Better to be looked over, than overlooked

50 years of public health research and advocacy

One of Australia’s most influential public health thinkers, Emeritus Professor Simon Chapman AO has released a new book that reflects on a career spent reshaping how Australians understand health and responsibility.

Better to be looked over, than overlooked: 50 years of public health research and advocacy, is part memoir, part manifesto, tracing five decades of scholarship and advocacy that helped counter powerful industry interests and bring public health into the national conversation.

For many, public health may feel like something that happens behind the scenes in government departments or academic journals. Professor Chapman’s career demonstrates the opposite. Public health is about applying a critical lens to social norms, changing environments, and equipping communities with the information they need to live healthier lives. Few have done more to advance that mission in Australia than Professor Chapman.