Faculty leadership and senior management staff profiles

Professor Christina Mitchell

Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences

Professor Christina Mitchell graduated with a degree in Medicine from Melbourne University and undertook general physician and haematology training fellowships. She obtained a PhD from Monash University, concentrating on the anticoagulant activity of protein S, and graduated with a Fellowship from the Royal Australian College of Physicians and also a Fellowship in Pathology. She then undertook a 3 year post-doctoral fellowship at Washington University purifying phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3-kinase) signal-terminating enzymes. Professor Mitchell returned to Australia as senior lecturer in Medicine at Monash University and Box Hill Hospital, she became Associate Professor soon after, while also conducting research on the newly emerging family of enzymes, inositol polyphosphate 5-phosphatases, negative regulators of PI3-kinase signalling. In addition, she held a position of Professor and Head of Biochemistry Department at Monash University (2000), until being promoted to Head of School of Biomedical Sciences (2006-present). The major research direction of her group is to characterise the metabolic pathways that regulate phosphoinositide signalling, in particular PI 3-kinase signalling in human cancer. Professor Mitchell has practiced as a general physician from 1990 to 2000 and as a specialist haematologist from 1990 to 2011 in the Department of Haematology at Box Hill Hospital. She has a long commitment to the development and integration of the medical curriculum at Monash University.

Professor Mitchell has published over 100 papers and received numerous awards, including Monash University 50th Anniversary Research Award (2008) and Dean's Prize for Excellence in Research (2003). In addition, Professor Mitchell serves on editorial boards of Journal of Biological Chemistry and IUBMB Life.

Professor Mitchell was a member of the scientific committee for the Anti-Cancer Council of Victoria (2001-2010), served on several NHMRC review panels for both project grants and fellowship applications and has been a member of the board of VESKI (Victorian Endowment for Science, Knowledge and Innovation).

Professor Mitchell and her research team are the recipients of several National Health and Medical Research grants, an ARC grant and a Muscular Dystrophy Association of the USA grant. Her research laboratory comprises seven post-doctoral fellows, a research assistant, seven PhD students and three honours students.

Email: Christina.Mitchell@monash.edu

Professor Christina Mitchell, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences

Professor Ross Coppel

Senior Deputy Dean / Deputy Dean (Research)

Ross graduated in medicine in 1976 later working as an intern and house officer at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and Bethnal Green Hospital, London. In 1980 he returned to Australia and commenced a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Postgraduate Scholarship at The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI). On completion of his PhD, Ross worked as a research fellow at the WEHI in the fields of malaria and primary biliary cirrhosis. In 1994, Ross accepted a position with Monash University and took up a position as Professor of Microbiology within the Medicine Faculty and was Department Head until 1998.

Ross is a recipient of the Glaxo Award for Advanced Research in Infectious Diseases and was a Howard Hughes Medical Institute International Fellow. He has authored or co-authored more than 420 scientific publications, including one book and multiple book chapters. This included a chapter in the definitive 1998 American Society of Microbiology volume on malaria. He serves on the editorial board of Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology, the top journal in the field of malaria and has reviewed for numerous journals including Nature, Science, Cell, J Cell Biol, Exp Parasitol and Acta Tropica. He is a named inventor on ten patents for inventions in malaria, primary biliary cirrhosis and novel antibiotics. In 1998, he became the first person to be appointed as an independent assessor to the Federal Court of Australia when he sat with the Justice in a major case involving a biotechnology patent.

He is an internationally recognised scientist for his work in the fields of malaria and primary biliary cirrhosis. He has received funding to support his research activities from both national and international agencies including the NHMRC, the ARC, the Wellcome Trust, the National Institutes of Health, the United States Agency for International Development, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the World Health Organization.

Ross was a member of the advisory committee that oversaw bioinformatics of the malaria genome project and he administered the malaria sequence database for the World Health Organization (WHO). He was a founder of the PlasmoDB consortium, a project to develop an organism-specific database that simplifies the analysis and exploitation of genomic sequence data by biologists.

