Former Narrabri student Professor Kristine Macartney appointedas CDC’s chief medical advisor

DYLAN SMITH

Professor Kristine Macartney has been appointed Chief Medical Advisor to the Australian Centre for Disease Control.

Professor Macartney, formerly of Narrabri, brings extensive experience in infectious diseases, immunisation, public health policy and disease surveillance to the national public health agency.

The daughter of the late ‘Chic’ and Mary Macartney, formerly of Mulgate, Professor Macartney completed her secondary schooling at Narrabri High School.

She is currently director of the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS), and will join the Australian CDC in her new role.

NCIRS congratulated Professor Macartney on her appointment as Chief Medical Advisor at the Australian Centre for Disease Control, following more than two decades of contribution to the organisation, including the past eight years as director.

Professor Macartney started as a research fellow at NCIRS in 2004, progressing to the role of director in March 2018.

During her tenure as director, she was instrumental in the development of two national vaccine surveillance collaborations, AusVaxSafety and the Paediatric Active Enhanced Disease Surveillance (PAEDS) networks.

Professor Macartney also played a key role in establishing and growing the NCIRS Global Health portfolio to include work in the Asia-Pacific region, and in founding the Australian Immunisation Regional Alliance (ARIA).

She has held roles on numerous key peak advisory committees, including the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI), the Advisory Committee on Vaccines (ACV) and Communicable Diseases Network of Australia.

Further afield, Professor Macartney has served as an expert consultant to the World Health Organisation (WHO) and is a member of the WHO Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety and working groups of the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunisation.

Professor Macartney is also a Clinical Professor in the Faculty of Medicine and Health at the University of Sydney and a specialist in infectious diseases at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead in NSW.

As Chief Medical Advisor, Professor Macartney will provide medical and public health leadership at the CDC, including advising on how Australia monitors and responds to public health risks.

Her role will include providing clinical and technical leadership on the CDC’s policies, programs and advice, as well as working with government, the health sector and international organisations.

Professor Macartney has led national disease surveillance networks and research programs examining the uptake, effectiveness and safety of public health interventions, particularly vaccines.

She has also worked on immunisation and health system-strengthening programs across the Asia-Pacific, supporting more than a dozen countries with efforts to strengthen disease control.

Australian CDC director-general Professor Zoe Wainer said Professor Macartney had an “outstanding record” of translating scientific evidence into public health action.

“Professor Macartney has an outstanding record of translating complex scientific evidence into practical public health action and has made significant contributions to health policy and disease prevention in Australia and internationally,” Professor Wainer said.

“I look forward to welcoming Professor Macartney to the Australian CDC and working alongside her as we continue to build a trusted, capable and connected national public health institution.”

Professor Macartney said she was honoured to take up the role at an important time for public health in Australia.

“I am honoured to be joining the Australian CDC at such an important time for public health in Australia,” she said. “Strong surveillance and public health intelligence are essential to understanding health risks, responding effectively to emerging threats and improving health outcomes for communities.

“I look forward to continuing my collaboration with colleagues across governments, healthcare, research and community sectors to strengthen Australia’s public health capability and build a more connected and resilient approach to protecting and improving health.”