Future Healthy Countdown

Future Healthy Countdown

Who we are

The Future Healthy Countdown 2030 is a collaboration between ARACY, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and VicHealth. It is supported by Steering and Working Groups with input from academics, policy experts, and young people.

Meet the team

Dr Kate Lycett

Project Lead and Senior Research Fellow, Deakin University

Angelica Ojinnaka-Psillakis

Project Manager, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute

Georgie Frykberg

Project Manager, Deakin University

Professor Anna Peeters AM

Chief Executive Officer, VicHealth

Dr Carolyn Wallace

Manager, Research and Impact, VicHealth

Prue Warrilow

Chief Executive Officer, ARACY

Professor Sharon Goldfeld AM

Theme Director, Murdoch Children's Research Institute

Professor Rosemary Calder AM

Professor of Health Policy, Institute of Health and Sport, Victoria University

Khalid Muse

Health Equity and Systems Change Strategist and Youth Advocate

Dr Jordan Cory

Manager, Global Indigenous Health, University of Melbourne

Kevin Kapeke

Lead, Government Relations and Policy, VicHealth

Simone Morahan

Coordinator, Research and Impact, VicHealth

Adam Valvasori

Lead, Advocacy, ARACY

Sarah Lake

Policy and Engagement Officer, ARACY

Planning Saw

Doctor of Medicine Student and Youth Advocate

Amie Furlong

Government Relations and Research Adviser, Foundations for Tomorrow

We acknowledge the leadership of all experts who helped develop and drive Future Healthy Countdown 2030 since its inception in 2023. Future Healthy Countdown 2030 continues to bring together experts outside of this team from a range of disciplines across the traditional silos of child and adolescent research and policy work.

How does the Countdown work?

Each year until 2030, the Countdown brings the best available evidence and policy priorities together in one place in an annual supplement to the Medical Journal of Australia.

Each supplement dives deep into one of the seven domains of the Countdown, spotlighting the best evidence for improving outcomes across this area while also tracking annual progress against key measures and targets for each domain of the Countdown. 

Crucially, the Countdown includes the voices of young people to ensure they play a part in shaping their future. 

Dr Kate Lycett

Dr Kate is a Senior Research Fellow at Deakin University with a background in psychology and epidemiology.

Her research focuses on creating environments that can wrap around and nurture health and wellbeing, particularly for children and young people.

She is the research lead on three major projects, including The Breathe Melbourne Citizen Science project, The Future Health Countdown 2030 and the long-standing Australian Unity Wellbeing Index.

Angelica Ojinnaka-Psillakis

Angelica Ojinnaka-Psillakis is a researcher and community advocate dedicated to advancing social and health equity, participation, and the wellbeing of children and young people.

She manages the Future Healthy Countdown 2030, a national initiative tracking and mobilising action on the health and wellbeing of children and young people to drive evidence-based policy change.

A former Australian Youth Representative to the UN, Angelica now serves as Ambassador for Plan International Australia, Vice Chair of African Women Australia, and Sydney Women’s Fund Advisory Council Member.

Angelica brings a decade of championing lived experiences of underserved communities and intergenerational partnerships across research, policy, and advocacy.

Georgie Frykberg

Project Manager, Deakin University

Georgie Frykberg is a researcher and project manager at Deakin University, supporting research initiatives for the Future Healthy Countdown 2030.

Her work focuses on understanding the drivers of wellbeing at both individual and societal levels, and translating this evidence into actionable insights for policy and practice. She also manages the Australian Unity Wellbeing Index, Australia’s longest-running study of subjective wellbeing.

Professor Anna Peeters AM

Chief Executive Officer, VicHealth

Professor Anna Peeters AM, PhD, is a globally recognised public health expert and advocate for health equity.

Appointed CEO of VicHealth in 2025, she brings decades of experience in collaboration, epidemiology, health system transformation, and policy-driven research.

