New Health and Wellbeing section offers trustworthy reporting, not trends

Get to know the team behind The Australian’s new Health and Wellbeing section, a digital-first offering designed to reach readers with personal stories, information and news that affects their lives and that of their families.

The Australian's Health reporting team - Fiona Harari, James Dowling, Natasha Robinson, Stephen Lunn and Penny Timms.

The Australian has assembled a highly experienced, expert team of journalists and medical specialist writers to deliver the latest in health and wellbeing news and advice for our groundbreaking, digital-first section.

Led by health editor Natasha Robinson, our journalists share decades of reporting on the important issues affecting your health, from weight-loss drugs to busting TikTok trends.

Robinson – who writes across medicine, science, health policy, research, and lifestyle – has been a journalist for more than 20 years. Her reporting on health focuses on deep exploration of national systems, chronic disease, innovation and scientific breakthroughs. A former Northern ­Territory correspondent for The Australian, Robinson’s reporting background spans social policy, law and Indigenous affairs. She has been recognised as the National Press Club’s health ­journalist of the year and is a Walkley awards finalist and a Kennedy awards winner. Robinson holds a Diploma in Law via the NSW Profession Admission Board and is undertaking doctoral research in mental health law at QUT’s Australian Centre for Health Law Research.

Penny Timms joins The Australian as senior health reporter to boost our journalism with her multi-platform skills in broadcasting, audio and online reporting. Timms, previously with the ABC’s Specialist Reporting Team, has worked across Australia and in Britain, has a particular interest in consumer health and medical science.

The Australian’s social affairs editor, Stephen Lunn, brings his wealth of knowledge and decades of reporting nous to the health ­sector. He will cover issues such as ageing, population, disability and welfare.

Issues such as ageing, population, disability and welfare will be covered by our social affairs editor, Stephen Lunn.

Lunn has also worked in public policy advocacy in the private sector, and practised as a lawyer in Australia and the UK. He has a Masters degree in law from the London School of Economics.

Walkley award-winning feature writer Fiona Harari, with ­experience in television, newspapers, magazines and books, will focus on the personal stories that bring health issues to life. Her ­career, spanning four decades, has included stints at The Age, Time, and The Weekend Australian Magazine.

Science and health reporter James Dowling writes on medical innovations and industry and was previously a Quill award nominee.

Steve Robson, one of Australia’s most highly qualified surgical specialists and a professor in the School of Medicine at the Australian National University, will write regular columns for The Australian on a range of topics from perimenopause to the economics of obesity. Robson served as president of the Australian Medical Association and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

He is joined by specialist columnists Magdalena Simonis, ­Michael Gannon and Ritu Gupta.

Associate Professor Simonis AM is a leading women’s health expert and adviser, and senior honorary research fellow at the University of Melbourne department of general practice.

Dr Gannon is a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist with 18 years’ experience as a specialist. He has delivered more than 5000 babies. He served as president of the AMA from 2016 to 2018. He is president of leading professional indemnity provider MDA National. He will write across a full range of health-sector topics.

Dr Gupta, a fellow of the Australasian College of Dermatologists, is a specialist dermatologist skilled in cosmetic, medical, and surgical dermatology. She has a keen interest in educating the general practitioner community and the public on dermatology.

Expect engaging columns on everything from food, to ageing, to giving up the drink.

Journalist and author Matthew Condon will bring his own ­colourful perspective to health, writing engaging columns on everything from food, to ageing, to giving up the drink. Expect the unexpected.

Rounding out the team is ­digital producer Imogen Reid, who will head the curation of the health section online. Reid will help to bring you the best from our ­international partners in journalism: The Times, The ­Sunday Times and The Wall Street Journal.