Having graduated in Medicine in 1997, Alex spent time as a hospital doctor before moving into the specialty of public health medicine. She has a Masters in Public Health and her PhD was about how we make better policies in cities to optimise health, fairness and environmental sustainability - particularly with regard to bicycling. She teaches environmental health and healthy public policy as part of the MPH programme at the University of Otago. She co-directs New Zealand's national climate change and health research centre: Climate Health Aotearoa, and is a member of OraTaiao: NZ Climate and Health Council.