Inaugural Lecture: Professor Susan Wells

Date: 8 May 2025

Title: People, population health and primary care: the heart of it all

Professor Wells' lecture reflected on her transition from general practice to population health, focusing on creating systems of care and translating abstract concepts like evidence-based practice, quality improvement and CVD epidemiology into action. In collaboration with remarkable people, her work focused on equity and improving care delivery within communities.

Originally from Te Awamutu, Sue studied medicine in Otago and spent ten years as a GP before becoming a public health physician. She has integrated national CVD guidelines into routine practice, developed a world-leading CVD risk cohort study, and created tools tailored to Aotearoa NZ populations. In 2014, she was appointed NZ's e-health ambassador and has held roles with ProCare PHO and Te Tāhū Hauora. She is currently Head of Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care.