Ross is currently Deputy Dean and Director of Research of the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences at Monash University and his laboratory the Coppel Lab is involved in research into malaria and tuberculosis infection. In November 2000, Ross and colleagues in the Faculties of Medicine and Information Technology, along with Agriculture Victoria (Plant Biotechnology Centre) and CSIRO Division of Mathematical and Information Sciences established the Victorian Bioinformatics Consortium of which he remains the Director.

Email: Ross.Coppel@monash.edu

Professor Ross Coppel, Deputy Dean (Research)

Professor Ben Canny

Deputy Dean (MBBS)

As Deputy Dean (MBBS), Ben Canny is responsible for the overall academic governance of the Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery (medical) degree, working closely with colleagues in the Central medical program at Clayton, Gippsland graduate entry course, Malaysia Medical School, and the Northern Victorian Rural Medical Education Network (NVRMEN), which oversees the Extended Rural Cohort.

His work includes ensuring that the learning objectives and outcomes of all programs are aligned, as well as coordinating other academic and educational initiatives and endeavours related to MBBS, including the Bachelor of Medical Science (BMedSc).

Ben obtained his MBBS and BMedSc from the university of Adelaide, before completing his internship. After studying in the Department of Medicine at Prince Henry's Hospital, he obtained his PhD in stress endocrinology from Monash. A two-year post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Virginia followed, after which Ben returned to Australia to take up an academic position within the Department of Physiology in 1992. He maintained an active research and teaching profile, focusing on various aspects of stress, reproductive and metabolic endocrinology, as well as on ethics and professional and clinical skills.

With the advent of the redesigned Monash MBBS curriculum in 2002, Ben has become closely involved in the medical education activities of the Faculty. He was appointed to the role of Associate Dean (MBBS Curriculum) in 2004, and Deputy Dean (MBBS) in 2010. He has been closely involved in the development of a number of the Faculty MBBS initiatives, especially the development of programs in Malaysia, Gippsland and the NVRMEN. He is committed to the Faculty providing a quality educational experience for all MBBS students, and to ensuring that they will be prepared to fill critical roles in the delivery of high quality healthcare for their patients and communities.

Ben has occupied a number of other important roles, and is currently Chair of the Monash University Human Research Ethics Committee, and is a past Vice-President of the Monash University Academic Board. He was President of the Endocrine Society of Australia between 2002 and 2004.

Email: Ben.Canny@monash.edu

Professor Ben Canny, Associate Dean (MBBS)

Professor Shane Thomas

Deputy Dean (International)

Shane Thomas, DipPubPol, PhD, MAPS, is Deputy Dean (International) and Professor of Primary Health Care Research in the School of Primary Health Care in the Faculty of Medicine. He is also Professor and Director of the Problem Gambling Research and Treatment Centre at Monash University. Shane is an Honorary Professor at Peking University, one of 9 Australians to have been awarded this honour. In China he is a Commissioner of the Chinese National Institute for Hospital Management and a Commissioner of the Chinese General Practice Research and Development Centre. He also holds a range of senior editorial positions internationally.

Professor Thomas has authored over 250 refereed publications as well as 4 authored books, one of which is in its 6th edition. His ten top cited publications currently have an aggregate citation count of 1303 citations.

Shane's research work has achieved a high degree of translation into policy and practice. He has led the development of several high profile measurement systems in state, national and international use. These tools include the Australian Commonwealth Work Ability Tables and the Post Acute Care Risk Screen that is used to support discharge decisions for hospital patients in many jurisdictions. Professor Thomas led the development of the 2011 NHMRC approved guideline for the screening, Assessment and Treatment of Problem Gambling. He also conducted 2 Cochrane systematic reviews to support the development of the guideline.

Professor Thomas has supervised over 50 higher degree students to completion and has written a popular book on thesis writing for the health sciences.

Professor Thomas' research interests include: hospital and primary care service quality improvement; chronic disease and its clinical and self-management; cultural factors in healthy ageing; problem gambling treatment research; and research in community and primary care services.

