Our People

Melanie Carew has senior executive leadership experience across a range of health and research for-purpose organisations. She is formerly the Chief Executive Officer of the Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Mental Health, and Head of Strategy and Public Affairs at the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health. She is the co-developer of the Write Smarter: Feel Better program which takes a proactive approach to graduate research student mental wellbeing and has now been adopted by several international universities.

Previously, she held roles with large multidisciplinary research organisations, as well as having policy and project management experience within the Victorian State Government. She has a particular interest in engaging with members of the community, was the inaugural volunteer Scientific Communication Director for the Prader-Willi Research Foundation of Australia and regularly mentors postgraduate science communication students.

She holds a Bachelor of Applied Science (Hons), Bachelor of Business Administration, a Postgraduate qualification in Arts and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Siân is a change leader experienced in building global capabilities and high performing teams. Siân originally qualified as a pharmacist in the UK, has an MPH, Exec MBA and is a Graduate of the AICD. Siân is completing an international PhD researching how patients are enabled to navigate health care at the University of Melbourne.

Daphne is an experienced executive leader and senior Patient Safety Physician from the pharmaceutical industry with a proven track record of leadership competence and strategic thinking. As a physician and an advocate for patient safety for over 15 years, Daphne has extensive clinical/safety governance expertise, particularly in the domain of risk management strategies relating to patient safety. She is passionate about advancing patient and community health outcomes, wellbeing, and quality of life through partnership with healthcare professionals, regulators, consumers, and the community.

Associate Professor Paul Gow has spent the last 30 years involved in various aspects of liver health and disease, as a Gastroenterologist and Liver Transplant Specialist at the Austin Hospital and in private practice. With a wealth of clinical experience, Paul cares strongly about liver health education and advocacy and is committed to excellence in patient-centered care. Paul  has a particular interest in liver disease (viral hepatitis, fatty liver disease and auto-immune liver diseases).

Sharon has held a number of Executive roles in highly regulated and complex, blue-chip organisations. Her breadth of industry experience spans Banking and Finance, Manufacturing and Automotive, Insurance, Building and Construction, Retail and Government, Private Equity and Impact Investment. Sharon translates her executive experience into governance oversight with subject matter expertise in a variety of disciplines including Strategy and Transformation, Business Optimisation, Culture and Change, and large scale complex Operational Leadership.

Deborah brings expertise in strategy execution, corporate governance, stakeholder engagement, and human resources from her extensive experience in the health sector, not-for-profit, and member-based organisations. She has held executive roles with the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, Melbourne University Publishing, and CPA Australia. Deborah has a Master of Public Health, a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management, and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. She is also a non-executive director for a private health insurance fund.