Our Story

The AHAO was founded in 2014 to facilitate and inspire healthy ageing through advocacy, community engagement and driving research.

Today, the AHAO has evolved to bring together researchers, clinicians, and community leaders to turn science into action—extending healthspans, improving quality of life, and redefining what it means to age well.

Venn diagram illustrating the Australian Healthy Ageing Organisation's focus areas, including People, Community, and Research, with their respective values, strategic priorities, and goals.

Our People

  • Portrait of a woman with shoulder-length red hair, smiling, wearing a black blazer, standing in front of a brick wall.

    Johanna Wicks

    CEO

    Johanna brings over twenty years of experience in developing strategic partnerships, influencing policy, and securing substantial funding for health and community wellbeing initiatives.

    Her career spans 15 years in the NFP sector, specifically in women's health, the federal Government, and most recently, in the private sector, where she successfully placed menopause on the national agenda, resulting in $224 million in government funding for menopause-specific initiatives. 

  • A man with glasses and gray hair smiling outdoors, dressed in a peach-colored shirt and dark blazer, standing in front of trees.

    Dr Stephen Campbell

    Director

    Dr Stephen Campbell MBChB, FRACP is a Consultant Geriatrician and Fellow of the Australian and New Zealand College of Physicians.

    Dr Campbell has a wealth of experience in both primary and tertiary health care, having worked in both the private and public sector. His experience in Geriatrics and general medicine includes not only hospital and clinic but also community and aged care facilities.

  • A woman with dark hair smiling, wearing earrings and a pearl necklace, in front of balloons.

    Dr Seema Misra-Thakur

    Director

    Dr Seema Misra-Thakur has a MSc and a PhD in biochemistry from the University of Mumbai, India and was an Associate Professor in Biochemistry at The Institute of Science for 26 years.

    Her research interests are in Biochemistry, Health, Nutrition and the Environment. Seema brings to AHAO her passion for healthy living to achieve healthy ageing; her ability to educate and transfer information to the community and her unique knowledge of her community’s needs.

  • Kelly Durrant

    Director

    Kelly has 20 years' experience working in the not-for-profit, academic and government sectors across Asia, the Pacific and Africa. Her diverse skills include program design and management, policy analysis and influencing, stakeholder engagement, partnership development, strategic planning, communications, and fundraising.  Kelly has a Masters in public health and strong expertise in women's health, gender equality, health systems strengthening and research. 

    A decade ago Kelly managed a four year healthy aging program in Sri Lanka so she is excited to join the AHAO board at a time when its focus is shifting to focus on women's healthy aging - a key interest area.

  • prof cassandra szoeke smiling at camera

    Prof Cassandra Szoeke

    National Health Advisor

    Professor Cassandra Szoeke has represented Australia on several major international collaborative efforts including the Australian clinical representative role in the world-wide Alzheimer’s Disease Initiative, Clinical lead on the Global burden of Dementia, on the science advisory of the International Women’s Brain Project and inaugural lead of the Asia Pacific node. 

    She spent more than two decades working in Healthy Ageing at the University of Melbourne including more than a decade as Director of the Healthy Ageing Program at the University of Melbourne.