Health & Wellbeing Award: The 2024 nominees

Following early careers in the performing arts and luxury retail management in the UK, Christine Cockburn (Rare Cancers Australia, NSW) returned to Australia to pursue her passion for healthcare.

She studied social work and health sociology, completing a Master of Public Health at Monash University. During her six years as Head of Patient Support at Rare Cancers Australia (RCA), followed by her role as General Manager, Christine developed the model of care and navigation program at RCA, as well as the highly regarded RCA Rare Cancer Support Guide.

Now, as Chief Executive Officer, Christine combines her expertise in sociology and public health with her bold and brave leadership of RCA and its dedicated team in their mission to improve the lives and health outcomes of Australians living with rare and less common cancers.

She sits on several advisory bodies, including Australian Genomics and Patient Voice Initiative, and serves as Director on the boards of Rare Cancers Australia and All.Can. Christine is also proud to supervise an industry PhD project in partnership with La Trobe University on rare cancers.

Coralie Ponsinet (TAS) has been a dedicated counsellor since 2021, establishing her practice, Wonderful Mess, two years ago. Currently, she is pursuing her Master of Social Work at the University of Tasmania, where she is deepening her commitment to mental health advocacy and combating gender-based violence.

In her role as a counsellor, Coralie is a vital support for the French community in Australia, serving as the primary contact for individuals facing domestic and family violence through her volunteer work with the association “Mots et maux de femmes.” Since June 2024, she has also contributed her expertise to three Employee Assistance Providers (EAPs), providing support for individuals affected by crises in New Caledonia.

Collaborating with her friend and colleague Olfa Hafsa from Grounded Mind Therapies, Coralie has participated in a quarterly online panel organised by Elise Leger, offering guidance to French expatriates navigating separation and divorce. Now based in Hobart, she recently delivered a presentation on mental health for the French community as part of "Soif de savoir" with Hobart Accueil in September 2024. Prior to this, she lived in Melbourne until February 2024, where she volunteered for a year with WIRE (Women's Information & Referral Exchange), helping women and LGBTQIA+ individuals address issues related to gender-based violence, financial insecurity, and more.

Coralie's passion for mental health support stems from her personal journey, which transformed her views on the subject. Growing up in the French countryside, she was taught to endure life's challenges, but her perspective shifted dramatically after experiencing workplace bullying and a car accident following her move to Melbourne from Singapore in 2017. These experiences ignited her desire to support others facing similar hardships, and today, she is a compassionate advocate who stands by those enduring some of the toughest times in their lives.

Eresha's journey at Legrand began in 2019 as an R&D intern. Eresha Chandrathilake (NSW) has since progressed from a graduate engineer to a project manager, and, following her passion, to the role of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Project Manager.

Her sense of environmental responsibility was instilled well before her current position. In 2020, she became the first staff member at Legrand Australia to be trained in creating Product Environmental Profiles. This document incorporates an in-depth analysis of a product's life cycle, environmental impact, and end-of-life scenario. These profiles are created as part of Legrand's Eco-Design rules, ensuring that the product design process considers environmental impacts from the outset. This process includes aspects such as repair and reuse, reduction of material use (by weight), and the encouragement of energy-efficient product development. Every project is vetted through the Eco-Design process to ensure new projects are sustainable and environmentally friendly.

In her role as CSR Project Manager, Eresha manages and coordinates Legrand's CSR roadmap for Australia and New Zealand, encompassing five manufacturing sites. Legrand has a global roadmap that applies to all subsidiaries. Eresha’s role involves identifying Legrand’s environmental impacts and providing solutions to mitigate negative effects. Through her efforts, the Legrand ANZ CSR score improved from 96% in 2022 to 102% in 2023.

This improvement was achieved through multiple sustainability projects initiated by Eresha, including the use of recycled materials in the production facility. Legrand's key range of wiring devices now uses 75% recycled polycarbonate and 40% recycled brass, sourced from post-consumer recycled materials and rigorously tested for suitability.

