Professor of Public Health, University of Sydney
Alexandra Barratt is a Professor of Public Health in the School of Public Health, University of Sydney. She has led research projects in breast and prostate cancer screening over the last 20 years, including trials of decision aids for people considering cancer screening tests. She is currently working on research to improve our knowledge and understanding of overdiagnosis and overtreatment from cancer screening.
Alex has worked as a consultant for the National Breast Cancer Screening Initiative of Canada, the US National Cancer Institute, NHMRC, the National Breast and Ovarian Cancer Centre and the Ministry of Health NZ. She has co-authored over 100 publications in peer reviewed journals, and has contributed to text books in Evidence Based Medicine and Public Health.
In 2006 and 2007 she won back-to-back Eureka prizes for her radio programs on cancer screening (http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/healthreport/cancer-screening---benefits-and-harms-part-one/3368220) and evidence based medicine (http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/healthreport/facing-the-evidence---part-one/3345712).
29,000 cancers overdiagnosed in Australia in a single year
Jan 28, 2020 08:57 am UTC| Insights & Views Health
Almost one in four cancers detected in men were overdiagnosed in 2012, according to our new research, published today in the Medical Journal of Australia. In the same year, we found that approximately one in five...
Five warning signs of overdiagnosis
Feb 05, 2019 09:32 am UTC| Health
Weve had it drummed into us over decades that early detection is key to treating diseases early, before they have a chance to turn into something really nasty. But weve since learnt the flip-side of this is...
A sustainable future begins at ground level
Canada needs a national strategy for homeless refugee claimants
An eclipse for everyone – how visually impaired students can ‘get a feel for’ eclipses