Profile
qualifications: PhD
position: Senior Researcher National Centre for Farmer Health
Australia
Commenced as founding Director of the National Centre for Farmer Health in November 2008 - a partnership between Western District Health Service and Deakin University. She held this position from 2008 - 2021 and led the implementation of key strategies to improve the health, wellbeing and safety of farm men and women blending both her theoretical and practical understanding of health, agriculture, organisational management and rural communities. Her interests are in service delivery, workforce development, preventable disease, climate adaptation and hearing loss in farmers locally and globally. She has been the Course director for the Graduate Certificate in Agricultural Health and Medicine (GCAHM) (the only course in southern hemisphere), Principal Investigator of the award-winning Sustainable Farm Families (SFF) and Chief Investigator on ARC, NHMRC, RIRDC and beyondblue grants. She has held senior executive positions across rural and regional organisations and agricultural advisory councils. Recognised for her contribution to rural health, awarded a Victorian Travelling Fellowship to the USA and the EU looking at farmer health and decision-making and an overseas study program in 2006 & 2013. Susan has presented and published nationally and internationally on farmer health. Graduate and life fellow of the Australian Rural Leadership Program and a Life Governor of Western District Health Service and Board member and Chair of WVPHN. Research interests: health promotion, agromedicine, social learning, statistics, farming and governance.
Articles contributed to by this person
Review Article 6 January 2020
Organophosphate exposure and the chronic effects on farmers: a narrative review
Original Research 14 September 2019
'It could have been a lot worse': the psychological effects of farm-related serious injury in Victoria
Original Research 14 March 2017
Translating agricultural health and medicine education across the Pacific: a United States and Australian comparison study
Review Article 20 February 2014
Suicide and accidental death in Australia's rural farming communities: a review of the literature
Original Research 3 March 2009
The Sustainable Farm Families Project: changing attitudes to health
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2025 Gayaa Dhuwi Conference, 28–29 August 2025, Garramilla (Darwin), Australia
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National Tribal Health Conference, 7–12 September 2025, Chandler, AZ, USA
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2025 National First Nations Mental Health & Suicide Prevention Conference, 15–17 September 2025, Gold Coast, Australia
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10th Rural & Remote Health Scientific Symposium, 8 & 9 October 2025, Alice Springs, NT, Australia
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Indigenous Wellbeing Conference 2025, 20–21 October 2025, Meanjin (Brisbane), Australia
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World Indigenous Suicide Prevention Conference 2026, 17–19 September 2026, Kirikiriroa (Hamilton), New Zealand
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Rethinking Remote 2025: Scotland's Rural Health Conference
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16th National Allied Health Conference: Empowering lives, shaping healthcare, 11–14 August 2025, Adelaide, Australia
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WONCA World Conference 2025: New Vision for Primary Health Care and Sustainable Development, 17–21 September 2025, Lisbon, Portugal
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NRHA 23rd Rural Health Clinic Conference, 23–24 September 2025, Kansas, MO, USA
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2025 Health Leadership Congress, 22–24 October 2025, Darwin, Australia
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Rural Mental Health Conference 2025 (RMHC25), 5–7 November 2025, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
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4th EURACT Medical Education Conference, 23–25 April 2026, Iasi, Romania
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9th WONCA Africa Region Conference 2026, 10 & 11 September 2026, Gaborone, Botswana
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18th National Rural Health Conference, 14–17 September 2026, Adelaide, SA, Australia
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