Previously, she was Director of the Institute for Health Transformation at Deakin University and a Distinguished Professor of Public Health. A former VicHealth Board Member, she has led groundbreaking initiatives, including the RE-FRESH Centre for healthier food environments.

Committed to evidence-based health promotion, she champions equity and collaboration to improve health outcomes for all Victorians.

Dr Carolyn Wallace

Manager, Research & Impact, VicHealth

Dr Carolyn Wallace is a seasoned public health professional with a diverse background in system change and evaluation, and is currently the Research and Impact Manager at VicHealth.

Carolyn has dedicated her career to advancing health equity and improving community outcomes. Through various roles in local government, primary health, community services and regional development, she has worked extensively on collaborative initiatives that bridge gaps between health systems and underserved populations. Her expertise lies in partnership brokering, governance, social research and linking policy to practice.

Carolyn is passionate about continuous and collective learning by leveraging qualitative and quantitative data to inform policy and practice, ensuring that interventions are both impactful and sustainable. Carolyn’s work exemplifies the critical intersection of system change and evaluation, making her a leading voice in the quest for equitable health solutions.

Prue Warrilow

Chief Executive Officer, ARACY

Prue has a distinguished background in child and youth policy and service delivery, having served as interim CEO of Youth NSW and founded Families At Work. With over 30 years of experience consulting in work/life wellbeing strategies for corporate, government, and non-profit sectors in Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore, Prue brings unique insights into human resources, diversity, and governance.

Her leadership roles include Chair of Families Australia and the Y NSW, and she actively participates in state and federal advisory councils influencing child and family wellbeing policies. Prue’s dedication to enhancing children’s lives is reflected in her extensive contributions to public policy and her strategic, solution-oriented approach to her work.

Professor Sharon Goldfeld AM

Professor Sharon Goldfeld is a paediatrician and Director, Centre for Community Child Health at the Royal Children’s Hospital, Theme Director, Population Health at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute.

She has held senior roles in health and education policy and leads national research on childhood adversity and systems change. Her work focuses on evidence-based, sustainable solutions to eliminate child inequities.

She received the Marles Medal in STEM (2020), an Order of Australia (AM), and was elected Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences in 2024.

Khalid Muse

Health Equity and Systems Change Strategist and Youth Advocate

Khalid is an award-winning changemaker, experienced in equity, systems reform, and youth engagement.

Based in Melbourne’s inner north, he brings a unique blend of lived experience and strategic thinking to everything he does. At just 21, Khalid has already emerged as a powerful voice in the sector, consulting with leading organisations to embed equity into their policy and practices.

He has delivered keynote speeches at Australia’s largest public health conferences and Federal Parliament, where he continues to hold institutions accountable for systemic inequities. His advocacy has received national media attention, amplifying the voices of communities too often overlooked.

As an Associate Research Fellow, Khalid co-led impactful research on food equity for migrant communities, helping to shift policy conversations at the state level.

Through leadership and advisory roles across nonprofit, government, and youth sectors, he continues to influence how health systems can work better for all—especially young people.

A proud co-founder of CALM Youth, Khalid brings that strategy lens, ideating different ways CALM Youth can do their part in closing the gap in the sector by better bridging lived experience with evidence-based approaches to deliver meaningful outcomes for marginalised young people.

Dr Jordan Cory

Manager, Global Indigenous Health, University of Melbourne

Dr Jordan Cory is a proud Kamilaroi woman and medical doctor with expertise in the social determinants of health and prosperity.

She worked at the Victorian Department of Health during the COVID-19 pandemic, pushing the needle to better ensure cultural responsiveness.

She completed her Master of Public Health at Harvard University as a Fulbright and Roberta Sykes scholar in 2021/22.

She has worked clinically, in philanthropy, holds various board directorships and appointments, and is currently Manager of Global Indigenous Health at the University of Melbourne.

She is passionate about building cross-political and cross-cultural bridges and dialogue.