Another prominent project focused on the Circular Economy, where Legrand partnered with another French entity, Rexel (Sonepar). Eresha’s pilot program leverages synergies between Rexel and Legrand, benefiting both companies and their customers in achieving sustainability goals. Unused emergency lighting accessories are collected at Rexel sites, returned to Legrand, and reintroduced into the manufacturing process. This initiative prevents unused plastic items from ending up in landfill and gives products a second life. The pilot has been implemented across three Rexel sites in NSW: Alexandria, Glendenning, and Bankstown, with an upgrade site at UNSW. Upon successful returns, the plan is to roll out the program across Australia and New Zealand.

To reduce Legrand’s direct impact on CO2 emissions and energy consumption, Eresha has implemented energy-saving measures at two of Legrand’s manufacturing sites, Trical NZ and Legrand Sydney. Innovations include modifications to plastic moulding machines to reduce heat dissipation, investing in heating elements that consume less energy, replacing older hydraulic moulding machines with more energy-efficient electric units, fine-tuning timers to control bay lights to prevent unnecessary usage, adjusting HVAC systems in office buildings, using solar panels at both sites, and transitioning to 70% renewable energy purchased from the grid in Australia and 100% in New Zealand. These initiatives have contributed to a reduction in Legrand’s scope 1 and 2 CO2 emissions and a 20% decrease in power consumption over two years.

An ongoing sustainability project led by Eresha focuses on eliminating single-use plastics from Legrand’s product packaging. Eresha collaborates closely with APCO, the Legrand Group, and customers such as Bunnings, Officeworks, and Mitre 10 to identify local government requirements and customer needs, implementing sustainable solutions to replace single-use plastics. Expanded polystyrene has already been eliminated from all Legrand product packaging under her guidance. Research and trials are underway to ensure that Legrand Australia has no single-use plastic packaging on shelves by 2027.

In recognition of Eresha’s efforts, she received the Legrand CEO Award for CSR – Best Initiative in 2023.

Professor Frederic (Fred) Hollande (VIC) currently heads the Department of Clinical Pathology and serves as Deputy Head of the Medical School at the University of Melbourne.

Fred obtained his PhD from the University of Montpellier. Following a post-doctoral position at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research in Melbourne, he was recruited by the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), where his research group made substantial contributions to the characterization of cell-to-cell communication and cell signalling during cancer progression and in response to treatment.

In 2007, he co-founded a start-up company to translate some of his research findings into clinical applications. He worked as joint Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) of the company until its acquisition by a pharmaceutical firm in 2011. Fred then moved to Australia in 2012 to take up a teaching and research position at the University of Melbourne.

Fred’s research group develops innovative and clinically relevant research models using patient-derived tumour samples, combining functional and molecular analyses to advance knowledge and discover new diagnostic and treatment strategies for colorectal and pancreatic cancer patients.

Since his arrival in Australia, Fred has used his knowledge and expertise to foster closer and more productive links between the French and Australian research and education communities. He contributed to the establishment of an International Research Training Group between the University of Melbourne and CNRS, allowing PhD students from both countries to train in their discipline of choice across both nations. Twenty-two students have participated in this program to date, for which Fred serves as the Academic Lead.

Fred is also Vice-President and leader of the ‘Health Research Community’ for AFRAN (Australian-French Association for Research and Innovation), playing an active role in promoting bilateral science and innovation links. He helps organise scientific and community events and advocates for bilateral academic and MedTech cooperation at French-Australian government meetings.

International collaboration is central to Fred’s work, driven by his passion to make a difference for metastatic cancer patients. This passion fuels his efforts to establish international research exchange programs with France to train the next generation of cancer researchers and to build networks between world-leading institutions. He also shares his passion for science with high school students across Victoria, having organised an annual event in collaboration with Allianc

Professor Gilles Guillemin (Bionyeri, NSW) has been a leading figure in the field of neuroimmunology and inflammation for nearly 30 years. He is an experienced researcher who relocated to Australia in 1997. Over the course of his career, he has worked at St. Vincent’s Hospital and the University of New South Wales for 13 years.

