Dr Clare Looker is Victoria’s Chief Health Officer.

In this role, Dr Looker provides expert public health leadership and scientific advice on issues impacting public health in Victoria. As Chief Health Officer, Dr Looker has various roles and responsibilities under Victoria’s Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 and also undertakes a number of statutory functions under other health-related legislation. Dr Looker is also Chief Human Biosecurity Officer for Victoria and, working with Chief Health Officer colleagues in other states and territories, she participates in national activities to protect and promote public health in Australia.

Dr Looker is a senior public health physician with experience in communicable diseases, environmental health and epidemiology. After several years working in clinical practice, she travelled to London to complete a Master of Science (Epidemiology). She then remained in the UK for three years working as an epidemiologist at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in environmental and infectious disease epidemiology. After returning to Victoria, Dr Looker gained further experience in risk management of issues, incidents and emergencies related to environmental hazards and emergency management. Dr Looker also has significant experience in the public health management of communicable disease and became a Deputy Chief Health Officer in the COVID-19 response.

Dr Looker is a Fellow of the Australasian Faculty of Public Health Medicine and has a Master of Public Health qualification in addition to her Master of Science (Epidemiology) and medical degrees.