and drug program delivery, and health service policy for emergency care for back pain.

The winners this year are:

Associate Professor Katinka van de Ven, 360Edge – Co-designing improvements in alcohol and other drug policy, programs, service delivery
and capacity.

Associate Professor Gustavo Machado, University of Sydney – Transforming health service policy and delivery of emergency care for back pain.

Two public health researchers were honoured in the Research Action Awards 2024 ceremony for their impactful contributions to policy and practice:

• Associate Professor Becky Freeman, Sydney School of Public Health, University of Sydney, for her work on vape use behaviours in young people.
• Professor James Smith, Rural and Remote Health Northern Territory, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, Flinders University, for his work on alcohol harm minimisation.

Two public health researchers were honoured in the Research Action Awards 2023 ceremony for their impactful contributions to policy and practice in providing safe and enjoyable meals for people with swallowing disabilities and advancing obesity prevention.

The winners this year are:

• Professor Bronwyn Hemsley, Head of Speech Pathology, University of Technology Sydney – Providing safe and enjoyable meals for people with swallowing disability
• Professor Gary Sacks, Professor of Public Health Policy and Co-Director of the Global Centre for Preventive Health and Nutrition, Deakin University – Food-EPI Australia initiative: advancing obesity prevention policy

Two public health researchers whose work has had a direct effect on policy and practice in areas as diverse as COVID-19 infections among children and hospital-acquired pressure injuries were honoured in the Sax Institute’s annual Research Action Awards held in Sydney on 24 November 2022.

• Dr Archana Koirala, National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance, for her work on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Australian paediatric population
• Dr Michelle Barakat-Johnson, Susan Wakil School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Sydney, for her work on the prevention and management of hospital-acquired pressure injuries.

Learn more about the Research Action Awards 2022.

Two public health researchers whose work achieved real impact in HIV prevention and the social and emotional wellbeing of young children were honoured at the Research Action Awards 2021.

• Dr Benjamin Bavinton, Senior Research Fellow at the Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, for world-leading research that for the first time proved HIV drug treatment effectively prevents sexual transmission of the infection between men.
• Dr Claire Blewitt, Research Fellow at the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, for a groundbreaking intervention to address social and emotional difficulties in early childhood.

Two public health researchers who achieved high impact in obesity prevention in Australian children and improving the death certification process in the developing world were winners at the 2020 Research Action Awards.

• Scientia Associate Professor Rohina Joshi, School of Population Health, University of New South Wales and Head of the Global Health Workforce, The George Institute for Global Health – Improving the quality of death certification of home deaths in the Philippines
• Associate Professor Luke Wolfenden, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle – Implementation of nutrition, physical activity and obesity interventions in NSW

Researchers whose work had a significant impact on dental health care for Indigenous populations; adolescents’ access to healthcare; and reducing unintentional drownings in Australia’s rivers were winners at the 2019 Research Action Awards.

2019 winners:

• Adjunct Associate Professor Kylie Gwynne, Poche Centre for Indigenous Health, University of Sydney
• Associate Professor Melissa Kang, Australian Centre for Public and Population Health Research, University of Technology Sydney
• Dr Amy Peden, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, UNSW Sydney

Three Australian health researchers whose inspiring work has had a major impact in childhood trauma, stroke prevention and homelessness were winners at the 2018 Research Action Awards.

2018 winners:

• Associate Professor Anne Abbott, School of Public Health & Preventive Medicine, Monash University
• Professor Kate Curtis, Susan Wakil School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Sydney
• Associate Professor Lisa Wood, School of Population and Global Health, University of Western Australia

Researchers whose work is having a real impact on the ground in areas as diverse as alcohol-related violence and supporting people to gain driver licences were winners at the 2017 Research Action Awards.

2017 winners:

• Professor Kypros Kypri, University of Newcastle
• Ms Patricia Cullen, George Institute for Global Health

Researchers focused on making a real-world impact on vaccine safety, maternal and reproductive health, and strengthening the Medicare system were winners at the 2016 Research Action Awards.

2016 winners:

• Associate Professor Kristine Macartney, National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS)
• Associate Professor Kees van Gool, University of Technology Sydney
• Associate Professor Angela Dawson, University of Technology Sydney

The 2015 inaugural Award winners conducted research that had an impact on diverse areas – from being pivotal in having commercial sunbeds banned, to changing the way health workers communicate about vaccination with hesitant parents. Read more about the 2015 Award ceremony and winners.

2015 winners

• Dr Anne Cust, University of Sydney
• Dr Santosh Khanal, NSW Ministry of Health
• Associate Professor Julie Leask, University of Sydney
• Associate Professor Farah Magrabi, Macquarie University.