Richard Chenhall

Professor Richard Chenhall is Professor of Medical Anthropology in the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health within the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences at the University of Melbourne. He serves as Director of the Centre for Health Equity, leading multidisciplinary efforts to advance health equity by addressing intersecting social determinants such as Indigeneity, gender, disability, trauma, migration, age, sexuality, and socio-economic status. The Centre generates evidence-based knowledge to inform policy and practice for at-risk populations. Chenhall holds a PhD from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a Bachelor's Degree with Honours from the University of Melbourne. His career trajectory at the University includes roles such as Senior Lecturer in the Centre for Health and Society before advancing to his current professorial position.

Chenhall's research employs ethnographic and participatory methods in medical anthropology to explore health beliefs, behaviors, and social determinants, with a focus on Indigenous Australian communities, alcohol-related health risks, ethical issues in health research, and pandemic responses. Key publications include his editorship of Social Determinants of Indigenous Health, co-authorship of Health Beliefs and Behavior: The Practicalities of "Looking After Yourself" in an Australian Aboriginal Community, contributions to Sound in Embodied Practice and Defiance in the Detail, and recent work such as Alcohol Consumption and Mortality from Four Alcohol-Related Cancers published in Nature Communications. He has co-edited Social Justice in Public Health: Critical Perspectives on the Social Determinants of Health (Routledge) and contributed to Qualitative Research Ethics. Awards include the 2014 Dyason Fellowship for research on culture and communication in health services for Indigenous peoples and a 2016 School Award for Teaching Excellence shared with Cathy Vaughan. As Head of Unit for Health Sociology and Anthropology, he supervises graduate researchers and serves on advisory committees for prevention and health equity, influencing academic and public health domains through collaborations and knowledge exchange.

Professional Email: chenhall@unimelb.edu.au