Leadership
Senior Executive
Prof Chris Goodnow FAA FRS
Executive Director
Chris Goodnow is an internationally renowned immunologist. He joined Garvan in 2015. Chris has had an extensive international research career. He has been a faculty member at Stanford University and the Australian National University, and has been closely involved in several biotechnology start-up companies. He is best known for integrating molecular genetics and genomics with immunology, for which he received numerous awards and election to the Australian Academy of Science, the UK Royal Society, and the US National Academy of Science.
Prof Marie Dziadek
Chief Scientific Officer
Professor Marie Dziadek joined Garvan in 2012. She has extensive experience as a biomedical research leader and manager, having a background in cell and developmental biology, molecular genetics and cancer research. After completing her DPhil from the University of Oxford she worked in the USA, Canada, and Germany before taking senior positions in medical research institutes and universities in Australia and New Zealand, including the University of Melbourne and the University of Auckland.
Nat McGregor
Chief Operating Officer
Nat McGregor joins Garvan in 2020. Nat has over 20 years’ experience in financial and organisational leadership in complex organisational settings including holding the position of University of Newcastle Chief Operating Officer since 2013. Prior to that he held various professional roles within the University and its subsidiaries, as well as with the Commonwealth Bank of Australia and Master Foods Australia. Nat holds a Bachelor of Commerce (University of Newcastle), is CPA qualified, holds an MBA from Deakin University and is an alumni of both INSEAD and Columbia University business schools. Nat comes to Garvan with experience in the medical research field, having been an alternate Independent Director and Member of the Audit and Risk Committee for the Hunter Medical Research Institute as well as playing a role in establishing the new Central Coast Research Institute in partnership with the Central Coast Local Health District.
Contact for senior executives:
Gabriella O'Neil – Manager, Office of the Executive Director
g.oneil@garvan.org.au
tel: +61 (0) 2 9295 8120
Board of Directors
The Garvan Institute of Medical Research is an autonomous, non-profit research institute incorporated by Act of NSW Parliament. Read more about the history of the Garvan Institute.
The Garvan Institute Board determines policy and controls the Institute's affairs. The board meets quarterly and comprises 15 members (including the Executive Director), nominated by Garvan's stakeholders and appointed by the Governor of New South Wales.
John Schubert AO - Chair
Nominated by the Trustees of St Vincent's Hospital
Dr Schubert is Chairman of the Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Chairman of the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, and a director of the Garvan Research Foundation Board. He has held positions as Chairman of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, non-executive director of BHP Billiton Limited, BHP Billiton Plc, and Qantas Airways Limited, Chief Executive Officer of Pioneer International Limited, Chairman of WorleyParsons Limited and G2 Therapies Ltd, Chairman and MD of Esso Australia Ltd, and non-executive director of Hanson Plc.
Annabelle Bennett AO SC
Nominated by the Trustees of St Vincent's Hospital
The Hon Dr Annabelle Bennett was until recently a Judge of the Federal Court of Australia. She is presently Chancellor of Bond University, President of the Anti-Discrimination Board of NSW, Chair of Landservices SA, Arbitrator with the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and Chair of the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO). Dr Bennett has extensive knowledge and experience in intellectual property arising from her position as a Judge, as a senior counsel specialising in Intellectual Property and as President of the Copyright Tribunal.
Annette Cunliffe RSC
Nominated by the Sisters of Charity
Sister Annette was the Sisters of Charity Congregational Leader. She has been President of the Conference of Leaders of Religious Institutes, President of Catholic Religious Australia, Inaugural Chair of the Stewardship Board of Catholic Health Australia, and a senior lecturer at the Australian Catholic University. Until the end of 2018 she was one of two executive officers of the National Committee for Professional Standards of the Catholic Church in Australia.
Stephen Johns
Nominated by the Garvan Research Foundation
Mr Johns is Chairman of Brambles Limited and non- executive director of Goodman Group. He is a former chairman and non-executive director of Leighton Holdings Limited and Spark Infrastructure Group, and former executive and non-executive director of Westfield Group. He has a Bachelor of Economics degree from the University of Sydney and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia and the Institute of Company Directors.
Thomas John (Jack) Martin AO FAA FRS
Nominated by the Federal Minister for Health
Emeritus Professor Martin is a John Holt Fellow, St Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research and Emeritus Professor of Medicine, University of Melbourne. He was previously the Director of St Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research and the Chairman of the University of Melbourne Department of Medicine. A Fellow of the Royal Society and of the Australian Academy of Science, he was also President of the International Bone and Mineral Society.
