Leadership
To work towards our goal in achieving life-long health for all children and families, the Institute established an array of leadership groups.
These groups provide strategic advice for the Institute and comprise members within the Institute at all levels and external stakeholders.
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Leadership Team
Associate Professor Michael Stark
Deputy Director, Clinical Research
Theme Leader: Early Origins of Health -
Advisory Board
The Advisory Board provides guidance and strategic advice to the Director and Business Manager, and consists of members independent to the Institute, both within and external to the University of Adelaide.
Professor Laura Parry
Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research )
The University of Adelaide
Prof John Lynch
Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health
Head - BetterStart research group
Robinson Research Institute, The University of Adelaide
Professor Helen Marshall AM
Professor in Vaccinology, Clinical Research Director
RRI and Women's and Children's Health Network
Professor Ray Rodgers
Deputy Director, Discovery Research
Robinson Research Institute -
Executive Committee
The Executive Committee is the leadership group of the Institute and collegially and collaboratively supports the Director in ensuring the goals of the Institute are achieved.
Professor Ray Rodgers
Deputy Director, Discovery Research
Theme Leader: Fertility and Conception
Associate Professor Michael Stark
Deputy Director, Clinical Research
Theme Leader: Early Origins of Health -
Early and Mid-Career Researcher Council
The Early and Mid-Career Research Council facilitates engagement with early and mid-career researchers and HDR students across the Institute, and provides input, perspectives on key decisions and advice to the RRI Executive Committee in support of achieving the aims of the Institute.
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Scientific Advisory Committee
The Scientific Advisory Committee provide independent and external expert advice and guidance relating to research activity and performance in meeting the Institute's goals and mission.
Members we call upon include:
Professor Moira Clay
Chair
Moira Clay Consulting
Research management, strategy and policyProfessor Moira Clay is a well-respected and experienced leader in research management, strategy and policy in Australia. Her background is in laboratory-based cardiovascular research.
In 2000, she moved into research management and has 15 years of senior executive leadership experience in the health and medical research sector. She was the national Research Manager for the Heart Foundation for five years and subsequently occupied executive level research strategy roles in three of Australia’s premier Medical Research Institute’s (including 7 months as the Acting Director of the Telethon Kids Institute in 2012). She was President of two peak professional societies – the Australian Society for Medical Research (2003) and the Australasian Research Management Society (2012/13) – and a Board Member of the Association of Australian Medical Research Institutes (2013).
She was named a “High Achiever in Australian Health and Medical Research by the NHMRC in 2013.
Professor John Aitken
Pro Vice-Chancellor, Faculty of Health & Medicine
Laureate Professor of Biological Sciences
The University of NewcastleProfessor John Aitken is Laureate Professor of Biological Sciences, Co-Director of the Priority Research Centre in Reproductive Science and Pro Vice Chancellor of the Faculty of Health and Medicine at the University of Newcastle, NSW.
He has an Honorary Professorship with the University of Edinburgh and is a fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and the Australian Academy of Science.
His area of specialisation is reproductive biology and he has published 10 books and over 500 research articles, which have received more than 27,000 citations. In 2012 he was named as the New South Wales Scientist-of-the-Year.
Professor Peter Richmond
Director of Clinical Research
Princess Margaret Hospital for ChildrenPeter Richmond is a General Paediatrician, Paediatric Immunologist and Director of Clinical Research at Princess Margaret Hospital for Children in Perth, WA.
He heads the multidisciplinary Vaccine Trials Group at the Telethon Kid’s Institute, which provides a coordinated approach to the development, assessment and promotion of vaccines in our community. This includes development of new vaccines and Phase 1-4 trials of paediatric and adults vaccines and evaluation of immunisation programs.
His major research interests are in the prevention and treatment of meningitis, respiratory infections and otitis media. He has authored over 150 scientific publications in these areas.
Professor Stephen Tong
Clinician Scientist and Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Melbourne
Co-Director, Mercy Perinatal, Mercy Hospital for Women
Professor Melissa Wake
Associate Director, Centre for Community Child Health, Royal Children's Hospital
Head, Community Health Services Research
Murdoch Children's Research InstituteConsultant Paediatrician and Elizabeth Blackburn Fellow, Professor Melissa Wake holds appointments with the Centre for Community Child Health at the Royal Children’s Hospital, Murdoch Children's Research Institute and University of Melbourne.
Her research focus is on population paediatrics: what universal and secondary care systems are needed to make a difference to children’s health and development?
In 2013-17, she is leading the national Child Health CheckPoint, a physical and biomarkers module for the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children.
Awards include the 2009 Australian Health Minister's Prize for Excellence in Health & Medical Research and consecutive NHMRC Excellence Awards (2009-12, 2013-16) as top-ranked Fellow in Australia.
