Announcing the 2026 Professor Garry Egger Scholarship Recipient
We are delighted to announce Lori Peters as the 2026 recipient of the Professor Garry Egger Scholarship, a program established to honour one of the true pioneers of Lifestyle Medicine and to support practitioners delivering care where it is needed most.
Honouring Professor Garry Egger
Professor Garry Egger is synonymous with Lifestyle Medicine in Australasia. His pioneering work reshaped how we understand and address the root causes of chronic disease, inspiring generations of health professionals to move beyond symptom management toward prevention, equity, and whole-person care.
While Garry has recently retired due to ill health, his vision continues to guide ASLM and the broader Lifestyle Medicine movement. This scholarship ensures his legacy lives on through practitioners committed to improving health outcomes in communities across Australasia.
Introducing the 2026 Recipient: Lori Peters
Lori Peter’s dedication to chronic disease prevention and management within Māori communities embodies the very spirit of Lifestyle Medicine and the values this scholarship seeks to uphold.
Reflecting on the award, Ms Peters shared:
“I am eternally grateful to receive the Garry Egger Scholarship to support my accreditation with the Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine. This opportunity represents both a profound privilege and a meaningful affirmation of my commitment to advancing Lifestyle Medicine. Gaining accreditation will deepen my clinical credibility, expand my professional impact, and strengthen my capacity to serve individuals and communities through evidence-based lifestyle interventions. This scholarship marks a pivotal milestone in my Lifestyle Medicine journey, inspiring me to lead with greater confidence, integrity, and purpose.”
– Lori Peters
Scholarship Recipient
We are thrilled to recognise Ms Peters and look forward to seeing the impact this opportunity will have on her practice and the communities she serves.
Integrating Lifestyle Medicine and Māori Models of Care
Lori is a Nurse Practitioner based in Northland, Aotearoa New Zealand, where she leads innovative, culturally grounded approaches to chronic disease prevention and management within Māori communities. Her work reflects the very heart of Lifestyle Medicine – prevention, equity, community connection and whole-person care.
A standout aspect of Lori’s contribution is her leadership of a Māori men’s wellness initiative that integrates Shared Medical Appointments, lifestyle interventions, peer support and culturally meaningful models of care. By combining evidence-based Lifestyle Medicine principles with Rongoā Māori and community co-design, she has developed a program that addresses both the clinical and social drivers of chronic disease. The measurable improvements seen in participants’ metabolic and mental health outcomes demonstrate the power of culturally responsive Lifestyle Medicine in action.
The selection panel was particularly impressed by Lori’s commitment to health equity, her ability to translate Lifestyle Medicine principles into practical and scalable community models, and her leadership in addressing the disproportionate burden of chronic disease faced by Māori men. Her work embodies Professor Garry Egger’s legacy of prevention-focused, compassionate and system-aware healthcare.
Through this scholarship, Lori will undertake Accreditation in Lifestyle Medicine with ASLM, further strengthening her ability to expand and embed this work across her region and beyond.
About the Scholarship
The Professor Garry Egger Scholarship Program is designed to empower healthcare professionals with the training, tools, and support to create meaningful, community-focused change through Lifestyle Medicine.
Each year, the scholarship funds up to two enrolments in the ASLM Accreditation in Lifestyle Medicine (AALM), valued at up to $7,500 AUD, and includes:
- Enrolment in the ASLM Accreditation in Lifestyle Medicine (AALM)
- One year of ASLM membership
- Conference registration
Priority is given to practitioners working in rural, remote, or underserved communities, and those addressing significant public health challenges.
Continuing the Legacy
This scholarship exists because of the generosity of our community. To date, we’ve raised $8,246 and each year we aim to raise $15,000 to support two recipients of the Professor Garry Egger Scholarship.
As a registered health promotion charity with Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR1) status, all donations to ASLM are tax-deductible. Every contribution helps extend the reach of this program and strengthen Lifestyle Medicine where it is needed most.
Together, we can ensure Professor Egger’s legacy continues to inspire, heal, and transform.
One practitioner. One community. One future at a time.
For any enquires about The Professor Garry Egger Scholarship Program please contact us at info@lifestylemedicine.org.au.