Paul Kelly
Nominated by the Trustees of St Vincent's Hospital
Dr Kelly is a founding managing partner of OneVentures, a leading Australian venture capital firm, and serves as Chair of the Investment Committee of its Healthcare fund, and on the Risk Management Committee. An Australian physician, serial entrepreneur and experienced biotechnology and life sciences executive, he currently has over 35 years experience in clinical medicine and medical science, and 25 years experience in commercialising life science related technologies in Australia, Europe and North America.
Helen Nugent AO
Nominated by the NSW Minister for Health
Dr Nugent is the Chairman of the National Disability Insurance Agency and Ausgrid, and a non- executive director of Insurance Australia Group Limited. She has been the Chairman of Veda Group, Australian Rail Track Corporation, Funds SA, Swiss Re (Australia) and Sydney Airport and a non- executive director of Macquarie Group, Origin Energy Limited, Mercantile Mutual and the State Bank of NSW, among others. She is an Officer of the Order of Australia and a recipient of the Australian Government Centenary Medal.
Patricia O'Rourke
Nominated by the Sisters of Charity
Professor O’Rourke is the CEO of St Vincent’s Health Australia’s Public Hospitals Division. She also serves on the board of the Aikenhead Centre for Medical Discovery. She is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a member of the Harvard Business Club of Australia.
Vlado Perkovic
Nominated by UNSW Sydney
Professor Vlado Perkovic is the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at UNSW Sydney. Prior to this, he was the Executive Director of The George Institute since 2011. He is the President of the Association of Australian Medical Research Institutes and is on the Board of the Australian Clinical Trials Alliance. He is Chair of the International Society of Nephrology Advancing Clinical Trials (ISN-ACT) group; and is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, and the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences.
Anthony Schembri
Nominated by the Sisters of Charity
Associate Professor Schembri, CEO of St Vincent’s Health Network, holds academic appointments with the University of New South Wales and Australian Catholic University. A/Prof Schembri is a surveyor for the Australian Council of Healthcare Standards and Fellow of the Australasian College of Health Service Managers. He is a director of the Central and Eastern Sydney Primary Health Network, St Vincent’s Curran Foundation, the National Centre for Clinical Research of Emerging Drugs of Concern and Co-Chair of the Nursing Research Institute of ACU/St Vincent’s.
Russell Scrimshaw
Nominated by the Federal Minister for Health
Mr Scrimshaw is the Garvan Research Foundation Board Chair. He is also Non-Executive Chairman of Sirius Minerals Plc, Non-Executive Chairman of Tech Project Group P/L and the Executive Chairman of Torrus Capital P/L, the Australian Philanthropic Fund, the Scrimshaw Foundation and Scrimshaw Nominees P/L. Previously, he held executive positions at Fortescue Metals Group Ltd (FMG), Commonwealth Bank, Optus and IBM. He was also a non- executive Board Director for Commonwealth Properties Ltd, EDS Australia, Mobilesoft Ltd, Telecom New Zealand Australia P/L, and Athletics Australia. Mr Scrimshaw is a non-executive Director of the Garvan Institute.
Jillian Segal AO
Nominated by UNSW Sydney
Ms Segal is the former Deputy Chancellor UNSW Sydney. She is the chairman of AICC (NSW), General Sir John Monash Foundation and the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority (IPEA). She is President of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ), a Trustee of the Sydney Opera House, a director of the Grattan Institute and a member of the International Board of the Weizmann Institute of Science. She is a director of Rabobank Australia Limited and Rabobank New Zealand Limited. She has been a senior regulator, lawyer and a director of other listed and government organisations.
Ronald Trent
Nominated by the NSW Minister for Health
Professor Ron Trent is a medical graduate of the University of Sydney and University of Oxford. He is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (FRACP), Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia (RCPA), and the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering (ATSE). He is Foundation Professor of Medical Molecular Genetics at the University of Sydney and Director of the Department of Medical Genomics at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. His contributions to the development of medical molecular genetics in Australia are extensive including inaugural Chief Examiner for Laboratory Genetics for the RCPA and the inaugural Chair of the NHMRC’s Human Genetics Advisory Committee.
