Genomics Health Futures Mission Expert Advisory Committee

The Genomics Health Futures Mission Expert Advisory Committee (EAC) advised the government on the research priorities for this Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) mission.

Role

The Genomics Health Futures Mission EAC was appointed on 28 May 2019 to provide the Minister for Health with advice on the strategic priorities for research investment through this mission. Its role was to define evidence and knowledge gaps that should be addressed through mission research funding to assist in transforming health care and health outcomes for individuals and communities. This role included the definition of key research questions that, if answered, will deliver meaningful change to patients through the translation of research.

EAC members consulted and engaged with other researchers, industry and consumer/patient groups and participated in media and public activities to build awareness of and facilitate interaction with the mission and with other MRFF-funded research.

Further information on the roles and responsibilities of MRFF Expert Advisory Panels can be found in the MRFF Mission Governance resource.

Members

The EAC was independently chaired and included members appointed for their health system and genomics-related expertise. It ceased on 30 June 2021. The following information, including declarations of interest, was current until the EAC ceased.

Member Background and experience Declarations of interest

Professor Ian Frazer AC (Chair)

Professor Frazer is a scientist and Professor of Medicine at the University of Queensland. He is the previous Chief Executive Officer and Director of Research of the Translational Research Institute. He is now Chair of the Translation Research Institute Foundation Board and a member of the Council of National Health and Medical Research Council.

He also chairs the Australian Medical Research Advisory Board.

Board member/Director of Microba Pty Ltd, Jingang Medicine (Australia) Pty Ltd, Implicit Bioscience Limited, Immuno Services Pty Ltd.

Shareholder of health sector companies.

Professor Kathryn North AC

Professor North is the 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 also lead, Australian Genomics Health Alliance.

Nil

Professor Warwick Anderson

Professor Anderson is Janet Dora Hine Professor of Politics, Governance and Ethics in the Department of History and the Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney.

Nil

Professor Christopher Barnett FRACP FCCMG

Professor Barnett is the Head of the Paediatric and Reproductive Genetics Unit at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital in South Australia.

Nil

Professor Christopher Goodnow FAA FRS MNAS

Professor Goodnow is the Executive Director of the Garvan Institute of Medical Research and holds the Bill and Patricia Ritchie Foundation Chair as Head of the Immunogenomics Laboratory at Garvan, and is Professor and Director of the Cellular Genomics Futures Institute at UNSW Sydney.

Executive Director of Garvan Institute.

Professor and Director of the Cellular Genomics. Futures Institute at UNSW.

Not-for-profit medical research funding recipient (2018-2024).

Professor Emma Kowal

Professor Kowal is a Professor of Anthropology in the Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University. Professor Kowal was Deputy Director of the National Centre for Indigenous Genomics, ANU College of Health and Medicines, from 2013 to 2017.

Department of Health funding recipient for Chief Investigator/Coordinator at Australian Genomics - Summer Internship for Indigenous People in Genomics.

Ms Sue MacLeman FTSE

Ms MacLeman is the Chair and Non-Executive Director of MTPConnect, a MedTech and Pharma Growth Centre

Nil

Ms Anne McKenzie AM

Ms McKenzie is the Manager of Community Engagement at the Telethon Kids Institute, Perth Children’s Hospital. Ms McKenzie is also a senior consumer representative for Consumers Health Forum of Australia and former Chair of Health Consumers Council WA

Nil

Professor Tania Sorrell AM

Professor Sorrell is the Director, Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity; Professor, Clinical Infectious Diseases; Deputy Dean (Clinical), Sydney Medical School; Director, Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Westmead Institute for Medical Research.

Nil

Professor Keith McNeil

Professor McNeil is the Assistant Deputy Director-General of the Clinical Excellence Division and Chief Clinical Information Officer at Queensland Health.

Nil

Professor Dianne Nicol

Professor Nicol is a Professor of Law and the Director of the Centre for Law and Genetics at the University of Tasmania.

MRFF funding recipient.

Holds a research contract with the Department of Health.

Dr Simone Reynolds

Dr Reynolds is a Research Fellow at the Institute for Glycomics at Griffith University and Affiliate Scientist at QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute. Dr Reynolds is an emerging leader in Indigenous health and one of the few Indigenous biomedical scientists in Australia.

Nil

Professor Robyn Ward AM FAHM

Professor Ward is the Executive Dean and Pro Vice-Chancellor of the Faculty of Medicine and Health at the University of Sydney. Professor Ward is also chair, Medical Services Advisory Committee (MSAC).

Nil

Expression of Interest – MRFF Genomics Health Futures Research Mission Expert Advisory Panel (EAP)

We are now inviting applications from people interested in becoming a member of the next Genomics Health Futures Mission Expert Advisory Panel (EAP).

The EAP membership requires diversity of backgrounds and genomics-related expertise to allow it to meet its objectives. We are seeking applicants with experience in a range of areas related to genomic research. This may include:

  • genomic health researchers, including those with expertise in the genomic health needs of vulnerable populations
  • genomic health clinicians, including those with experience working with vulnerable populations
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with genomic health expertise
  • rural and remote genomic health researchers and clinicians
  • genomic health consumer representatives
  • experts specialised in the translation of genomic health research into practice or policy.

See the complete EOI guidelines for more information on how to apply. Applications close 23 October 2023.

Related committees and groups

The Genomics Health Futures Mission EAC reported to the Minister for Health.

The Health and Medical Research Office provided secretariat support to the EAC.

Genomics Health Futures Mission Expert Advisory Committee contact

Contact for further information on the Genomics Health Futures Mission Expert Advisory Committee. The Genomics Health Futures Mission is funded by the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF).
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