REFRAMING WOMEN’S HEALTH AS A SYSTEM-WIDE AGENDA ACROSS INNOVATION, REGULATION, WORKFORCE AND POLICY
With
Professor Robyn Norton AO
Founding Director, The George Institute for Global Health &
Professor of Public Health,
Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Sydney &
Emeritus Professor, Imperial College London
PEOPLE IN HEALTH CARE SEGMENT
Filmed in Sydney | July 2026
In May 2026, Professor Robyn Norton AO, played a prominent role at the inaugural Medical Technology Association of Australia (MTAA) Women’s Health MedTech Summit, Breaking the Silos, held in Sydney.
Professor Robyn Norton AO FAHMS is one of the two Founding Directors of The George Institute for Global Health, Professor of Public Health at UNSW Sydney and Emeritus Professor of Global Health at Imperial College London. Robyn co-established The George Institute’s Global Women’s Health Program and more recently the Centre for Sex and Gender Equity in Health and Medicine, where she co-leads the Business Translation Working Group. Robyn is a director on the board of the Black Dog Institute, a member of the Women in MedTech Committee of the MTAA and a member of Chief Executive Women. She also chairs the NHMRC’s Gender Guidelines Development Committee and the Advisory Board of the Network of Excellence in Women’s Health at Imperial College London.
Suiting her significant contribution to global health research, her involvement extended beyond being a keynote speaker—she helped frame the strategic direction of the summit and the broader conversation around women’s health innovation in Australia.
The summit itself was designed to address longstanding gaps in women’s health research, medical technology, clinical trials and policy by bringing together clinicians, researchers, industry, investors, government and consumer advocates. Following the event, MTAA reported that almost 200 participants attended and used the discussions to inform a Women’s Health Action Plan aimed at driving future MedTech policy and innovation.
Australian Health Journal spoke with Professor Norton on her research journey, the early stages of the George Institute for Global Health and the priorities for advancing women’s health.
Source: Adapted from MTAA Women’s Health MedTech Summit speaker profile and agenda
Media access credit: Medical Technology Association of Australia (MTAA)
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Clinical pain neuroscientist talks about how the brain processes pain information
Persistent pain affects one in five Australians and costs the nation an estimated $73 billion per year in health system costs, lost productivity and other financial costs.
Persistent pain also has debilitating personal costs – negatively impacting quality of life and the ability to engage in meaningful work and life activities.
Despite the enormity of this problem, very few effective treatments exist with most showing only small to moderate improvements. New treatments are desperately needed. The group believes the best way to create impactful change is to work with people with lived experience of persistent pain to devise solutions with them, not for them.
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Enhancing occupational therapy service provision with military veterans
Almost half a million Australians have served with the Australian Defence Force. Given the high prevalence of physical and mental health conditions and complexity of civilian life adjustment after military service, high-quality occupational therapy services are critical. However, there is limited description of occupational therapy service provision to individuals funded by the Australian Department of Veterans’ Affairs to inform government policy.
A cross-sectional study, led by Professor Carol McKinstry, Professor of Occupational Therapy and Deputy Dean with La Trobe University’s Rural Health School at the Bendigo campus has used an online survey to collect information from occupational therapists providing services to Department of Veterans’ Affairs clients.
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Occupational therapy creates profound impacts on client and patient lives
Margeaux Bartholomew-Carle is an Adelaide based registered Occupational Therapist and the Founder and CEO of Ardant.
Throughout her career, Margeaux has worked in various settings, including aged care, disability, assistive technology, prescription, and mental health. This diverse experience has deepened her understanding of the different needs among client groups.
