Simon Chapman

Simon Chapman is an Emeritus Professor of Public Health at the University of Sydney, where he served from 1977 until his retirement in February 2016. A globally recognized public health advocate, Chapman is best known for his pioneering work in tobacco control, media advocacy, and risk communication.

Chapman earned his PhD in social medicine with a thesis examining the semiotics of cigarette advertising, laying the foundation for his influential career in public health policy. He authored or co-authored 21 books and major reports, over 330 peer-reviewed papers and editorials, and nearly 200 letters and commentaries in scientific journals. His research has addressed topics ranging from tobacco industry practices to public perceptions of health risks, including studies on wind turbine syndrome and the social dynamics of health panics.

A prominent voice in public discourse, Chapman has written more than 470 opinion pieces and journalistic articles since 1981. He also taught annual courses in Public Health Advocacy and Tobacco Control in the University of Sydney's Master of Public Health program.

Chapman served as the founding deputy editor and later editor of the British Medical Journal's specialist journal Tobacco Control, and remains its editor emeritus.

His contributions have been recognized with numerous honors, including the World Health Organization's World No Tobacco Day Medal (1997), the American Cancer Society’s Luther Terry Award for Outstanding Individual Leadership in Tobacco Control (2003), and appointment as an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2013.