CAREER SUMMARY: Distinguished Professor Renzaho (Ph.D, 2005, Deakin University; MPH, 2000, University of Melbourne) is the inaugural Professor of Humanitarian and Development Studies within the School of Medicine at Western Sydney University and was the Director of Academic Programs from 2015 to 2018. He became an academic in 2007, joining Deakin University as a Senior Research Fellow 2007-2011) and holding Professorial positions within the Department of Epidemiology and Preventive at Monash University (2012-2014). Prior to becoming an academic, he held several senior positions with United Nations (UN) agencies and international non-government organisations (NGOs) in Australia and overseas including UNHCR, UNICEF, Care Australia, Concern Worldwide, Medecins Sans Frontieres, World Vision

CONTRIBUTION TO THE FIELD OF RESEARCH: His research outputs include 534 research publications (H-index=102, cited 126,951 times) and $16.056 million in research funding. He has published collaboratively with 652 academics from 123 institutions in 145 countries, and on grants with chief investigators from 11 countries. He has established research-training programs that build cross-disciplinary and cross–campus research training programs attracting significant industry-funded PhD scholarships.

RESEARCH AND POLICY TRANSLATION: He was one of the chief investigators for a Rapid Check Review which informed the design of a $4.8 million psychosocial service for refugees funded by NSW Ministry of Health in 2019. He has produced a body of published work that has led to seven demonstrable outcomes in terms of policy and professional practice nationally and internationally including the NHMRC Cultural competence framework, the Australian Refugee Health Model (now a national initiative), Partners in Culturally and Appropriate Aged Care (now a national initiative), change in the Australian Horizontal Fiscal Equalisation, the Bi-Dimensional Acculturation model, Cultural Inclusion in Blood Donation; and the American Dietetic Association Nutrition Practice Guidelines for Diabetes. He has made witness appearances at public hearings at the Senate Select Committee on Health and the National Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention. 

NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL STANDING: He is ranked in the World’s Top 2% Scientists for the “Single Year Impact-2020” & “Career long impact” categories (Elsevier BV, Mendeley Data); and ranked 2^nd in Australia and 10^th in the world as the leading researcher in Global Migration Health (BMC Public Health’s bibliometric analysis). He has convened two major international conferences (~500 participants from 34 countries), chaired 9 conference sessions in 5 different countries, and delivered over 21 keynote speeches globally.

SUPERVISON AND MENTORING: He has co/supervised to completion 19 PhD students and 9 master’s students. He also supervised four Sri Lankan Public Health Medicine Trainees in the Monash University-Sri Lankan Public Health Professional Training Program.

LEADERSHIP IN CONSUMER CAPACITY AND ENGAMENT: He established the Childhood Obesity Prevention Advisory Council (COPAC) and the African Migrant Review Panel (scaled up to the Migrant Review Panel) as key community engagement frameworks to engage migrant communities as co-designers and co-implementers of community driven interventions. He has acted as an expert consultant in 21 across the globe for UN agencies, international NGOs, and bilateral government agencies, working closely with ministries to influence policies and practices

SECIENTIF AWARDS AND HONOURS: He received a King’s Birthday Honor, Medal of the Order of Australia for service to medical research, especially refugee and migrant health (2024). He has been a recipient of an ARC Future Fellowship and a Heart Foundation Career Development Fellowship, a ministerial appointment to the Dental Practice Board of Victoria (2008-2012), and 5 research excellence awards.

SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY: He is on editorial board of 5 international Journals. He was a member of the NNHMRC’s Postdoctoral Reference Group (2012-2016) and NHMRC Assigners Academy for project grants (2018-2019). He contributes opinion pieces in major Australia news outlets and the Conversation. He reviews articles for high impact journals (~14 per year), grants for NHMRC, ARC, the National Heart foundation, the NZ Health Research Council & key international funding agencies. He reviews PhD theses for Australian and international universities