Our team

A lawyer and company director, Catherine is also the Chairperson of Financial Adviser Standards & Ethics Authority, a member of the Reserve Bank of Australia’s Payments System Board, a Director of Australian Foundation Investment Company and Trustee of the Helen Macpherson Smith Trust.

She is a former Chair of Federation Square Pty Ltd and the Australian Synchrotron Company Ltd, Deputy Chair of Victorian Funds Management Corporation and a Director of ASX, National Australia Bank Ltd, Orica Ltd and the Melbourne Business School.

Dr Dan Grant is the former Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of MTPConnect. Dr Grant was appointed as CEO of MTPConnect, the Growth Centre for Australia’s Medical Technology, Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical sector, in July 2018 when the organisation was responsible for the $15.6 million Growth Centre Project Fund and a $10 million granting program from the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) with a team of six.

Christine Kilpatrick has been Chief Executive of the Royal Melbourne Hospital since 2017. Previous appointments include Chief Executive, the Royal Children’s Hospital from 2008 – 2017, Executive Director Medical Services, Melbourne Health and Executive Director Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne Health 2004-2008. Prior to these appointments she was a neurologist, specialising in epilepsy.

Christine is a member of several boards including, WEHI, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, HealthShare Victoria and the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre (VCCC). She was awarded a Centenary medal in 2003, in 2014 was included in the Victorian Honour Roll of Women, in 2017 was a recipient of the Inaugural Distinguished Fellow’s Award, Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators, in 2018 inducted in the top 50 Public Sector Women and in 2019 appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia.

Bernadette McDonald was appointed to the role of CEO of The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) in September 2021.

Bernadette was previously the CEO of Canberra Health Services at a time of great change in the ACT’s health service system. Prior that appointment, she was the Deputy CEO and then Interim CEO of Austin Health, having previously been the CEO of the Orbost Regional Health Service.

Bernadette is a highly experienced leader with a track record of delivery in the Australian health sector. Known for her strategic vision, strong relationships, inspirational leadership and commitment to exceptional patient care, she demonstrates authentic leadership, and positions organisations for success by strategically assessing the environment and providing foresight to maximise impact and reputation.

Bernadette has a Bachelor of Nursing, a Masters of Health Administration, post graduate diplomas in Health Services and Health Systems Management, and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Mike McGuckin is the Associate Dean Research in the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences at the University of Melbourne. In this role he has strategic oversight of a broad spectrum of health research across this prestigious Faculty which is ranked =#11 internationally by the Times Higher Education Rankings.

He is a former NHMRC Principal Research Fellow and before taking up his current role was the Deputy Director (Research) of the Mater Research Institute – The University of Queensland within the Translational Research Institute in Brisbane, where he also led an Inflammatory Disease Biology and Therapeutics Research Group.

Professor Doug Hilton is a biologist investigating blood cell production and function, and how cells communicate with each other. The goal of his research is to improve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of blood and immune disorders such as blood cancers, arthritis and asthma. 

As WEHI’s sixth director, his priorities have included overseeing the expansion of WEHI and ensuring the alignment of its research with the most important health concerns of our community, building the clinical translation capacity of WEHI including the establishment of the National Drug Discovery Centre, and strengthening WEHI’s collaborative links with other health, research and education organisations.

He is also the Lorenzo and Pamela Galli Chair in Medical Biology and head of the Department of Medical Biology in the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences at the University of Melbourne.

Professor Kathryn North AC is Director of the Murdoch Children's Research Institute and the David Danks Professor of Child Health Research at The University of Melbourne.

Professor North is trained as a physician, neurologist and clinical geneticist and, in 1994, was awarded a doctorate for research in neurogenetics. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Harvard Genetics Program.

Professor North is a national and international leader in Genomic medicine. In 2014, Professor North was appointed as Co-Chair of the Global Alliance for Genomics and Health - a collaborative network of over 500 organisations across over 100 countries funded by the NIH and the Wellcome Trust (genomicsandhealth.org). Commencing in 2016, she leads an NHMRC-funded national network of over 80 institutions - the Australian Genomics Health Alliance (AGHA). 

Dr Rob Grenfell joined CSIRO in June 2016 as the Health Director of the Health and Biosecurity Business Unit.

Rob was previously the National Medical Director of Bupa Australia and New Zealand. He has also held roles as the National Director of Cardiovascular Health at the Heart Foundation and as the Strategic Health Advisor to Parks Victoria and previously a Senior Medical Advisor at the Department of Health Victoria.

Joe Baini was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Genome Research Facility in 2021. 

Mr Baini has more than three decades of experience holding senior management positions in large-scale biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. With skills in strategic and market development, he has achieved success as the CEO of multinational, ASX-listed organisations since 2011.

Previously Mr Baini led the establishment of Gilead Sciences across Asia Pacific and built the fledgling organisation into a significant player in the pharmaceutical sphere. Prior to joining AGRF as Interim CEO earlier this year, Mr Baini worked as CEO of Immuron and PresSura Neuro and has been Principal of Exec Factor since 2008.

Professor Shelley Dolan joined Peter Mac in September 2019 as Chief Executive. 

She has a passion for specialised cancer services having spent most of her career at the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and has rich leadership experience in cancer research, education and care, and large-scale hospital management.

Prior to joining Peter Mac, Shelley was Acting CEO and Chief Nurse of the King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. 

Shelley has a Master's Degree in cancer nursing, a PhD in the early diagnosis of sepsis in cancer patients and has also led the successful design and clinical roll out of new Electronic Patient Records.

