Catherine Bennett is a leading public health expert, advocate and teacher. Her commitment to public health, to research and academia has drawn widespread recognition across the country and internationally. Catherine speaks with verity and sincerity on matters impacting the lives of vulnerable community members, drawing on her outstanding experience and qualifications to provide a voice of reason and calm in often febrile public debates.

Catherine graduated from Loreto Mandeville Hall Toorak in 1978. She was proud to be elected Councillor and Hockey Captain in Year 12, remembering with fondness the friendships, sense of inclusivity and great teachers of her school days. Catherine trained in epidemiology, biological anthropology and population genetics. Her career cuts across university and government sectors, including working with the Victoria Archaeological Survey, the National Skeletal Provenancing Project, and managing outbreak responses with NSW Health and the Australian Government.

After working as Olympic Public Health Coordinator for Northern Sydney, Catherine returned to academia as Director of Population Health Practice at the University of Melbourne for 8 years before moving to Deakin University as inaugural Chair in Epidemiology. She was Head, School of Health and Social Development at Deakin until 2019, leading it to become one of the top 100 Public Health Schools in the world. Catherine also led the establishment of the Council for Public Health Institutions of Australasia as inaugural President and Chair (2010-2015), and her contributions as a leader in public health have been recognised with the CAPHIA Award for Strategic Achievement in 2017.

Catherine’s teaching has also been recognised, including the Australian Award for University Teaching Excellence and her research and service and leadership were recognised by Deakin University with her conferral as an Alfred Deakin professor in 2022. Catherine’s research includes a longitudinal cohort study of superbug transmission in the community.

Catherine was a leading public expert, researcher and commentator during the 2020-2021 COVID-19 response bringing her reasoned and calm views into the homes of so many Victorians via Zoom.

Catherine continues to work as keynote speaker, and advisor to governments, industry and institutions across the globe as well as holding the Alfred Deakin Professor and Chair in Epidemiology at Deakin University.