The Health Design Podcast

Dr John Malios is an experienced general practitioner and medico-legal examiner, retiring after a 50-year career in general practice. He founded the Oakleigh and District Health Centre (now The General Practitioner) in 1972 and went on to serve as Convenor of Medical Panels Victoria (2012–2017) and Deputy Convenor (2007–2012). He continues to contribute as a Presiding Member on Medical Panel Tribunals and has extensive expertise in medico-legal impairment assessment under the AMA Guides for WorkSafe and Wrongs Act claims. Dr Malios also delivers training for the Personal Injury Education Foundation (PIEF). Currently, he is an occupational health consultant in private industry, Medical Advisor and committee member of Thalassaemia and Sickle Cell Australia, a member of the consumer advocacy group for Primary Aldosteronism, and an Associate Investigator with the Hudson Institute’s Primary Aldosteronism Centre of Excellence (PACE). Dr Malios is a Life Member of the AMA and RACGP, and a member of the Australian College of Legal Medicine.

Parker LaCombe is a passionate advocate, strategist, and internationally recognized subject matter expert in mental health, peer support, and systems transformation. As the co-founder of MindCareConnect and firm believer that recovery is possible for all who navigate mental health and substance use challenges, Parker uses her lived experience to bridge the gap between clinical and peer perspectives—co-creating more inclusive, trauma-informed, and human-centered systems of care. Her contributions have been recognized nationally and internationally, earning her the 2024 STAR Peer Support Worker of the Year Award from SAMHSA and recognition as a Rising Star in the 2018 National Lifesavers newsletter by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Parker continues to champion stigma reduction, workforce equity, and peer leadership in mental health and suicide prevention efforts across the globe. Sydney Harris is an international mental health strategist with over 15 years of experience across public and private sectors, dedicated to transforming care into models that are person-centered, accessible, and holistic. She has led major initiatives including the Austin State Hospital Redesign and cross-sector collaborations addressing the intersections of mental health crises, homelessness, and the justice system. Sydney is the co-editor of Redesigning the U.S. Mental Health Care System (Oxford University Press), contributing two chapters to the volume, and the recipient of the prestigious George Pressler Under 40 Award recognizing leadership and vision in healthcare planning, design, construction, and operations. She is the co-founder of MindCareConnect, which elevates lived experience to shape mental health policy and innovation, and is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Public Health at Johns Hopkins University. MindCareConnect Website: https://www.mindcareconnect.org/

Terry Tucker is a speaker, author, and podcast guest on the topics of mindset, motivation, and self-development. He is the Founder of Motivational Check LLC. Terry has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from The Citadel and a Master’s degree from Boston University. Among his many diverse roles, he has been a college basketball player, a marketing executive, a hospital administrator, a SWAT Hostage Negotiator, a business owner, and for the past 13 years, a cancer warrior. He is the author of the book Sustainable Excellence, Ten Principles To Leading Your Uncommon and Extraordinary Life, and a featured author in the book Perspectives On Cancer, Stories of Healing, Hope, And Resilience. Terry has also been published in Authority, Thrive Global, and Human Capital Leadership magazines, along with being quoted and highlighted in the books Your Blueprint for Purpose by John Creekmur and Audaciousness, Your Journey To Living A Bold And Authentic Life by Maribel Ortega and Helen Strong.

Stephen Garner is a patient researching their own disease, exploring the frontiers of human knowledge, and developing new frameworks as an ethical theorist. After reducing the severity and frequency of his own autoimmune symptoms through targeted nutrition, biochemical modeling, and self-experimentation, Stephen now shares his experience, and findings, to help others better understand and manage chronic illness. With a background in emergency services, information technology, and scientific theory-building, he brings a systems-oriented lens to the intersection of health, ethics, and personal agency. His current work focuses on giving the body the tools it needs to maintain systems coherence; combining insights from microbiome science, immune regulation, and cognitive framing.

DR ALASTAIR SANTHOUSE is a consultant neuropsychiatrist working at the Maudsley Hospital in London. He began his medical career working in internal medicine before retraining to become a psychiatrist. He is a fellow of both the Royal College of Physicians and the Royal College of Psychiatrists, and formerly served as president of the Psychiatry Section of The Royal Society of Medicine, as well as vice chair of the liaison psychiatry faculty at The Royal College of Psychiatrists. He is the author of 2 books, most recently No More Normal: Mental Health in an Age Over-Diagnosis. His first book was Head First: A Psychiatrist’s Stories of Mind and Body