Appointments

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Appointments in 2007

Rob Moodie- chair of global health

Rob Moodie has been appointed chair of global health at the faculty's Nossal Institute for Global Health. Professor Moodie is an internationally-renowned public health expert with almost 30 years experience in planning and evaluating health programs in Australia, Africa, Asia and the Pacific. He has an interest in the control of AIDS globally and was the director of country support for the United Nations Program on AIDS in Geneva and is currently on the technical advisory panel to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation's HIV prevention program in India. Professor Moodie will combine his new role with his many other commitments, including his position as chair of the Victorian Premier's Drug Prevention Council.

Appointments in 2006

Ingrid Winship – inaugural chair of adult clinical genetics

Professor Ingrid Winship commenced her appointment in November as the inaugural chair of adult clinical genetics in the Department of Medicine and Royal Melbourne Hospital , at the University of Melbourne. She will also head the adult genetic service at the Royal Melbourne Hospital. Ingrid is a clinical geneticist with an interest in clinical services and research into late onset genetic disorders and the inherited predisposition to cancer.  She is chair of the Cancer Council of Victoria's Victorian Co-operative Oncology Group (VCOG) Cancer Genetics Advisory Group and deputy chair of the VOCG.  She will combine this with her role as research director for Melbourne Health.

Julie Bines – inaugural Victor and Loti Smorgon professor of paediatrics

Professor Julie Bines commenced in November as the inaugural Victor and Loti Smorgon professor of paediatrics, in the Department of Paediatrics.  Professor Bines is a paediatric gastroenterologist and head of clinical nutrition, Department of Gastroenterology and Clinical Nutrition at the Royal Children's Hospital.  Her major research interests are in developing a rotavirus vaccine for children in Australia and the developing world, and studying other conditions that affect the intestines and bowel.

John Hutson – inaugural chair of paediatric surgery

Professor John Hutson commenced in October as the inaugural chair of paediatric surgery, in the Department of Paediatrics.  Professor Hutson's research has focused on improving the health and wellbeing of children.  In particular, his seminal research on understanding mechanisms related to the understanding of the male gonadal system, has the potential to remove the need for invasive surgery for the commonly occurring condition of undescended testis.  He has written a number of books on paediatric surgery and has been awarded patents for treatments of undescended testes and male infertility. His influence as a teacher of medical students extends beyond Melbourne, through the worldwide distribution of the most highly regarded paediatric surgical text books he edits.  Professor Hutson is also a leading figure in postgraduate teaching and learning.

Mike Morgan - Colgate chair of population oral health

Mike Morgan was appointed to the newly established Colgate chair of population oral health in the School of Dental Science in June. The chair is funded by Colgate Palmolive Pty Ltd, which supports a number of Australasian dental schools and dental research. Professor Morgan's research interests cover many aspects of population oral health including oral epidemiology, water fluoridation and clinical trials of preventive technology. His teaching interests include curricula development, developing transculturally appropriate dental curricula, community oral health and preventive dentistry.

Jane Gunn – inaugural chair of primary care research

Professor Jane Gunn, commenced her appointment in May as the inaugural chair of primary care research and deputy head of the Department of General Practice. She is establishing a research unit in primary care to develop excellence in primary care research and research training. In 2001 she was appointed as a visiting research fellow to Wolfson College at the University of Oxford. She was the first general practice academic to chair an NHMRC project grant review panel, and the first and youngest woman to be elected president of the Australian Association for Academic General Practice (2004-2006).

Dallas English - chair and director of epidemiology and biostatistics

Dallas English commenced his appointment as chair and director of epidemiology and biostatistics at the Centre for Molecular, Environmental, Genetic and Analytic Epidemiology (MEGA) in April 2006. Professor English is a cancer epidemiologist, having worked in the field since 1982. His research interests are skin cancer prevention, cancer screening, breast, colon and prostate cancer. Since 2000, Professor English has been associate director of the Cancer Epidemiology Centre at the Victorian Cancer Council. Professor English combines this role with his new appointment at MEGA.

John Wiseman - inaugural director of the McCaughey Centre

John Wiseman was appointed inaugural director of the McCaughey Centre, the VicHealth Centre for the Promotion of Mental Health and Community Wellbeing in May 2006. Professor Wiseman has an academic background in social sciences and has worked as a policy maker, researcher, community development worker and teacher. His research areas of interest include the development and use of community wellbeing indicators and the impact of globalisation trends on communities. Professor Wiseman's expertise in his field is reflected in his extensive involvement in community development boards and working groups including Oxfam, the Royal Children's Hospital and the Victorian government.

