Maxine Whittaker, MBBS, PhD, MPH '86

Maxine A. Whittaker, MBBS, MPH '86, PhD, is currently Senior Technical Health Adviser to the National Department of  Health in Papua New Guinea.  Dr. Maxine Whittaker is involved in health and development policy work, technical programme support (especially in disease control and family health services), and is a member of several national committees to advise the Ministry of Health (child health, maternal health, tuberculosis, filiariasis, sexual and reproductive health).

Dr. Whittaker remains an active academic through her curriculum development, teaching and supervision at the University of Papua New Guinea, as well as master's and doctoral supervision and examination of some candidates in Australian public health training institutions. She is also a regular reviewer of articles for Social Science and Medicine, Ethnicity and Health, Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health and Papua New Guinea Medical Journal.

Dr. Whittaker chairs the WHO Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction, Country Policy and Programme Development, and is a member of the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship Detention Health Advisory group. She is a co-investigator of some social science research projects being conducted by the Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, and has been on the review panels for research of the Australian Agency for International Development Research development grants, and the WHO Strengthening National MR Programme for Reduction of Maternal Mortality and Morbidity in Bangladesh, research round. She has lived and worked in Bangladesh, Zambia, and Papua New Guinea, and worked extensively in China, Vietnam, Fiji, Samoa, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Vanuatu, Indonesia and Thailand.