He is currently working on a 4 volume global book series for Springer Publishing in healthy ageing with Professor Colette Browning, the conduct of a large RCT in problem gambling treatments, leadership of a hospital quality improvement program in Saudi Arabia and China and the development of training programs for Chinese health executives.

His role as Deputy Dean International is to promote targeted international engagement of the Faculty and its staff to help Monash realise and consolidate its position as an international university of the highest quality.

Email: Shane.Thomas@monash.edu

Professor Shane Thomas - Deputy Dean (International)

Professor Wayne Hodgson

Deputy Dean (Education)

In his role of Deputy Dean (Education) Professor Hodgson, in conjunction with the Associate Dean (Learning & Teaching), is responsible for overseeing the education activities of the Faculty. Professor Hodgson is a past winner of the Faculty's Jubilee Teaching Prize and continues to teach pharmacology in a range of courses. Professor Hodgson has a keen interest in research that examines the relationship between admissions criteria (e.g. ATAR, interviews, aptitude tests) and subsequent performance at university. He played a key role in the development and implementation of ePharmacology an on-line resource to facilitate the learning of students enrolled in medicine and other allied health courses. In his role as Director MBBS Admissions he has been responsible for overseeing the selection of students into the three Monash medical schools (i.e. Clayton, Gippsland and Sunway) and is currently Chair of the UMAT Test Management Committee. He is an internationally renowned toxinologist responsible for pharmacologically characterising a wide range of spider, snake and marine venoms. He has published >110 papers including manuscripts in Nature, PNAS and Molecular & Cellular Proteomics. Professor Hodgson has a long-standing commitment to excellence in the training of Higher Degree by Research (HDR) students.

Email: Wayne.Hodgson@monash.edu

Professor Wayne Hodgson, Deputy Dean (Education)

Professor Gail Risbridger

Deputy Dean (Special Projects)

Professor Gail P Risbridger is a NH&MRC Fellow, a career academic and researcher who has spent over 20 years understanding the endocrinology of male reproductive tract organs, especially the testis and prostate gland. After graduating from Monash University she worked in teaching departments at the University, until becoming a founding member of the Monash Institute of Medical Research (MIMR). She currently heads the Prostate and Breast Cancer Research Group in the Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology at Monash University and leads an internationally recognised research team of investigators working on prostate cancer and Andrology related projects. She currently holds the position of Deputy Dean – Special Projects and Chair for Research, Centres & Institutes.

She is one of Australia’s leading prostate cancer researchers, with particular interest in the biology of stromal-epithelial cell interactions in normal and tumour tissue using tissue recombination, animal and human specimens. She pioneered the use of stem cells for recombination studies combining stem cell biology with endocrinology.

She established academic and industry collaborations to build infrastructure to underpin the national research effort in Australian Prostate Cancer Research, including a National tissue bank with Victorian State Government informatics support. She has advisory roles in Andrology Australia and the Freemasons Foundation Centre for Men’s Health. She has >167 publications, including original articles in general biomedical journals and in specialist journals of Endocrinology, Cell Biology, Urology, Pathology, Oncology & Environmental Sciences including publications in Nature Methods Nature Cancer Reviews, FASEB and American Journal of Pathology . Since 2003, she has received > $22.9 million in National and International (eg US Army DOD) grant funding related to prostate cancer. Her awards include an International Fulbright Senior Scholar Award, British Endocrine Society Asia-Oceania Medal and Honorary Life Member of Endocrine Society of Australia.

Email: Gail.Risbridger@monash.edu

Professor Gail Risbridger, Deputy Dean (Special Projects)

Professor Rob Pike

Deputy Dean (Academic Planning)

Professor Robert Pike is responsible for investigating and reviewing all facets of the Faculty’s strategic operations. He also takes a lead role in managing cross-portfolio and cross-faculty issues and challenges.

After completing his PhD in Biochemistry at the University of Natal in South Africa, Professor Pike undertook research fellowships at the University of Georgia and within the Department of Haematology at the University of Cambridge.