Adam Horsburgh was appointed Chief Executive Officer in June 2020. 

Adam joins Austin Health with extensive health sector management experience in Victoria, as well as in the UK National Health Service (NHS).

He has held senior policy and advisory roles with the Victorian Government’s Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and the Department of Premier and Cabinet.

Prior to joining Austin Health, Adam was Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer at Melbourne Health.

Andrew Stripp has extensive experience in executive roles in a variety of hospitals and health care settings; and within the State Government’s Department of Health and Human Services as the Director for the State’s mental health system, as Regional Director for Health, Housing and Community Services and as Director of Strategy. Immediately prior to joining Monash Health, he was the Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Operating Officer at Alfred Health.

Louisa has orchestrated the success of the Genetic Support Network Victoria (GSNV) for a number of years - an organisation committed to the right of people to flourish, through access to the practical and pathways to the possible.

Louisa is an experienced researcher and educator with a particular interest in genetic counselling, testing and diagnosis of genetic and rare conditions, the psychosocial impact of diagnosis on families and individuals, and the delivery of ethical medical services in the genomics era. She teaches and supervises research within the University of Melbourne’s Masters in Genetic Counselling course.

Louisa has been a member of numerous professional boards and advisory groups, including the Chronic Illness Alliance Board and the Human Genetics Society of Australasia's Ethics and Social Issues Committee, and has been a policy advisor to the Consumers Health Forum Australia and the Health Issues Centre.

Louisa is a regular contributor to government policy review and development in the genetics health services area.

Heather Renton is the founder and President of Syndromes Without a Name (SWAN) - Australia, an advocacy group for families with undiagnosed children. Heather is the mother of a 10-year-old who until recently remained undiagnosed.

Heather is a member of the Croxton School Council, and also runs the Croxton parent support group and fundraising group.

Margaret retired in 2016 following a distinguished career of more than 40 years at the forefront of genetic counselling and patient support.

Appointed senior social worker at the Victorian Clinical Genetics Services (VCGS) in 1974, Margaret began working with families of children with genetic conditions, principally in the Bone Dysplasia Clinic. Margaret recognised the important role of parent support groups; she facilitated the formation of many and served on various boards. In 1996, together with various genetic support groups, Margaret founded the Genetic Support Network of Victoria (GSNV).

Margaret was a member of the inaugural Board of the Human Genetics Society of Australasia (HGSA), which developed the first guidelines to establish the profession of genetic counselling in Australia, in 1989. She went on to be appointed founding Director of the Master of Genetic Counselling (University of Melbourne).

Margaret was awarded the inaugural University of Melbourne (Department of Paediatrics) prize for excellence in teaching in 2016, and an Order of Australia in 2018. Two awards have been established in Margaret’s name: a GSNV incentive award for new support groups, and an academic excellence award in the Master of Genetic Counselling course.

Dr Janney Wale has a PhD in pharmacology and post-doctoral experience in industry, university and research institute environments. Forced to rethink her priorities because of her own health issues, Janney became an active member of the  Consumer Network for the evidence-based organisation, The Cochrane Collaboration, and a health consumer voice both locally and nationally in Australia.

Janney is particularly interested in empowering consumers with the health information they need to inform their choices for the health of themselves and their families. As a consumer editor at Cochrane, Janney contributes to the development of plain language summaries of systematic reviews of best evidence, published in the Cochrane Library. She is also a member of HTAi and enabling consumers to have a voice in new health technologies and health policy.

Janney is a member of The Royal Melbourne Hospital Community Advisory Committee.

Christine is a board member of the Consumer's Health Forum, a member of the Medical Services Advisory Committee Evaluation Subcommittee and a practising sociologist.

Christine manages a longitudinal survey into the social impact of epilepsy in Australia. Christine has researched and published extensively on self-management in chronic diseases, as well as consumer participation in health services.

Christine is a board member of NPS MedicineWise and of the National Standing Committee on Quality for the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP). Current activities include working with Centre for Stem Cells Systems at the University of Melbourne, the consumer perspective on multiple conditions and a Primary Health Network in Victoria.

Spase has a strong interest in social justice and has over 20 years’ experience concerned with how to improve marginalised communities’ access to, and engagement with, health and community services. He has a particular interest in evaluation.

Spase started in community engagement working for Migrant Resource Centres in Melbourne’s west. He has worked in mental health and community health in ethnic diversity, equity and inclusion roles.

Spase is an experienced project worker and trainer in organisational cultural competence, health literacy and language services at Centre for Culture, Ethnicity and Health.

Dr Kortnye Smith is a Medical Oncologist based at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. She began her medical studies in Adelaide, before moving to Melbourne to pursue further training in medical oncology.

Kortnye has published and presented in the areas of genomic medicine, melanoma, and supportive care in cancer patients. She is committed to providing the best individualized and evidence-based care to her patients.

Norelle is an Infectious Diseases Physician & Clinical Microbiologist, co-appointed at Austin Health and The Peter Doherty Institute Microbiological Diagnostic Unit Public Health Laboratory.

She studied medicine at Monash University, completed physician training at the Alfred Hospital, and went on to specialise in infectious diseases and clinical microbiology before moving into research as a PhD student at University of Melbourne. Her time is now split between research - including the Controlling Superbugs project - and clinical work in infectious diseases at Austin Health. Norelle's research interests include antimicrobial (antibiotic) resistance and translating genomics into clinical and public health practice.