Our Vision
Our Purpose
Our Goals
Emeritus Professor David Siddle
Independent Director, UQ
Professor Siddle has a background in academic psychology and has vast experience on Boards and in senior academic and advisory positions. He has been Board member for many Cooperative Research Centres, was a Director of the Australian Synchrotron Company and has been a member of the Higher Education Standards Panel. Until 2017, he was Chair of Brisbane Diamantina Health Partners. Professor Siddle was Chair of the Humanities and Social Sciences Panel of the Australian Research Council in 1993 and 1994 and after retirement, served on the Australian Research Council’s Advisory Council.
As Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) at The University of Queensland from 2001 to 2009, he was responsible for the development and implementation of policy designed to enhance the university’s performance in research and research training. He was previously Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research) at the University of Sydney, after appointments at Macquarie University, University of Tasmania, and UQ. He obtained his PhD from UQ and worked as an academic psychologist in universities in England, Canada and Australia.
Jim Walker
Mater Research
Mr Walker is a senior executive with significant corporate leadership and management experience, both nationally and globally.
He has held senior executive positions with United Technologies, Rockwell Collins and Boeing, leading and building businesses across Australia and the Asia Pacific. He also has significant board and governance experience, both in Australia and Asia.
Mr Walker is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and has director experience with listed company, joint venture, not-for-profit and advisory boards.
Dr Erin Rayment
Chief Commercialisation and Development Officer, QUT
Dr Rayment is the Chief Commercialisation and Development Officer at QUT, leading a team responsible for the university’s industry engagement, strategic partnerships and commercialisation. She has been Chair of QUT Bluebox, managing a portfolio of 35+ early-stage technology companies across multiple industry sectors; and a Director of CelluAir.
Dr Rayment contributes to policy discussions through her role as Director of Knowledge Commercialisation Australasia – and through participation in several government working groups.
Before joining QUT, she led industry engagement and research development initiatives for several universities and has worked across Australia and the United Kingdom. She has a PhD in tissue engineering, is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and is a Registered Technology Transfer Professional and a Superstar of STEM.
Professor Mark Blows
Provost and Senior Vice-President, UQ
As The University of Queensland’s Provost and Senior Vice-President, Professor Mark Blows is responsible for building UQ’s academic capability and embedding a performance culture in support of its strategic objectives.
Professor Blows received his PhD in Genetics from La Trobe University in 1994. He subsequently held an NSERC International Fellowship at York University and an Australian Postdoctoral Fellowship at James Cook University, before joining the University of Queensland in 1998.
He was awarded two further ARC Fellowships and served as Head of School of the School of Biological Sciences for seven years. His major interests are in statistical genetics, with a particular focus on how genetic variance evolves, the distribution of genetic variance in high-dimensional phenotypes, and how genetic variation limits evolutionary change. In 2011, he was elected to the Australian Academy of Science.
Associate Professor Helen Benham
Executive Director, Translation
Helen is an experienced rheumatologist, dividing her time between clinical practice at the Princess Alexandra Hospital and translational research into rheumatic diseases. She has experience in clinical trials and applying the principles of implementation science to her clinical field.
Helen is a Board Member of Metro South Hospital and Health Service and the Princess Alexandra Hospital Research Foundation, the Chair of Arthritis Queensland, a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, and a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
She is also a senior lecturer at The University of Queensland and was a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Translating Research into Practice Fellow.
Her qualifications include a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (Hons), a Bachelor of Applied Science (Podiatry) and a PhD from UQ.
Professor Maher Gandhi
Chief Executive Officer
Maher leads the Blood Cancer Research group at TRI-based Mater Research, and is a pre-eminent senior staff haematologist at the adjoining Princess Alexandra Hospital.
He is internationally recognised for significant contributions to the understanding of the role of immune evasion in the tumour microenvironment of patients with lymphoma.
His team is working to accurately predict which patients will experience an early relapse and which would be candidates for novel cell-based treatment approaches. To translate his team’s research findings, Maher runs a number of innovative early phase clinical trials.
Maher is a member of the Federal Government-appointed National Blood Cancer Task Force steering committee that aims to improve access to blood cancer services across Australia. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians.
Kirsten Kiel-Chisholm
Director, Legal Services
Kirsten is an experienced General Counsel and Company Secretary, with responsibility in her role for managing TRI’s legal requirements and providing legal advice to the Board and management across a range of areas. She also oversees institute human resources and compliance.
Kirsten has worked as General Counsel and Company Secretary for the Cooperative Research Centre for Sustainable Tourism, and as a corporate lawyer in private practice in both Australia and the United States. She has co-authored three publications on compliance with ASX and APRA corporate governance requirements.
Kirsten has degrees in Law (First Class Hons) and International Business Relations, as well as a Graduate Diploma in Applied Corporate Governance. She is In-House Counsel Certified by the Association of Corporate Counsel and is a Fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia.