Formerly Head of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Professor Pike was in charge of the largest Department in the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences. He continues to teach and to lead an active research program within that Department focusing on enzymes known as proteases, particularly how these molecules act at the host-pathogen interface.

Professor Pike was the first convenor of the Bachelor of Biomedical Science (Honours) program at Monash University, and has successfully supervised nineteen PhD students to completion.

A past President of the International Proteolysis Society, Professor Pike is currently Vice-President of the Lorne Proteins Committee, known for its convening of a prominent annual conference on protein structure and function.

Professor Rob Pike

Sarah Newton

Deputy Dean (External Relations)

As Deputy Dean External Relations, Sarah Newton is responsible for the strategic management of industry, government, philanthropic and clinical partner relationships for the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences.

Before commencing her position in the Faculty, Sarah was Executive Director Research for the Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research at Monash University where she directed strategic university initiatives as well as overseeing the $100 million operations of the Research portfolio. In this role Sarah also held the position of Director - Strategic Alliances, (Research) for the University with a strategic and leadership focus in leading engagement with industry, government and community organisations to establish large scale research initiatives. Prior to this Sarah was the Director of Industry Engagement where she managed the business development function and also led the conceptual development, negotiation and implementation of a number of significant new research institutes and centres.

Before joining Monash, Sarah held Senior Management positions in the Vocational Education Sector at Chisholm Institute of TAFE, and prior to that at Barton Institute. Sarah has implemented large scale research and educational projects in over 100 companies in Victoria, nationally and internationally and has also worked extensively with the Victorian and Federal Governments.

Nationally and Internationally Sarah has worked with governments from Korea, Philippines, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and Malaysia, as well as directing governance training on behalf of AusAID.

Sarah Newton

Janet Kemp

Director, Budget Strategy

Janet Kemp's relationship with Monash dates back to her student days at the Clayton campus, where she undertook first a degree and then a masters course in economics. After a period in the private sector, she continued her career as a tutor in the Monash Department of Economics.

From the mid 1980s, Janet worked in State Government, including five years spent in a role as Director of the Financial Management Branch for what was then the Victorian Department of Finance. She returned to Monash in 1995 to work as the business and resources manager for the Monash Institute of Reproduction and Development (now MIMR).

Janet joined the Faculty management team in the role of Resource Manger in 1998, and became Faculty Manager in 2002, a role in which she looked after all aspects of the Faculty's administration.

In her current role, Janet is responsible for the Faculty's operating budget, including the distribution of Commonwealth funding to the Faculty's ten schools. She also oversees senior academic appointments.

Email: Janet.Kemp@monash.edu

Janet Kemp, Director, Budget Strategy

Andrew Evans

Director (International)

Monash alumnus Andrew Evans oversees the Faculty's teaching and research operations across all of its campuses in Australia, Malaysia and South Africa. His work ranges from overseeing student admissions, to developing new courses, to forging new relationships with other international institutions.

Andrew has held senior roles at Faculty and University level at Deakin University, the University of Western Sydney, and the University of New South Wales. He has also worked in management roles in residential colleges at Monash and the University of Sydney. During his time in New South Wales, he was part of a team that received a NSW premier's prize for working with at-risk Arabic youth on the streets of Sydney.

With this background in social justice, Andrew is conscious that the values of equity and diversity must be kept in mind during every point in the Faculty's continual expansion, especially as these are such crucial elements of a career in health. He strongly believes in Faculty initiatives that support students from all backgrounds, and was responsible for the creation of the Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences Scholars bursaries, which give a chance to bright students experiencing personal hardships.

Andrew is also passionate about developing and improving the quality of the Faculty's teaching and research, making sure that it continues to lead the sector both in Australia and oversees. Managing a Faculty with a research focus on global health, Andrew forges strong relationships with partners around the world, including with countries in the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

Email: Andrew.Evans@monash.edu

Andrew Evans, Director (International)

Associate Professor Marilyn Baird

Associate Dean (Learning and Teaching)

In her role as Associate Dean (Learning and Teaching), Associate Professor Marilyn Baird works alongside the Deputy Dean (Education) to ensure the quality of education in undergraduate and postgraduate courses throughout the health and biosciences areas of the Faculty.

