Dr Sandro Demaio
CEO of VicHealth dedicated to improving health and nutrition across the globe
With training and medical experience at The Alfred Hospital in Australia, Sandro completed his Masters in Public Health. After relocating to Denmark in 2010, he completed a PhD with the University of Copenhagen, where he worked alongside the Ministry of Health in Mongolia to conduct his doctoral research on non-communicable diseases.
Sandro held a Postdoctoral Fellowship at Harvard Medical School between 2013 to 2015, and was also the Course Director and Assistant Professor at the Copenhagen School of Global Health. He also established and led the PLOS blog Global Health.
Soon after, Sandro focused his career on improving the health and nutrition of people around the world. He first worked with the World Health Organisation as a medical officer in non-communicable conditions and nutrition, before later becoming the CEO of EAT in 2018. Leading the research-focused platform, Sandro was able to help EAT achieve its mission in transforming food systems.
Returning to Australia in 2019, Sandro joined VicHealth as their CEO, where he continues to identify strategies for improving the health and wellbeing of all Victorians.
Sandro co-founded NCDFREE, a global social movement that uses the power of social media and leadership events to bring awareness to non-communicable diseases. In its first 18 months, the organisation was able to reach over 2.5 million people. Sandro also founded festival21 in 2015, where he brought together a team of experts to stage a huge celebration for the culinary culture of Melbourne.
Additionally, he has worked with ABC TV and Pan MacMillan to establish an independent and non-profit foundation to improve the health and nutrition of Australians.
Also known as one of the co-hosts on the ABC TV program ‘Ask the Doctor’, Sandro continues to share his health expertise as the author of over ninety articles and thirty scientific papers, as well as the author of the Doctor’s Diet, a cookbook based on science and inspired by a love of good food.
With his leading expertise on global health and nutrition, Sandro hopes to shape the political economy of food and wellbeing with his passion for systems-innovation.