Katina D'Onise

Katina D'Onise is an Australian public health researcher, with experience in prevention and population health,  communicable diseases, and Indigenous health. She was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2024, on the King's Birthday.

Education and career
D’Onise had her early training with the public health system, as a public health physician. She subsequently obtained her PhD in epidemiology. She next took up a role at the University of South Australia as a Senior Research Fellow. D’Onise became the Health's director of the Epidemiology Branch, in South Australia in 2015. She then started, in 2017, as the first director of the Prevention and Population Health Branch. She has experience across a range of fields working in universities and public health policy, including the control of communicable disease, particularly COVID-19 where she played a significant role in Australia's response to the pandemic, as well as Aboriginal Health.

D'Onise is executive director, at a Centre in South Australia, called the Prevention and Population Health Directorate. She supervises various fields, which include Epidemiology, Health Promotion, and Cancer Screening and Epidemiology. Her particular fields of interest and expertise include translation research (taking research from a university or research setting and applying this to have broader application), legislative reform, health and equity, research translation, and Indigenous health issues.

D'Onise has also published in various media, and has experience in the impact of a soft drink tax, and how this would impact diabetes. She has been involved in public health and epidemiology, and oversaw the COVID-19 operations during the pandemic in Australia."“The pandemic was a rare opportunity for me to use everything I’ve ever learned all at once”"

Publications
D'Onise has published multiple studies on population health and prevention.

Select publications include: Black, A.P., D’Onise, K., McDermott, R. et al. (2017) How effective are family-based and institutional nutrition interventions in improving children’s diet and health? A systematic review. BMC Public Health 17, 818 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-017-4795-5

D’Onise, K., Lynch, J., Sawyer, M.G., McDermott, R.A. (2010) Can preschool improve child health outcomes? A systematic review. Social Science & Medicine, Volume 70, Issue 9, 2010, P 1423-1440. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2009.12.037

K. D'Onise, R.A. McDermott, J.W. Lynch, Does attendance at preschool affect adult health? A systematic review, Public Health, Volume 124, Issue 9, P 500-511. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2010.05.004.

Awards

 * 2024 - Order of Australia.