Prof Kerryn Phelps AM

Prof. Kerryn Phelps AM is well known in Australia as a GP, health and political commentator and social justice activist.

Prof Phelps was the founder of Bourke Street Clinic in 2006.

She is a conjoint Professor in the National Institute of Complementary Medicine at University of Western Sydney.

As the first woman to be elected as President of the Australian Medical Association, Prof Phelps pioneered the first AMA policies on complementary medicine and recognising climate change as a human health issue. She also advocated to strengthen Medicare, and for improved indigenous health, aged care, and refugee health.

Prof Phelps was President of the Australasian Integrative Medicine Association from 2009 to 2012, and has argued for the integration of evidence-supported natural therapies into conventional medical practice.

In 2003 she was awarded the Centenary of Federation Medal for services to Medicine and Australian society.

In 2011, she was awarded an Order of Australia for service to medicine.

She is the co-author of a groundbreaking textbook, “General Practice: The Integrative Approach, published in 2010 by Elsevier. 

In 2013 her book “Ultimate Wellness: The 3-Step Plan” was published by Pan Macmillan. Later that year she was invited to India to meet with HRH Prince Charles (now King Charles III) and to open the Global Health Futures Conference.

In 2014 she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters by the University of Western Sydney.

In 2015 she published “The Cancer Recovery Guide”, an integrative approach to the management of cancer with a foreword by HRH Price Charles (now King Charles III).

In 2017 she co-authored The Mystery Gut with Dr Claudia Lee and in 2021 published How to Keep Your Brain Young.

Prof Phelps was the popular health columnist for the Australian Women’s Weekly for twenty five years .

In 2018 she was elected to the Australian Federal Parliament in a by-election in Wentworth where she negotiated the landmark Medevac legislation.

In 2016 Prof Phelps was elected as Deputy Lord Mayor of Sydney and was a councillor on the City of Sydney from 2016 to 2021, showing leadership on issues of city governance, inclusiveness, social justice and community wellbeing.

Prof Phelps is an executive member of the expert group OzSAGE, advocating for evidence-based approaches to the COVID pandemic.