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Lesley Russell

Dr Russell returned to Australia in October 2012 after three years in Washington DC where she worked on a range of issues around the enactment and implementation of health care reform, initially as a Visiting Fellow at the Center for American Progress (known as the 'Obama think tank') and later as a Senior Advisor to the U.S. Surgeon General in the Department of Health and Human Services.

Dr Russell has substantial experience working in health policy in the United States and Australia. both in and out of government. She was previously the inaugural Menzies Foundation Fellow at the Menzies Centre for Health Policy (MCHP) and a Research Associate at the US Studies Centre at the University of Sydney. Prior to that she was a health policy advisor to the Federal ALP. She worked for seven years as health policy advisor on the Energy and Commerce Committee in the US House of Representatuves.

Dr Russell is also an Adjunct Associate Professor at the MCHP and a Senior Fellow at the Center for Australian and New Zealand Studies at Georgetown University. She holds a PhD in biochemistry from the John Curtin School of Medical Research at ANU.

Getting rid of junk health insurance policies is just tinkering at the margins of a much bigger issue

Aug 28, 2017 14:27 pm UTC| Insights & Views Health

In media interviews and his speech at the National Press Club this week, the Australian Medical Association (AMA) president, Michael Gannon, has spoken out against junk health-insurance policies. He said these are worth...

Investing in rural health brings ten-fold returns to local economies (and improves health)

Apr 26, 2017 07:59 am UTC| Insights & Views Investing

When we talk about rural health, its easy to focus on health inequalities between the roughly 10% of Australians who live in rural and remote areas and those who live in our cities. Statistics show the further...

Is the investment in private health insurance worthwhile?

Nov 22, 2016 01:27 am UTC| Insights & Views Business

A frequent topic of conversation at any social or workplace gathering is the cost and unfairness of private health insurance. Despite guaranteed free treatment in public hospitals, we are both conditioned and persuaded to...

Do you really need to go to hospital? Time to recentre the health system

Mar 17, 2016 23:01 pm UTC| Insights & Views Health

Hospitals dominate our health-care system and account for more than one-third of Australias A$150 billion-plus health budget. Pressure is growing on hospital services and costs are spiralling. This is because of the...

Economy

Gold Price Hits Record High as Geopolitical Tensions Fuel Safe-Haven Demand

Gold prices surged to a fresh record high during Asian trading on Tuesday, extending a powerful rally as investors sought safety amid heightened geopolitical uncertainty and a weaker U.S. dollar. Bullion remained firmly...

Japanese Government Bond Yields Surge to Record Highs Amid Election and Fiscal Fears

Long-dated Japanese government bond (JGB) yields surged to record highs on Tuesday, rattling global fixed-income markets as investors reacted to mounting political and fiscal uncertainty ahead of a potential February...

Asian Currencies Trade Narrowly as Dollar Slips on Trump-Greenland Tensions

Most Asian currencies traded within a tight range on Tuesday, while the U.S. dollar edged lower as renewed geopolitical concerns dampened investor appetite for American assets. Market sentiment turned cautious after U.S....

Australia’s Second-Largest Pension Fund Boosts Currency Hedging Amid Weaker U.S. Dollar Outlook

Australias second-largest pension fund, Australian Retirement Trust (ART), has announced it is reducing its exposure to the U.S. dollar by increasing currency hedging, as global investors reassess their U.S. allocations...

Trump Threatens 200% Tariff on French Wine Over Macron’s Refusal to Join Peace Board

U.S. President Donald Trump has sparked fresh controversy after saying he would impose a 200% tariff on French wines and champagnes, linking the move to French President Emmanuel Macrons refusal to join his proposed Board...

Politics

Supreme Court Tests Federal Reserve Independence Amid Trump’s Bid to Fire Lisa Cook

The U.S. Supreme Court is once again at the center of a high-stakes legal battle with major economic implications, as it considers the legality of President Donald Trumps attempt to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook....

Trump Revives Greenland Ownership Push Ahead of World Economic Forum in Davos

U.S. President Donald Trump has once again reignited debate over Greenland, reiterating his long-standing call for American ownership of the Arctic territory just days before attending the World Economic Forum (WEF) in...

Trump Says Greenland Is Key to Global Security After Call With NATO Chief

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he held a very good telephone conversation with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, during which they discussed issues of global security, including the strategic importance...

Minnesota U.S. Citizen Detained by ICE in Armed Raid Sparks Outrage and Civil Rights Concerns

A Minnesota mans traumatic encounter with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has ignited renewed debate over immigration enforcement practices and civil rights under the Trump administration. ChongLy Thao, 56, a...

Russian Drone and Missile Attack Disrupts Power and Water in Kyiv

Russian forces carried out a large-scale combined drone and missile attack on Ukraines capital, Kyiv, early Tuesday, causing significant disruptions to essential infrastructure and injuring at least one person, according...

Science

NASA and SpaceX Target Crew-11 Undocking From ISS Amid Medical Concern

NASA has confirmed that the agency, in coordination with SpaceX, is targeting no earlier than 5 p.m. Eastern Time (2200 GMT) on Wednesday, January 14, for the undocking of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission from the International...

Neuralink Plans High-Volume Brain Implant Production and Fully Automated Surgery by 2026

Elon Musks brain-computer interface company Neuralink is preparing for a major expansion, announcing plans to begin high-volume production of its brain implant devices and transition to a fully automated surgical procedure...

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Senate Sets December 8 Vote on Trump’s NASA Nominee Jared Isaacman

The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee announced it will vote on December 8 on President Donald Trumps renewed nomination of private astronaut and tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. Isaacman, known for his...

NASA Cuts Boeing Starliner Missions as SpaceX Pulls Ahead

NASA has significantly scaled back Boeings Starliner program after years of technical issues and delays, announcing that the next Starliner mission to the International Space Station (ISS) will fly without astronauts. The...

Technology

Micron to Buy Powerchip Fab for $1.8 Billion, Shares Surge Nearly 10%

Shares of Taiwans Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp jumped nearly 10% on Monday following news that U.S. memory chip giant Micron Technology plans to acquire one of Powerchips fabrication facilities in Taiwan,...

Tesla Revives Dojo Supercomputer Project With AI5 Chip at the Core

Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA) is set to restart development of its next-generation supercomputer, Dojo3, marking a renewed push into artificial intelligence infrastructure. Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirmed on Sunday that work on...

South Korea Seeks Favorable U.S. Tariff Terms on Memory Chip Imports

South Korea is moving to secure favorable treatment from the United States on tariffs affecting memory chip imports, following recent trade actions announced by the U.S. government. A spokesperson from South Koreas...

South Korea Sees Limited Impact From New U.S. Tariffs on Advanced AI Chips

South Koreas trade minister said a newly announced U.S. tariff on certain advanced computing chips is expected to have only a limited short-term impact on South Korean companies, while cautioning that future measures could...

Elon Musk Seeks $134 Billion in Lawsuit Against OpenAI and Microsoft Over Alleged Wrongful Gains

Elon Musk has escalated his legal battle against OpenAI and Microsoft, seeking up to $134 billion in damages over what he claims are wrongful gains stemming from his early involvement in the artificial intelligence...

Digital Currency