In 2007, Prof. Guillemin founded his consultancy company, International Consulting for Tryptophan Metabolism (ICTRYM) Pty Ltd, specialising in neuroinflammation and neuroprotection. The following year, he launched and became the Editor-in-Chief of a new scientific journal, The International Journal of Tryptophan Research. In late 2011, he co-initiated the establishment of the Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Research Centre at Macquarie University. The Centre focuses on molecular and cellular neuroscience with the goal of developing therapeutic strategies for MND and other neurodegenerative diseases.

In 2012, Prof. Guillemin was elected President of both the International Society for Tryptophan Research and the Neurotoxicity Society. He also co-founded and managed the first MND biobank, and acted as Co-Director of the MND Centre for five years (2011–2016).

In 2021, he became one of the five lead scientists of the new Australian Research Council (ARC) Industrial Transformation Training Centre for the Facilitated Advancement of Australia’s Bioactives (FAAB), which aims to collaborate with industries and biotech companies to test and assess natural products.

Prof. Guillemin's achievements include: - Finalist for the 2017 Eureka Prize (awarded in Australia for medical research discovery). - Awarded the title of Chevalier (Knight) de l’Ordre du Mérite by the French government in 2019 for 25 years of excellence in medical research. - Elected as a Fellow of The Royal Society of New South Wales in March 2020. - Elected as a Fellow of The Royal Society of Biology (UK) in December 2020. - Appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in June 2021 for his contributions to medical research. - Ranked in the top 100 scientists in Biology and Biochemistry, and in the top 20 in Neurosciences in Australia.

In March 2023, after securing significant Series A funding, Prof. Guillemin transitioned out of academia and co-founded BIONYERI Pty Ltd, an R&D startup focused on developing the next generation of natural products for pain, inflammation, ageing, and cancers using cutting-edge technologies such as AI and nanoparticles. The company conducts its research in Australia in collaboration with several institutions in Indonesia, including SOHO Global Health, IPB University, and RS Dharmais Hospital. BIONYERI has already secured several research contracts with various companies. Prof. Guillemin currently serves as CEO of BIONYERI Pty Ltd, based in Hornsby, NSW.

Jason Macey (NSW) is the founder of Imagine If Health, a med tech startup dedicated to helping as many people as possible benefit from life-changing medicines by making technology an enabler, not a barrier.

Jason holds a Bachelor of Science degree with First Class Honours and an Executive Master of Business Administration. With a distinguished background in the pharmaceutical industry, he has held senior positions at large multinational pharmaceutical companies and has launched many novel medicines in areas of high unmet medical need.

Imagine If Health embodies an action-driven ethos, constantly asking, "Imagine if?" and turning possibilities into reality. The company has created the first specialised Software as a Service (SaaS) model for delivering medicine access programs for the pharmaceutical sector. Companies can take advantage of this "off-the-shelf" system, which can then be branded and customised to suit their needs. The idea for the platform arose from the question: “Imagine if patients could access innovative medicines quicker than ever before, using technology that is quick to implement and enjoyable to use?”

Since its inception in 2022, the platform has won numerous innovation awards for speed to market and overall user experience, and it continues to grow, helping patients in diverse therapeutic areas access highly innovative and specialised medicines.

Professor Alta Schutte (NSW) is the SHARP Professor and Principal Theme Lead of Cardiac, Vascular, and Metabolic Medicine in the Faculty of Medicine and Health at UNSW Sydney, Australia. She also holds a joint appointment as a Professorial Fellow at the George Institute for Global Health. In addition, she has honorary professorial roles at the University of the Witwatersrand and North-West University in South Africa.

With extensive experience in population-based studies and clinical trials focusing on raised blood pressure, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease, she is the grant holder of numerous national and international grants, including serving as Principal Investigator on an NHMRC Investigator Leadership Grant and the SYNERGY grant.

