Deborah Lehmann, Medical practitioner and epidemiologist
Deborah Lehmann
La Grande Boissière, 1965
Medical practitioner and epidemiologist
Australia
Learn more about me :
I am a Clinical Associate Professor and a medical practitioner and epidemiologist with expertise in acute respiratory infections, otitis media (OM) and Aboriginal health. I did my medical training in London. I returned to Geneva to do the Virtuosité de Clavecin at the Conservatoire, then had a stint in general practice in London before spending 2 and a half years in Nepal doing tuberculosis control. After completing a Masters in Community Health in Developing Countries in London, I spent 17 years in the Papua New Guinea highlands as an epidemiologist at the PNG Institute of Medical Research, managing the Pneumonia Research Programme. In 1998, I moved to the Telethon Kids Institute in Perth, Western Australia, where I have conducted research on pneumonia and otitis media (middle ear infections) in Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children while continuing research in PNG. I am committed to training the next generation of Papua New Guinean, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal researchers. In 2012 I was made an Officer of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to medical research.
The greatest influence Ecolint had on me was learning that colour and creed do not matter. I believe we were totally unaware of any racism or prejudice. We came from all over the world and we learnt about different cultures. This has been carried through to my entire life and influenced my desire to improve the lives of less privileged people than ourselves. In addition, my interest in science and health was highly influenced by the late Reginald Unitt who taught Biology and Eric Anthony who taught Chemistry. Without them, I would not have ended up in medicine.
If I could do it all over again I would, I wouldn’t have changed anything. Ecolint is a very special school that prepares one for life and instils justice, equity and humanity.
My words of wisdom for Ecolint students: follow your passions and your dreams!