Professor Caroline Miller

Professor Caroline Miller is Deputy Director of SAHMRI and Director of the Health Policy Centre. She is an NHMRC Leadership Fellow and Visiting Professor at Adelaide University. Caroline is qualified in Psychology, Economics and Public Health.

The Health Policy Centre conducts internationally recognised research in public health prevention, with a focus on tobacco and vaping, food policy and obesity prevention, alcohol, and health communication and social marketing for behaviour change.

Caroline is an internationally recognised leader in tobacco control, with over 30 years’ experience. She was one of a select group of scientists advising the Australian Government on the introduction of world-leading tobacco plain packaging legislation. She contributed to the research program underpinning the policy and its successful defence against international legal challenges, culminating in the World Trade Organization. She established and leads the Tobacco Control Research and Evaluation Program. She is a trusted advisor to governments in Australia and internationally.

Caroline leads major NHMRC-funded research programs in food policy and obesity prevention. Her work focuses on ultra-processed foods and beverages, including sugar-sweetened and non-sugar-sweetened products, and policy responses to reduce overconsumption. She has specialist expertise in labelling. Her work also addresses weight-related stigma and its policy implications.

The Centre has specialist expertise in health communication and Caroline's doctoral studies were in social marketing. The Centre brings decades of experience in behaviour change campaigns, including tobacco control, obesity prevention, and alcohol and maternal health, including national evaluation of the Every Moment Matters campaign.

During COVID-19, the Centre stood-up a COVID-19 Analytics Unit providing rapid evidence syntheses, mathematical modelling and strategic advice, supporting Australia's responses to COVID-19.

Previously the Centre has undertaken research in unmet psychological needs and help-seeking in adolescents; psychosocial needs of people who have been diagnosed with cancer; and Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) in cancer.

Caroline led SAHMRI’s Community and Consumer Engagement strategy from inceptionin 2013, including publication of the first Australian Framework for Consumer and Community Engagement in health and medical research (2017).

Career highlights (selected):

• 150+ peer-reviewed publications and 600 reports for government.

• CIA on $26m of competitive funding, with $46m awarded overall

• Fellowships:

  • NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow (EL2)
  • NHMRC CDF1 (past)
  • Heart Foundation Future Leader Fellow (past)
  • Cancer Council Principal Research Fellow (past)

• Awards (selected):

  • Doctoral Research Medal (PhD in Medicine (Public Health))
  • Executive Dean's Award for Research Excellence (mid-career)
  • Public Health Association President's Award
  • 2024 Advertiser and Sunday Mail Woman of the Year (Nominee)

• Leadership and Governance:

  • President and Board Chair, Public Health Association of Australia
  • Board member, Obesity Australia
  • Member, NHMRC-MRFF Public Health and Health Services Committee
  • Member, Australian Government Expert Advisory Committees on Tobacco
  • Member, Preventive Health SA Council
  • Member, Public Health Council (SA Gov't)
  • Chair, Registry of Senior Australians (ROSA) Steering Committee