Dr Belinda Lunnay wins 2025 South Australian Preventive Health Award

27 October 2025 | Media Release

Dr Belinda Lunnay has spent more than two decades asking bold questions about the social, economic and political factors that influence health outcomes.

Today, Torrens University Australia is proud to announce that Dr Belinda Lunnay, Senior Research Fellow at the Research Centre for Public Health, Equity and Human Flourishing (PHEHF), has been awarded the 2025 South Australian Preventive Health Award, presented at the state’s Population Health Conference in Adelaide.

The award, jointly delivered by the South Australian branches of the Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA) and the Australian Health Promotion Association (AHPA), recognises leadership and excellence in chronic disease prevention and health promotion and emphasises the value of investing in equity by developing healthy public policies.

It’s a fitting tribute to Dr Lunnay, whose work has helped shift public conversations by showing how structures and systems influence health - especially in areas like alcohol harms, cancer prevention, and community health promotion.

Research that impacts the real-world

“Dr Lunnay’s work illustrates the value of research and is a powerful reminder that now, more than ever, we need research that leads to real-world impact, especially in critical areas such as health equity,” said Professor Alwyn Louw, Vice Chancellor and President of Torrens University Australia.

“This award recognises Dr Lunnay’s significant contribution to research that influences public health, taking academia to the community.”

Changing the conversation around women’s health

In her nomination, Kristy Schirmer, while Prevention Programs Lead at Cancer Council SA, highlighted Dr Lunnay’s impact:

“Dr Lunnay generously supported our work through interviews, public speaking, and most recently, a consultation on sober curiosity and how public health can support this grassroots movement for cancer prevention. Her leadership in co-designing and evaluating community-level health promotion is shaping the future of preventive health in South Australia.”

Advocacy and leadership in preventive health

Dr Lunnay is a passionate advocate for health promotion and disease prevention and influencing policy and practice at state, national and international levels. Her work has been cited in OECD reports and WHO policy, and she is regularly sought for expert input and thought leadership. In recognition of her expertise, Professor Samantha Thomas, Editor in Chief of Health Promotion International recently invited her to publish an editorial celebrating 40 years of the WHO’s guiding principle for health promotion the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion.

She also serves on Preventive Health SA’s Advisory Committee, contributing to the development of the state’s strategic plan. Her leadership reflects a deep commitment to embedding equity and evidence into public health systems.

“This award is a testament to the power of collaborative research,” said Dr Lunnay. “I’m honoured to be recognised alongside previous recipients whose work has transformed preventive health in South Australia.

A state, national and global career

Dr Lunnay’s career began in state government, designing population health programs for the Western Australian Department of Health. She later moved into academia, developing public health curricula at Flinders University, and now at Torrens University leads translational research that bridges policy, practice, and lived experience.

In 2024, she and Professor Paul Ward (Director of PHEHF, Torrens University) secured over $2 million in competitive funding, including NHMRC and ARC grants, to expand a social health model of disease prevention. Their research is internationally recognised, with collaborations across Colombia, Glasgow, Waterloo, York, Auckland, and Australia. Dr Lunnay serves on the editorial boards of leading journals and has a field-weighted citation impact more than triple the global benchmark. She has led two major State projects recently that exemplify her approach to real-world impact, including identifying disease prevention priorities for the South Australian Government and evaluating a community activation with the Cancer Council SA as part of cancer prevention efforts.

These projects reflect her ability to navigate the space between research, policy, and community practice bringing together NGOs, government, and lived experience to drive change.

Media enquiries: Dr Belinda Lunnay is available for interviews. Contact media.enquiries@torrens.edu.au.