Dr. Belinda Townsend is a Research Fellow at the School of Regulation and Global Governance, The Australian National University. She earned her PhD in political science at Deakin University and has undergraduate degrees in political science (Honours), anthropology and public health. Belinda’s PhD thesis examined the history, conflicts and transformations in the evolution of global medicines governance over the last seventy years. Her thesis traced a pattern of forum-shifting by governments, firms, and globally networked non-government organisations in a battle of power and resistance over the norms and rules that shape global medicines governance. The frameworks and findings of this research has informed her recent work on trade policy. She has published on the impact of trade agreements on health and on the governance of trade-policy making which can enable or constrain coherence for action on non-communicable diseases. She has served as a resource person on trade and health for the Public Health Association of Australia and has presented for a variety of audiences including community organisations, public forums, academic experts and trade negotiators. Belinda is working with the Australian NHMRC Centre for Research Excellence in the Social Determinants of Health Equity leading a project investigating agenda setting in public policy for health.