A prize-winning professor with an international reputation in public health is to be the new Dean of Te Wāhanga Tātai Hauora—Wellington Faculty of Health at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington.

Professor Markus Melloh is currently Associate Dean Research & Development at Zurich University of Applied Sciences’ School of Health Professions in Switzerland.

He will take up his new role later this year, following the recent retirement of Professor Gregor Coster, foundation Dean of the Wellington Faculty of Health and one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most respected and experienced academic and health sector leaders.

Professor Melloh is also foundation director of Zurich University’s Institute of Health Sciences and Professor of Public Health, as well as deputy director of the University’s Digital Health Lab and board member of the Zurich Digital Initiative, both aiming at digital transformation at Swiss universities and beyond.

Professor Melloh has an international reputation in musculoskeletal health as well as public health. He is co-chair of the International Task Force on Diagnosis and Management of Lumbar Spinal Stenosis, which recently won the International Society for the Study of the Lumbar Spine Clinical Prize.

In addition, he is founder of a spin-off company working across the sectors of health, physics, engineering, and life sciences, and holds patents from the United States and Europe on dynamic real-time 3D pressure measurement in biological systems.

Between 2007 and 2014, Professor Melloh worked at universities in New Zealand and Australia.

“Professor Melloh’s background and experience will be invaluable for Te Herenga Waka,” says the University’s Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor Rawinia Higgins. “He is a proven leader with a track record of setting strong strategic direction and delivering contemporary and innovative programmes in health.

“His areas of focus as Dean will include fostering civic engagement by integrating students and staff with local communities, ensuring growth in the number and influence of Māori and Pasifika staff and students, and developing a range of new partnerships for the Faculty of Health in New Zealand and internationally.”

Professor Melloh says he is looking forward to taking the faculty to the next level of performance and ensuring it has a strong reputation as an innovative leader in health.

“I am a strong believer in diversity in science and in working across sectors. I look forward to seeing more co-creative collaborations between the Faculty of Health and areas such as the biomedical sciences, biotechnology, psychology, computer science, and architecture and design, with a focus on digital health innovations in fields such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, e- and m-health, augmented and virtual reality, user-centred design, and usability.”