Professor Kerryn Phelps AM is one of Australia’s most respected doctors, a pioneering health communicator, and a leading public health and civil rights advocate. With over 30 years as a general practitioner, she is the founder and principal clinician at two clinics in Double Bay and Surry Hills, and a trailblazer in health communication and integrative medicine.
For more than three decades, Prof. Phelps has been a trusted media voice, promoting healthy lifestyles to millions of Australians. She was the popular health columnist for The Australian Women’s Weekly for nearly 30 years and has authored several acclaimed books, including General Practice: The Integrative Approach, Ultimate Wellness, The Cancer Recovery Guide, The Mystery Gut, and Everyday Food as Medicine.
In 2000, Prof. Phelps made history as the first female President of the Australian Medical Association (AMA), where she championed reforms on complementary medicine, sexuality and gender diversity, Indigenous health, climate change, and refugee health rights. She also guided Australia through the medical indemnity crisis and addressed medical workforce shortages. From 2009–2012, she served as President of the Australasian Integrative Medicine Association.
Her leadership extends beyond medicine. She has served in public office as Deputy Lord Mayor of Sydney (2016) and is currently a Councillor for the City of Sydney. In 2018, she was elected Federal Member for Wentworth, succeeding former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, a position she held until 2019.
Prof. Phelps is also a Professor at the National Institute of Complementary Medicine at Western Sydney University, an Ambassador for Barnardos Australia, and a passionate advocate for child protection, having provided foster care herself. Her commitment to equality and diversity has been recognised with numerous honours, including the Centenary of Federation Medal (2003) and appointment as a Member of the Order of Australia (2011).
Balancing her professional career with motherhood, Prof. Phelps has been a lifelong advocate for families, communities, and human rights.
Health and the Media
Health and Wellbeing
Human Rights
Men’s Health (“Secret Men’s Business”)
The Politics of Medicine
Women in Leadership
Women’s Health (“Secret Women’s Business”)
