Anthony Rodgers MBChB, PhD

Professor Rodgers has a track record in cardiovascular disease prevention, innovation, and public-private partnerships, with an interest in scale-able interventions to address major risks to health. He is currently Acting Director of the Cardiovascular Division at The George Institute, Australia, and Chair of Clinical Epidemiology, at the Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College of London.

After graduating in medicine in the United Kingdom he trained in epidemiology and public health in New Zealand. He was the Principal Author of the 2002 World Health Report, the main annual publication for WHO. Professor Rodgers has led the development of an affordable four-in-one cardiovascular combination pill ('polypill'). He led a clinical trial program in economically developed and developing countries, funded by the Wellcome Trust, the European Union, and others.  

Professor Rodgers also developed the world's first cellphone-based smoking cessation program for youth, which disseminated proven health support messages in an age-appropriate, affordable medium.  Over 6,000 patients were involved in clinical trials that demonstrated a 50% increase in quit rates. The service has been rolled out by Departments of Health in NZ, UK, and India, with over 2 million users to date. A follow-on program delivering cognitive behavioral therapy for depression prevention was successfully trialed among 1,200 at-risk teenagers.