Marilyn completed her radiography training in Liverpool, England. She worked as a radiographer in England, New Zealand and Australia achieving the position of a Chief Radiographer before taking up a lecturing position in radiography at RMIT in 1986 where she led the radiography stream until 1996. In 1998 Marilyn became the first Australian radiography academic to gain a PhD. Her investigation into the relationship between the experience of the clinical practicum and the radiography profession informed her creation of Australia's first integrated four year degree program in radiography and medical imaging which began at Monash University in 1998. At the same time she established what has now become the Department of Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences. Other successful curricular innovations include the introduction in 2002 of the off campus Graduate Diploma of Medical Ultrasound now part of an articulated Master of Medical Ultrasound and in 2003, Australia's first Graduate Entry Masters program in Radiation Therapy delivered at a national level. In 2004 she introduced an off campus articulated Master of Radiographic Practice. As well, since 2001 Marilyn has provided the educational framework for rural GPs to gain a use radiation licence to undertake limited radiographic services in the bush. Marilyn has conducted numerous reviews of academic programs both nationally and internationally and workshops addressing clinical supervision and assessment issues. In 2005 she was appointed by the Minister of Health to role of Chair of the Medical Radiation Technologists Registration Board of Victoria. From 2007 to its replacement by the new national Board July 1st 2012, Marilyn has been President of the Medical Radiation Practitioners Registration Board of Victoria.

In recognition of her achievements in 2001 she was the sole recipient of the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences' Silver Jubilee Teaching Prize and in 2004 Marilyn was the sole recipient of the Vice-Chancellor's award for Teaching Excellence, Monash University. In 2005 she was the sole recipient of the Nicholas Outterside Medallion Medal awarded by the Australian Institute of Radiography for services to the profession.

Marilyn has a range of education-related research interests, in areas including clinical education, role substitution, clinical assessment and professional socialisation. Outcomes from her research directly inform her classroom teaching activity.

Email: Marilyn.Baird@monash.edu

Associate Professor Marilyn Baird, Associate Dean (Learning and Teaching)

Associate Professor Sharon Ricardo

Associate Dean (Research Degrees)

In her role as Associate Dean (Research Degrees), Associate Professor Sharon Ricardo provides leadership on all aspects of Higher Degree Research (HDR) training for the Faculty. She chairs the Faculty Research Degrees Committee, which has overall responsibility for recruitment, scholarship rankings, enrolment and progression. She is also the Faculty representative on the Graduate Research Committee, which oversees the management of and policy development in research training at Monash.

Associate Professor Ricardo completed her PhD at the University of Melbourne in 1994, studying cellular and molecular pathways leading to kidney disease. She continued this theme of research as a US Kidney Foundation Fellow pursuing post-doctoral studies (1994-2000) at Pennsylvania State University in the Division of Nephrology where she was promoted to Assistant Professor in 1998.

After returning to Australia as a NHMRC Howard Florey Fellow, Associate Professor Ricardo established a research group at Monash University that currently focuses on the development of new therapies for kidney regeneration through stem cells, immune modulation and/or growth factor therapies. During this time she has contributed to undergraduate teaching and supervised numerous Honours and PhD students.

Associate Professor Ricardo has published more than 65 papers and received many awards including the Kidney Health Australia Bootle Award; the Judy S. Finkelstein Award (Penn State University); and the Marrion Merrell Dow excellence in Renal Research Award (American Physiological Society). In addition, she is the first named inventor on US granted patents that have emerged from her translational research targeting the development of new therapies for promoting organ growth in premature and growth-restricted babies.

Associate Professor Ricardo is an Editor of the Nephrology journal and serves on the Scientific Program and Education Committee of the Australian and New Zealand Society of Nephrology. She is actively involved in the promotion and education of science to the broader community by engaging with secondary school students, patient groups and philanthropic foundations.