Dr Norman Swan MBChB, FRCP, DCH, MD (Hon Causa)

One of the first medically qualified journalists in Australia, Norman was born in Scotland, graduated in medicine from the University of Aberdeen and later obtained his postgraduate qualifications in Paediatrics.

Joining the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in 1982, he has won numerous awards for his journalism and broadcasting including the Australian equivalent of the Pulitzer, three times (Walkley Awards).

In 2004 he was awarded the Medal of the Australian Academy of Science, an honour that had only been given three times and the Royal College of Physicians of Glasgow made him a Fellow. In 2006 he was given a Doctorate of Medicine Hon Causa by the University of Sydney during its medical school’s 150th anniversary.

In addition to the Health Report, Health Minutes and Catalyst on ABC Television, Norman was co host of the social affairs programme, Life Matters on ABC Radio National for five years and is frequently a guest host on Late Night Live and Radio National’s news and current affairs Breakfast programme. He also edits his own newsletter, The Choice Health Reader, which is published in partnership with CHOICE, Australia’s leading consumer organisation.

On television, in addition to Catalyst, Dr Swan hosted its predecessor, Quantum, and has been a reporter on Four Corners. He hosted Health Dimensions on ABC Television, and created, wrote and narrated a four part series on disease and civilisation, Invisible Enemies, made for Channel 4(UK) and SBS Television. This has been shown in 27 countries. He also co-wrote and narrated The Opposite Sex, a four part series for ABC Television.

Norman Swan has been the Australian correspondent for the Journal of the American Medical Association and the British Medical Journal and consults for the World Health Organisation. In late 2008 Norman co-facilitated, with Richard Horton (editor in chief of The Lancet) a ministerial forum in Bamako, West Africa which aimed to advance the global health research agenda.