Professor Schutte has been the Chief Investigator of several multidisciplinary studies (POWIRS, SAfrEIC, African-PREDICT) and randomised clinical trials (NEXTGEN-BP Clinical Trial, Shop-to-Stop Hypertension, SALT study). She has published over 500 scientific papers and supervised more than 85 postgraduate students.

Internationally, she has made significant contributions through her involvement in various consortia, including serving as a Trustee of the May Measurement Month initiative of the International Society of Hypertension and as an invited author of the Lancet Commission on Hypertension. She is the senior author of the impactful 2020 International Society of Hypertension Global Hypertension Guidelines and an invited author of the 2023 World Health Organization Global Report on Hypertension.

Professor Schutte has received numerous awards in recognition of her contributions. Since relocating from South Africa to Australia in 2020, she has received the 2022 Harriet Dustan Award from the American Heart Association, the 2023 Peter Sleight Excellence Award in Hypertension Clinical Research from the World Hypertension League, and the 2024 Distinguished Woman in Hypertension Award from the International Society of Hypertension. In Australia, she was named Leading Researcher in Vascular Medicine in 2023 by The Australian and received the Fiona Stanley Award for the top-scoring SYNERGY grant from NHMRC.

She serves as Associate Editor of the leading blood pressure journal Hypertension and is on the Editorial Board of several cardiovascular journals. Additionally, she is the Company Secretary of the Australian Cardiovascular Alliance, the Past President of the Southern African Hypertension Society, and the Past President of the International Society of Hypertension. Professor Schutte is the Co-Chair of the National Hypertension Taskforce of Australia and has spearheaded efforts to improve blood pressure control in Australia through several initiatives, including a call-to-action and leading the publication of the Taskforce's Roadmap in 2024.

Professor David Thomas (Omico, NSW) is a distinguished leader in oncology, renowned for his pioneering work in genomic cancer medicine. As a clinician-scientist, he focuses on leveraging genomic technologies to enhance the understanding and management of cancer. In 2019, he founded Omico, the not-for-profit Australian Genomic Cancer Medicine Centre, where he serves as Chief Science and Strategy Officer. Under his leadership, Omico has launched a nationwide initiative aimed at translating cutting-edge genomic technologies into effective therapeutic advancements for cancer patients.

David's vision is to ensure equitable, sustainable, and affordable access to precision oncology for all Australians diagnosed with cancer, a commitment he highlighted in his recent address to the National Press Club of Australia in June 2024. With over 260 research publications in high-impact journals, his work has garnered international recognition and has significantly advanced the field of oncology.

Omico is transforming cancer care by accelerating access to precision oncology trials and uniting Australia's premier cancer institutes, researchers, clinicians, industry partners, and government bodies. By leveraging a comprehensive national network of expertise and resources, Omico facilitates the delivery of genomic cancer medicine clinical trials to thousands of Australians with advanced and incurable cancers. Their innovative approach includes fast-tracked molecular and genomic screening, biomarker-led trial setups, and nationwide patient enrolment, all aimed at providing access to next-generation treatments and preventive strategies.

Omico’s mission is to improve outcomes for Australians with cancer by adopting precision oncology as a research-led model of care, fostering the clinical trials industry, and modernising the Australian healthcare system. Central to this mission is the use of molecular screening for cancer prevention and treatment, personalised risk management, patient support, advocacy, and health system reform.

Thanks to Omico, 23,000 Australians with advanced or rare cancers now have access to free genomic testing, enabling the matching of their cancer types to the most effective available therapies—whether existing treatments or emerging therapies through clinical trials. The establishment of Omico has facilitated the introduction of rare cancer trials in Australia that would not have been possible otherwise, thus providing patients with access to innovative therapies th

Professor Dédée Murrell (UNSW, NSW) is a pioneering figure in dermatological research, with over three decades of experience in advancing therapeutics for skin diseases. Since 1989, she has been at the forefront of clinical and basic research, contributing significantly to the understanding and treatment of a wide range of skin conditions. As the Director of Australia’s first dedicated dermatology clinical trial centre, established in 1996, Professor Murrell has overseen groundbreaking trials for conditions such as psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, alopecia, vitiligo, acne, rosacea, epidermolysis bullosa, pemphigus, and pemphigoid.

