Dr Nicole Nathan: A Visionary Health Leader Transforming Communities

Dedicated, innovative, and internationally recognised, Dr Nicole Nathan stands at the forefront of revolutionising community health.

With over two decades of impactful work as a Health Service Manager with Hunter New England (HNE) Population Health, Nicole has pioneered groundbreaking community health promotion programs that have redefined the landscape of public well-being. Her visionary leadership has led to the development and execution of cutting-edge initiatives that address some of the most pressing health challenges of our time.

"We know that about one in four children are not a healthy weight, as weight status can track into adulthood these children are at an increased risk of becoming overweight or obese adults which then increases their risk of developing cardiovascular disease and some cancers."

Instrumental in the HNE Good for Kids. Good for Life program, Australia's largest ongoing child obesity prevention initiative, Nicole championed innovative approaches to promote healthy eating and physical activity in schools, leaving a lasting mark on the lives of over 500,000 children who now consume a piece of fruit or vegetable each school day.

"We know that children basically aren't moving enough and they're eating too much of the wrong foods. We've been working in schools for around fifteen years, in the Good For Kids Program. What are the simple things that we can be doing with kids in the class and that was where fruit break came from and about 92% of schools across NSW now have a fruit break, which is really exciting!"

Nicole has also designed and disseminated child obesity prevention initiatives across Australia through collaboration with NSW Family Services and the Australian Drug Foundation for sporting clubs, to provide support to thousands of vulnerable families.

"The direct health care costs for treating or managing unhealthy weight is in the billions, but the indirect costs are also really alarming – children are missing a lot of school, they’re therefore having education problems, social problems. We want to keep kids healthy so that they've got wellbeing for all of life."

Aside from her focus on childhood health, Nicole’s legacy encompasses a diverse array of impactful programs, including the safety of the elderly. Her Rural Falls Injury Prevention Program has empowered older individuals across 11 NSW Local Health Districts in rural and regional areas, underscoring her commitment to inclusivity and accessibility.

Recognised globally for her exceptional contributions to communities, by facilitating partnerships between health promotion practitioners, policy makers, academics, consumers, and agencies, Nicole has paved the way for collective progress in public health.

"Public health is a team sport, you need people with really diverse skills and one of them is to advocate to policymakers the importance of what we're doing and how it fits in. So it's showing the benefits of school programs, in terms of how a program can impact on children’s concentration and their learning."

Nicole's expertise and dedication as a health promotion practitioner have earned her recognition through receipt of various Fellowships including a prestigious NHMRC investigator Grant and a prestigious Sir Winston Churchill Fellowship (2017). She has also received numerous awards such as the NSW Director Generals Award for Integrated Care, Australian National Preventive Health Agency Research Translation Award and was named the NSW Local Woman of the Year in 2023.

Her journey has been marked by commitment to innovation and collaboration. Her dedication to bridging the gap between research and practice has given birth to a new era of health promotion. Through her pioneering work, Dr Nicole Nathan has not only transformed communities but has also set an inspiring example for all those who aspire to make a lasting impact on public health.

"The University of Newcastle has been instrumental in overseeing my career. I completed all four of my degrees at Newcastle Uni - excellence in research is completely embedded in what we do as a health service."