Economic Growth and Inequality in Health and Wellbeing

The health and wellbeing of individuals play a key role in economic growth and productivity, yet inequalities in health and wellbeing persist. This forum will explore the relationship between economic growth and health and wellbeing, focus on how the health and wellbeing of specific population groups can be improved, and show how health and wellbeing should play a more central role as a driver of economic growth.

Speakers:

• Dr Stephen P King, Commissioner, Productivity Commission
  Dr King joined the Productivity Commission as a Commissioner from 1 July 2016. He was recently a Professor of Economics at Monash University in Melbourne where he also held the position of Dean of the Faculty of Business and Economics from 2009-2011. Prior to joining Monash, Stephen was a Member of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), where he chaired the Mergers Review Committee. Stephen's main areas of expertise are in microeconomic theory, competition economics, regulation and industrial organization. His research has been published widely, including articles in major international economics journals. Stephen is an adjunct professor at Monash University, a member of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia and a Lay Member of the High Court of New Zealand. He has a PhD in economics from Harvard University. Dr King is currently working on the inquiry into Competition in the Australian Financial System and has previously worked on the Human Services inquiry.

• Professor Anthony Scott, Melbourne Institute: Applied Economic & Social Research, The University of Melbourne
  Professor Scott leads the Health Economics research program and is the director of the MABEL Survey. He is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia and a board member of the International Health Economics Association. Professor Scott is also an associate editor of both the Journal of Health Economics and Health Economics and President of the Australian Health Economics Society.

• Professor Anne Kavanagh, Chair in Disability and Health, Melbourne Disability Institute, The University of Melbourne
  Professor Anne Kavanagh is a social epidemiologist who is well-known for her work on health inequalities.  She is the inaugural Chair of Disability and Health and Head of the Disability and Health Unit in the Centre for Health Equity, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health.
  She is also the Academic Director of the Melbourne Disability Institute, and the Director and Lead Investigator on the Centre of Research Excellence in Disability and Health (credh.org.au).
  Her recent research has focussed on the health of people with disability.  This research identifies how to improve the health of people with disability through improving their living circumstances including employment, housing, and education.

• Professor Ian Hickie AM, Commissioner, National Mental Health Commission; Co-Director, Health and Policy, Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney
  Professor Ian Hickie is Co-Director, Health and Policy at The University of Sydney’s Brain and Mind Centre. He is an NHMRC Senior Principal Research Fellow (2018-22), having previously been one of the inaugural NHMRC Australian Fellows (2008-12). Since its inception he has been one of the Commissioners in Australia’s National Mental Health Commission (2012-current) overseeing enhanced accountability for mental health reform and suicide prevention in Australia. He is an internationally renowned researcher in clinical psychiatry, with particular reference to depression and other mood disorders, early intervention, use of new and emerging technologies and suicide prevention.  In his role with the National Mental Health Commission, and his independent research, health system and advocacy roles, Professor Hickie has been at the forefront of the move to have mental health and suicide prevention integrated with other aspects of health care (notably chronic disease and ambulatory care management).

To register, please click here.

For queries, please contact the Melbourne Institute at melb-conf@unimelb.edu.au or +61 3 8344 2100.