Cordia Chu joined Griffith University in 1987 as a teaching fellow with a PhD in medical sociology and medical anthropology and is currently the Director of the Centre for Environment and Population Health.

Professor Chu’s contributions to local, national and international communities have been far reaching. She has developed public health and leadership capacity building programs for country partners in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as building positive collaborations with overseas organisations to work with international communities in areas such as population health, environmental sustainability, environmental management and public health. In particular, Professor Chu has been instrumental in establishing a number of major strategic partnerships across China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Vietnam and Taiwan.

The outcomes of these programs and collaborations have played a significant role in addressing some of the most pressing health issues facing the world today. In recognition of her achievements, in 2013 Cordia Chu was awarded the Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for her “significant service to reproductive and public health programs”.