Kevin Kapeke

Lead Government Relations and Policy, VicHealth

Kevin Kapeke is a policy and government relations professional committed to creating systems that enable health, equity, and belonging.
 
As Lead, Government Relations at VicHealth, he works across government, community, and research partners to translate evidence into public policy and strategic investment. His work spans cultural safety, prevention economics, food systems and youth engagement; areas where he has helped shape cross-sector initiatives that turn insight into action.
 
Alongside his professional practice, Kevin has pursued advanced study in both public policy and business administration, with a focus on governance, strategy, and evaluation. His research interests lie at the intersection of health, economics, and systems reform, exploring how prevention and equity can be embedded into institutional design. He has written for peer-reviewed journals such as the Medical Journal of Australia and The Lancet.
 
Deeply committed to youth-led and co-designed approaches, Kevin has served on multiple boards, including YMCA Victoria and YLab Global, championing young people’s role in shaping the policies that affect them. His leadership reflects a belief that sustainable change emerges when lived experience and evidence meet, when policy isn’t just written for communities, but with them.

Simone Morahan

Lead, Research and Impact, VicHealth

Simone has a Masters in Health Promotion, and previous experience working on large scale research projects that focus on improving the health and wellbeing of children and young people. She has a strong interest in the environmental and social factors that influence health and wellbeing and how they can be altered to improve health outcomes.

Simone’s work at VicHealth has primarily centred on improving the access to and use of research, including capacity building and knowledge translation activities.

Adam Valvasori

Lead, Advocacy, ARACY

Adam is an experienced advocacy and communications expert with a strong focus on innovative and collaborative social and environmental justice campaigns. With a diverse background spanning Australian business, government, national and international NGOs, Adam has successfully led major coalition initiatives, including the Campaign for Australian Aid, Kids Off Nauru, and Know Your Country.

Adam represents ARACY in various advocacy campaigns, including Victoria’s Smart Justice for Young People coalition and the Raise The Age campaign.

Sarah Lake

Policy and Engagement Officer, ARACY

Sarah is an experienced community engagement specialist and advocate, rooted in frontline youth support and justice sector experience alongside mental health, digital governance, and engagement. She has led national and international initiatives that elevate lived experience and community voices, with previous roles at Beyond Blue, the Internet Society, and Amplify Australia, ensuring the wellbeing of children and young people are at the centre.

At ARACY, Sarah supports the Young and Wise program and contributes to policy development, webinar delivery, and stakeholder engagement. She believes the best policy starts with listening and that real change happens when people, evidence, and participation come together.

Planning Saw

Doctor of Medicine Student and Youth Advocate

Planning is a youth advocate, researcher, and emerging doctor passionate about health equity and youth participation in research and policy. He has co-authored multiple publications in the Medical Journal of Australia, including contributions to the Future Healthy Countdown 2030 consensus statement, and papers on youth decision-making, the rationale for lowering the voting age, and youth-led approaches to health equity.

He is leading a Photovoice study exploring how young people are affected by the economic and commercial determinants of health, using participatory methods to amplify lived experience in research and advocacy.

Planning serves as the Youth and CALD Representative on the ALIVE National Centre Governance Committee and is a member of the Future Healthy Countdown Working Group and the Young and Resilient Research Centre Expert Advisory Board.

He is also Co-Founder of Global Health Youth Connect, a youth-led non-profit that bridges educational gaps in global health and empowers young people to address health inequities. In 2024, he was recognised as the Rising Star in Youth Health by the Australian Association for Adolescent Health.

Amie Furlong

Government Relations and Research Adviser, Foundations for Tomorrow

Amie is a policy and advocacy professional and has experience in management roles across government and not-for-profit sectors.

She is the Research Lead of Foundations for Tomorrow, a youth-driven not-for-profit advocating for governance structures and decision-making incentives that make sure generations in the future are fairly considered in today`s world.