Her expertise extends into the complex field of autoimmune blistering disorders and genetic skin conditions, with a particular focus on the pathogenesis and validation of outcome measures for bullous diseases. Her research has been instrumental in improving clinical outcomes for patients with these rare but often debilitating conditions.

With a career dedicated to innovation in medical dermatology and clinical trials, Professor Murrell is recognised globally for her contributions to both scientific research and patient care. Her work continues to shape the future of dermatological treatments, offering hope to those affected by some of the most challenging skin diseases.

Professor Kate Drummond, AM, MD, MBBS, FRACS (Brain Tumours Online, VIC), graduated from the University of Sydney in 1988 and trained in Neurosurgery in Sydney and Melbourne. She furthered her training with both clinical and research fellowships in Neuro-oncology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Harvard University in Boston, where she was awarded an MD from the University of Melbourne in 2008.

Currently, she serves as the Director of Neurosurgery at The Royal Melbourne Hospital and Head of Central Nervous System Tumours for the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Parkville Precinct. Her primary research and clinical interests focus on the biology and clinical management of brain tumours. She specialises in awake craniotomy with cortical mapping, intraoperative MRI, and fluorescence-assisted brain tumour resection.

Her major research projects encompass the full spectrum of brain tumour care, from basic science in immunotherapy, liquid biopsy, and biomarkers in glioma to innovative surgical techniques and supportive care for patients with brain tumours and their caregivers. Professor Drummond has published more than 200 peer-reviewed articles and numerous book chapters, and she is frequently invited to speak nationally and internationally. She has secured over $35 million in grant funding from government and philanthropic sources, with an h-index of 48 and an i10-index of 111.

She is the former chair of the Neuro-oncology Committee of the Victorian Cooperative Oncology Group for Cancer Council Victoria and serves on the committees of various national cancer and brain tumour groups, including the Neuro-Oncology Committee of the Clinical Oncological Society of Australasia and the Cooperative Trials Group for Neuro-Oncology. Additionally, she supports community groups and charities advocating for patients with brain tumours and their families.

Professor Drummond is Co-Editor in Chief of the Journal of Clinical Neuroscience and serves on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Neurosurgery. She is the past Chief Examiner in Neurosurgery for the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) and has previously served on the RACS Surgical Education and Training Board, receiving the RACS Medal for Services to RACS. She is the Chair of Pangea Global Health Education, a for-impact organisation specialising in health education in low-resource settings, and teaches in Africa annually. Furthermore, she is the President of the Asian Australasian Society of Neurological Surgeons (AASNS), President of Academia Eurasiana Neurochirurgica, and President-Elect of the Neurosurgical Society of Australasia.

In 2019, she was awarded the Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for her services to medicine, particularly in the field of neuro-oncology and community health.

Professor Markus Schlaich (National Hypertension Taskforce, SA) is the inaugural Dobney Chair in Clinical Research at the University of Western Australia. As a nephrologist specialising in high blood pressure (BP), he and his interdisciplinary team provide comprehensive services at Royal Perth Hospital. As Chair of Hypertension Australia and Co-Chair of the National Hypertension Taskforce, he leads the nation in controlling this leading global risk factor for death.

His translational clinical research, which includes more than 500 publications and 25 national and international awards, has led to recent regulatory approvals by the US FDA and the European EMA for several novel BP-lowering therapies. These include a new drug class (dual endothelin antagonists) and a revolutionary interventional approach (renal denervation) to treat hypertension, both of which are now available to clinic patients.

Professor Schlaich has achieved significant advancements in knowledge and health outcomes through his internationally renowned studies on pharmacologic and interventional approaches to lower BP. He has also demonstrated the safety and efficacy of low-dose quadruple polypills to achieve faster and sustained control of elevated BP. Furthermore, he has contributed to the development of national and international hypertension guidelines.

