The Australian Women's Register

Summary

Marlene Lugg was a pioneer health planner and statistician in Western Australia. She was born Marlene Heinrich in Wisconsin, USA on 6 March 1938. She was educated at the University of Wisconsin and the University of Pittsburgh in the United States and married Dr Richard Lugg.

In 1982 she was the Chief Health Statistician, Department of Public Health, Western Australia (since 1967), deputy chair, Australian National Committee on Vital Health Statistics (since 1976) and a lecturer at the Medical School at the University of Western Australia.

Marlene Lugg was the first Doctor of Public Health in Australia in 1981: first woman fellow, Australian College of Health Service Administrators (formerly Australian Institute of Hospital Administrators) 1973; first woman of WA State Branch Council of Australian College of Health Service Administrators 1972. Marlene published extensively on health statistics and health planning. In 1983 she returned to the United States as Director of the Health Information Systems Program at the University of California at Los Angeles and was a Visiting Professor in Public Health at California State University, Northridge, 1987—2000.