Dr Marita Long currently works as a Lecturer with the University of Melbourne, Department of General Practice and Primary Care, and as a Clinical Associate Professor with the Wicking Dementia Education and Research Centre. She is the first general practitioner appointed as an Honorary Medical Advisor to Dementia Australia, reflecting her national contribution to dementia education and prevention. She is currently President-Elect of the Australasian Menopause Society, a committee member of the Australian Society of Psychosocial Obstetrics and Gynecology, and a member of the RACGP Women in General Practice Committee. 

Marita initially trained as a Registered Nurse at the Royal Children’s Hospital, later working as a Maternal and Child Health Nurse, before retraining as a doctor in her mid-30s. She graduated with MBBS (First Class Honours) from the University of Tasmania, receiving the Pediatrics’ Department Prize, and later attained FRACGP, a Diploma of Child Health, and a Certificate in Sexual and Reproductive Health. 

Marita has been recognised as an emerging leader through her selection for the RACGP’s inaugural Future Leaders Program and as a recipient of a Victorian Women in Medicine Society leadership scholarship. She regularly develops and delivers education for medical students, doctors, workplaces and community organisations, as well as hosting medical podcasts. Central to Marita’s work is a passion for midlife health, particularly for women during the menopausal transition and for dementia risk reduction. She advocates optimising health, function and quality of life by promoting a healthy life, not simply a longer one.