The excellence of his research achievements is recognized through multiple highly cited landmark publications (over 53,000 citations), peer recognition through awards and prizes, and highly competitive national and international research grants. His scientific standing in the clinical research community is exemplified by more than 150 invited presentations at national and international conferences.

Specific highlights of his academic career include: - Pioneering the interventional approach of catheter-based renal denervation to lower BP, earning the Australian Museum Eureka Award in 2011 and bringing it to regulatory approval by the FDA in 2023. - Leading the Phase 3 pivotal trial for a novel pharmacotherapy (endothelin antagonism with Aprocitentan) for BP treatment, which was published as the first author in The Lancet in 2022, with FDA and EMA approval in March 2024. - Serving as senior author of a National Call to Action to improve BP control rates in Australia (MJA, doi: 10.5694/mja2.51350) and launching the National Hypertension Taskforce (as Co-Chair) in 2022 by the Health Minister (https://ozheart.org/taskforce-launched-by-minister/). - Being the senior author of the National Hypertension Taskforce of Australia Roadmap aimed at achieving 70% blood pressure control in Australia by 2024 (MJA, doi: 10.5694/mja2.52373). - Acting as the Regional (Asia-Pacific) Lead and Management Board member of the annual global BP awareness and measurement campaign “May Measurement Month,” initiated by the International Society of Hypertension, which has screened over 6.5 million people globally for elevated BP since 2017 and newly detected more than 1 million individuals with elevated BP

A recognised leader in her field, Vanessa Tyrell (Children's Cancer Institute, NSW) has actively contributed to state and federal government advisory committees and the development of policies to support the implementation of genomics and precision medicine in healthcare for over 30 years. She has also given more than 20 years of voluntary service to peak professional bodies.

Ness joined the Children’s Cancer Institute in 2015 to drive the development and implementation of a precision medicine programme for children with high-risk cancers, establishing the foundations for the Zero Childhood Cancer National Precision Medicine Programme (ZERO), Australia’s first and most comprehensive national precision medicine programme for children with cancer. Jointly led by the Children’s Cancer Institute and the Kids Cancer Centre at Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick, the programme comprises a network of all major Australian clinical and research groups, along with many international research groups working in childhood cancer.

Ness has been responsible for selecting and establishing ZERO’s testing platforms, pipelines, logistics, and the efficient, clinically responsible delivery of all aspects of ZERO, including the national rollout in 2017 for children with high-risk cancers (with survival rates of less than 30%). In 2020, early successes demonstrated that using the comprehensive genomic profiling platform and bespoke analysis pipelines significantly improved the ability to identify the molecular causes of cancers, make more likely effective treatment recommendations, refine or change diagnoses, and identify whether a child and their family had a genetic predisposition to developing cancer. This success was highlighted in the American Journal of Human Genetics in the “Genomics Medicine Year in Review: 2021” as one of ten key advances in applying genomic information to clinical care.

In a world first, in June, ZERO demonstrated that genomic precision medicine—where treatment is tailored to an individual child’s cancer—leads to significantly improved outcomes for children with high-risk cancer. Results indicated that children who received a ZERO-recommended treatment fared significantly better than those who did not. The two-year progression-free survival rate was more than double that of children who received standard therapy (26% vs 12%) and five times higher than that of children who received an unguided targeted treatment. Children who received their recommended therapy early in their treatment pathway performed significantly better than those who received it after the disease had progressed, suggesting that the sooner a personalised treatment strategy is implemented, the better the chance of preventing relapse and death.

In 2020, efforts began to expand ZERO’s genomic precision medicine platform to all Australian children with cancer, laying the groundwork for implementing precision medicine within the Australian health system. This led to another world first, with ZERO becoming available to all Australian children with cancer since late 2023, to assess whether this model will benefit all children with cancer, irrespective of type, stage, or risk. Almost 2,000 children have been enrolled since 2017.