Dr Sandro Demaio

Dr Sandro Demaio is a globally recognised medical doctor, public health expert, and passionate advocate for better food, health, and wellbeing systems. As the CEO of VicHealth, Sandro led innovative, evidence-based initiatives to improve the health and wellbeing of all Victorians. However, in early 2025 he will be concluding his role as CEO to join the United Nations where he will lead the World Health Organisation’s regional work on climate, environment, and health, based in Seoul, South Korea. His career spans continents, disciplines, and sectors, unified by a mission to build a healthier, more sustainable world. 

Before returning to Australia, Sandro held various influential roles on the global stage. He served as CEO of the EAT Foundation, where he led the global launch of the landmark EAT-Lancet Commission on Food, Planet, Health, and as Medical Officer for non-communicable diseases and nutrition at the World Health Organisation. Currently, he can be seen sitting on the Nutrition Strategy Advisory Board for Switzerland’s Pictet Group, further cementing his position as a leading voice in food and health policy.

With training and clinical experience at The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, Sandro holds a Master’s in Public Health and a PhD in non-communicable diseases from the University of Copenhagen. He has completed fellowships at Harvard Medical School, the Copenhagen School of Global Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and the University of Melbourne. His doctoral research took him to Mongolia, where he worked alongside the Ministry of Health to tackle the country’s rising burden of chronic disease.

A firm believer in the power of community and creativity, Sandro co-founded NCDFREE, a global social movement that reached over 2.5 million young people in just 18 months, as well as festival21, a free celebration of food, culture, and sustainability in Melbourne. In 2018, he established an independent, non-profit foundation focused on improving the health and nutrition of young Australians, work that has involved collaboration with ABC TV and Pan Macmillan.

As a science communicator, Sandro co-hosted the ABC and Netflix series ‘Ask the Doctor’, an award-winning medical show viewed around the world. He’s published over 40 scientific papers, including in ‘The Lancet’ and ‘The BMJ’, and authored ‘The Doctor’s Diet’, a science-based cookbook that blends nutritional insight with culinary inspiration.

With deep expertise and infectious passion, Dr Sandro Demaio continues to shape the political economy of food, health, and wellbeing, delivering not just research and policy, but hope and vision for a healthier future.