Alex Broom

Professor Alex Broom is Professor of Sociology in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at the University of Sydney, where he is Founding Director of the Sydney Centre for Healthy Societies. An internationally recognised leader in sociology, his research focuses on the sociology of health and illness, including the social dynamics of cancer, palliative and end-of-life care, antimicrobial resistance, complementary and alternative medicine, and the social aspects of medicine and health. In 2026, Professor Broom joined the Australian Research Council as Academic Director for Social, Behavioural and Economic Sciences. His career includes previous roles as an ARC Future Fellow at the University of Queensland from 2015 to 2019 and Scientia Professor at UNSW Sydney. He holds a PhD in Sociology and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with First Class Honours and University Medal.

Professor Broom has published over 300 academic works, including 17 books, with recent titles such as A World of Resistance (Harvard University Press, 2026, co-authored with Assa Doron) and Survivorship: A Sociology of Cancer in Everyday Life (2021). His highly cited publications include 'Virtually he@lthy: the impact of internet use on disease experience and the doctor-patient relationship' (Qualitative Health Research, 2005, 665 citations), 'Cultures of resistance? A Bourdieusian analysis of doctors' antibiotic prescribing' (Social Science & Medicine, 2014, 245 citations), and 'SARS-CoV-2: the viral shedding vs infectivity dilemma' (Infection, Disease & Health, 2020, 243 citations). With more than 14,000 citations and an h-index of 65, he ranks in the top 2% of researchers worldwide. As an investigator, he has secured over AU$30 million in competitive research grants. Professor Broom is a Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia (elected 2025), and has held visiting and honorary positions at the University of California, Berkeley, King’s College London, the University of Vienna, the University of British Columbia, and Paris Dauphine University. He has supervised 15 PhD candidates to completion and is committed to building interdisciplinary research ecosystems that inform policy, industry, and society.

Professional Email: alex.broom@sydney.edu.au