Simon Preston
Director, Finance
Simon is a chartered accountant with more than 20 years of experience across multiple sectors in the United Kingdom and Australia.
He has worked in external auditing, including five years with international firm Ernst & Young; in commerce, as Head of Group Finance at Virgin Care, one of the largest private providers to the UK’s National Health Service; and in contract recruitment, as Director of Group Finance for Fircroft Group.
Simon relocated to Brisbane to take up the role of Finance Director of Fircroft’s Australasian operations, before returning to professional services as a Financial Management Consultant with BDO. During his time at BDO, Simon served as TRI’s Acting Director of Finance on two occasions.
He holds a Bachelor of Economics and Finance. Simon is a member of the Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, and the Institute of Chartered Accounts in England and Wales.
Emily Duggan
Director, Service Delivery and Quality
An accomplished biomedical research professional with over 20 years’ experience, Emily Duggan has a track record of developing innovative solutions. She joined TRI in 2022 after almost six years in the building as the University of Queensland’s Senior Gnotobiotic Facility Coordinator. In that time, she established the TRI Gnotobiotic Core Facility and her experience since has ranged from the laboratory bench through to senior management, logistics, advanced administration tasks and data analysis. Emily holds a Bachelor of Science (Hons – Class I) Physiology and Pharmacology and oversees TRI’s Core Facilities, Analytics, Scientific Services & Space, Building Services, Central Stores and Sterilisation.
Raj Davio
Director, ICT
Raj is TRI’s inaugural Director of ICT, with responsibility for strategic leadership of technology across the institute. He initially joined TRI in a consulting capacity, with responsibility for reviewing our ICT systems and developing a new technology strategy and governance model.
Raj has previously consulted for TAFE Queensland as the Executive Director, Strategic Transformation, and been Director of IT Services at Bond University.
He is on the board of a not-for-profit organisation and has a Bachelor of Science in Computing Science as well as a Master of Business in IT Management.
Melissa Watter
Director, Corporate Affairs and Marketing
Melissa Watter joined TRI in April 2023 as Director of Corporate Affairs after two decades as co-Founder and Director of a strategic marketing and communications firm.
She holds a journalism degree and prior to her move into corporate communications, was a political reporter across print and broadcast media, working in senior roles with the Seven and Ten networks. A trusted advisor, Melissa has shared her expertise as a committee member and volunteer Board Director for non-profit and community organisations.
During her professional career she has spearheaded national public awareness and education campaigns; helped deliver large scale events; worked closely with scientists, clinicians and researchers to translate complex information to a broad audience; and helped to bring staff and stakeholders along on important journeys of organisational change. An advocate for compelling organisational storytelling, Melissa and her team are committed to showcasing the incredible collaborations within TRI.
David Crowley
General Manager, Translational Biomedical Manufacturing
David Crowley (MSc (Dist.) Biochemical Engineering) joined TRI in April 2024 following a stint as General Manager Scientific Operations & Q-Gen Cell Therapeutics at QIMR Berghofer. There David was responsible for leading and delivering strategic and operational planning for the nine bespoke facilities that make up QIMR’s Scientific Operations and their Q-Gen Cell Therapeutics cGMP manufacturing facility. He will play a pivotal role in establishing operations for our new Translational Manufacturing facility TM@TRI, due to open in late 2025.
David is no stranger to TRI, having spent 11 years from 2012 to 2023 in a variety of senior process engineering roles at Patheon Biologics by ThermoFisher Scientific, finishing his time there as Head of Operations. David was a key member of the start-up and design team for the cGMP facility, leading the establishment of cGMP manufacturing operations and obtaining the Australian TGA manufacturing licence. He has also worked for National Biologics Facility (NBF) and the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN) as a bio-process scientist after stints in microbiology for Sanofi Aventis in London, and in-process control for Janssen Pharmaceuticals (Johnson and Johnson) in Ireland.
Rod Yeo
Director, People, Safety and Culture
An experienced human resources business partner Rod Yeo has worked in a variety of sectors including Health, FMCG, Insurance, Financial Services, Mining Services and Technology. He also has a proven track record leading on Occupational Health and Safety, Quality Assurance and Change Management projects. Results driven and passionate about the importance of People, Safety and Culture in contributing to business performance, Rod holds a Master of Human Resources Management. Since joining TRI in 2017, Rod has developed a raft of HR initiatives to improve productivity, employee engagement, employee retention and leadership capability.
Emeritus Professor Ian Frazer
Board Chair
Professor Ian Frazer works to raise awareness and funds for medical research through his role with The University of Queensland (UQ) and as Chair of the TRI Foundation Board. He is also Chair of the Advisory Board for the Medical Research Future Fund and President of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Science.
As the founding Chief Executive Officer and Director of Research for the Translational Research Institute (TRI) in Brisbane, Australia, Professor Frazer lead the development of a world-leading biomedical research facility focused on translating scientific knowledge into practical benefits for the community.
