Hilda Bastian

Hilda Bastian is a prominent health advocate and science communicator known for her significant contributions to the field of evidence-based medicine. She has been instrumental in promoting the understanding and application of medical research in healthcare decision-making.

Early Life and Education

Bastian was born and raised in Australia. She did not have a traditional academic background, having left school at the age of 15. Despite this, she developed a keen interest in healthcare and medical science, which led her to become a self-taught expert in these fields.

Career

In the 1980s, Bastian became involved in the consumer health advocacy movement in Australia. She was a founding member of the Consumers' Health Forum of Australia, where she helped to develop the first national standards for consumer involvement in health research.

In 1993, Bastian was appointed to the Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee, becoming the first consumer advocate to hold such a position. During her tenure, she championed the inclusion of consumer perspectives in decision-making processes related to pharmaceuticals.

In 2002, Bastian moved to the United States to work for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). She played a key role in the development of PubMed Health, a resource for systematic reviews of clinical effectiveness research, and served as its editor until it was discontinued in 2018.

Bastian is also known for her work on the Cochrane Collaboration, an international network of researchers, professionals, patients, and people interested in health, where she was a key figure in the consumer involvement.

Contributions to Science Communication

Bastian is a prolific science writer and blogger. She has written for various platforms, including PLOS Blogs and Wikipedia, to make health and medical research more accessible to the public. Her work emphasizes the importance of critical thinking and skepticism in interpreting scientific research.

Recognition

Bastian's contributions to healthcare and science communication have been widely recognized. In 2011, she was included in the BMJ's list of "Twenty Women Who Changed Medicine."