Internationally renowned for the co-creation of the technology for the cervical cancer vaccines, Professor Frazer began his career as a renal physician and clinical immunologist in Edinburgh, Scotland before emigrating in 1981 to Melbourne, Australia. He continued his clinical training and pursued studies in viral immunology and autoimmunity at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research with Professor Ian Mackay. In 1985, Professor Frazer accepted a teaching post with The University of Queensland. In 2006, Professor Frazer was named Australian of the Year. In early 2011, Professor Frazer was appointed CEO and Director of Research for TRI. In February 2015, he relinquished that role to Professor Carolyn Mountford, the current TRI CEO and Director of Research. Professor Frazer continues his research at TRI, which includes the development of a vaccine for the herpes simplex virus (HSV) and immunotherapies for head and neck cancers.
Craig Casagrande
Director
Craig Casagrande is a CFO Advisory Partner and the Brisbane Advisory Lead Partner of BDO, a leading audit, accounting and consulting firm. With a career spanning more than two decades, Craig’s expertise lies in advising boards, committees and executives, offering support and guidance in various facets of finance and corporate operations.
Craig’s portfolio encompasses a diverse range of industries across both the public and private sector and he has a specialisation in the establishment of corporate and finance functions for infrastructure and major projects.
Dominic McGann
Director
Dominic McGann is a Partner of McCullough Robertson, a leading Australian law firm with 53 partners plus staff located in offices in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Newcastle and Canberra. Prior to joining the firm in 1996, Dominic held prominent positions with the Queensland Government for seven years and is one of only a few lawyers with a combination of significant senior government experience as well as private practice experience. Dominic’s extensive experience in communicating and negotiating with indigenous communities, positions him as one of Australia’s leading experts in this field.
Dominic is also a Director of McCullough Robertson Foundation, Chair of Climate-KIC Australia Limited, Co-Chair of Carumba Institute Advisory Board at QUT, Director of Queensland Music Festival Limited, Director of Frazer Family Foundation and a Member on the Council of QUT.
Max Walters
Director
Max Walters has a background in senior leadership in finance, media and sport – and has spent a total of 40 years on boards for charitable and not-for-profit organisations.
Max has been a senior manager at Touche Ross & Co (now KPMG), Finance Director and later CEO of the Seven Network, and CEO for Queensland Cricket.
He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and has been awarded an Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for his service to the media, cricket and the community.
The University of Queensland (UQ) is one of Australia’s leading research and teaching institutions. UQ ranks among the world’s top universities, as measured by several key independent rankings.
UQ’s Frazer Institute has nearly 300 researchers, students and staff, working to improve detection and management of severe and chronic diseases, such as skin cancer and blood cancer, arthritis and diabetes.
UQ’s Faculty of Medicine has strengths spanning research, teaching, industry engagement and clinical practice in disciplines ranging from the basic sciences, biomedical research and development, to clinical trials and public health.
Queensland University of Technology (QUT) ranks among the world’s top 200 universities and has a growing research output focused on healthcare, technology and innovation. QUT has invested in areas of research related to global, national and state priorities.
Key research strengths include:
- Genomics and personalised health
- Healthcare transformation
- Cancer and palliative care outcomes
- Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine
- Biomedical technologies
- Immunology and infection control
- Microbiome research
- Vision and eye research
Mater Research is a recognised leader in medical research. Its bench to bedside philosophy is applied through work across Mater Health’s hospitals and health services, UQ and TRI. Mater Research is committed to working closely with Mater Health, Mater Education and our growing network of partners and collaborators to turn scientific discovery into the best possible treatment, care, and outcomes for patients and our broader community.
We encourage our programs to be interlinked, and many of our research groups perform ground-breaking research that spans across individual programs.
Mater Research’s five core programs are:
- Cancer
- Chronic and Integrated care
- Healthcare Delivery and Innovation
- Mother and Baby
- Neurosciences
Queensland Health is pursuing innovation by investing in smart technology, research and practices that can turn new ideas into better healthcare, not just for Queenslanders, but worldwide.
The Princess Alexandra Hospital is one of Australia’s leading health and teaching centres and a major medical research and knowledge precinct with biomedical capabilities and infrastructure. The precinct facilitates collaboration and connectivity between clinicians, industry and researchers. PAH hosts TRI and the Clinical Research Facility enabling the discoveries made at TRI to undergo trials in a safe clinical environment, while fostering collaboration and connectivity between clinicians and researchers.
The hospital provides acute medical, surgical, cancer, mental health and allied health services and is nationally recognised for expertise in trauma management. It is a major transplantation centre for livers, kidneys, bone and cartilage, and provides state-wide services for spinal cord and acquired brain injury, the Queensland Eye Bank and the Queensland Bone Bank.