Gillian Webb – new head of School of Physiotherapy

Associate Professor Gillian Webb was appointed head of the School of Physiotherapy in March. Professor Webb has been at the school since its inception in 1991 and played an integral role in the campaign for its foundation. Her research interests are in physiotherapy education and health professional education. She is involved in international student issues both at the university and overseas, and is president of the International Society of Educators in Physiotherapy and a member of the accreditation committee for overseas physiotherapists.

Robin Room - inaugural chair of Social Research in Alcohol

Professor Robin Room commenced in March as the inaugural chair of Social Research in Alcohol at the School of Population Health and director of the Centre for Alcohol Policy Research at Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre. He comes to Melbourne from Stockholm , Sweden where, since 1999, he has been professor and founding director of the Centre for Social Research on Alcohol and Drugs at Stockholm University . He has worked on social, cultural and epidemiological studies of alcohol, drugs and gambling behaviour, studies of social responses to alcohol and drug problems, and the effects of policy changes. His latest award was the Annual Drug Research Award of the Swedish Council for Information on Alcohol and Other Drugs.

Appointments in 2005

Sanchia Aranda appointed head of the School of Nursing

Professor Sanchia Aranda has been appointed head of the School of Nursing, commencing 1 February 2006. She will continue as director of cancer nursing research at the Peter McCallum Cancer Institute. Professor Aranda has worked in cancer and palliative care since 1979 and in research and teaching roles since 1989. Her research interests bridge inpatient and community settings predominantly in the areas of supportive care, symptom management and practice change.

Peter Ebeling – new professor of medicine at the Western Hospital

Peter Ebeling has been appointed the new professor of medicine at the Western Hospital, Department of Medicine (RMH/WH). He is currently a physician at the Royal Melbourne Hospital with responsibility in endocrinology and general medicine. He has an international reputation for his research in the field of osteoporosis. Professor Ebeling commences at the Western Hospital on 19 December 2005.

David Castle appointed professor of psychiatry at St Vincent’s Hospital

David Castle has been appointed professor of psychiatry at St Vincent’s Hospital, University of Melbourne Department of Psychiatry. He is currently professor at the Mental Health Research Institute of Victoria and the University of Melbourne, and consultant psychiatrist at the Royal Melbourne Hospital. He has published widely in prestigious journals, mostly in areas related to schizophrenia, but also anxiety disorders and more recently disorders of body image. He will commence in his new position in early 2006.

Peter McIntyre appointed to the chair of pharmacology

Peter McIntyre has been appointed to the chair of pharmacology. Professor McIntyre’s background includes postdoctoral studies in Australia and the UK and 15 years’ working in drug discovery research with Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research in London where he headed the molecular and cellular biology laboratory. His research focuses on the molecular pharmacology of chemical and thermal receptors on sensory nerves and their role in the development and maintenance of chronic pain.

Ingrid Scheffer appointed to new chair of paediatric neurology research

Ingrid Scheffer has been appointed to the new chair of paediatric neurology research, based at the university Department of Medicine (Austin Health and Northern Health) and also working at the university Department of Paediatrics. Professor Scheffer is a paediatric neurologist at Austin Health and the University of Melbourne. She works with a team that has discovered eight different genes connected to epilepsy.

Meg Morris appointed to chair of physiotherapy

Meg Morris has been appointed to a chair of physiotherapy. She is currently research professor at La Trobe University and a director of the NHMRC Centre for Clinical Research Excellence Clinical Gait Analysis and Gait Rehabilitation. Her major research interests have included Parkinson’s Disease and the aged.

Kim Bennell appointed to chair of physiotherapy

Kim Bennell, Director of the Centre for Health, Exercise and Sports Medicine, in the School of Physiotherapy, has been appointed to a chair of physiotherapy. Professor Bennell has many years of clinical and research experience in the areas of sports medicine and musculoskeletal health. Her research and scholarship has received significant external recognition through keynote conference presentations both in Australia and internationally.

David Ames – appointed to chair of psychiatry of old age

David Ames, Department of Psychiatry, has been appointed to the chair of psychiatry of old age, based at the University of Melbourne Academic Unit for Psychiatry of Old Age. He is also director of Aged Psychiatry Services at St George’s Hospital. Professor Ames’ major research interests are the treatment and prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease, depression in later life and old age psychiatry services.

Paul Monagle - new head of Pathology

Paul Monagle commenced as the head of the Department of Pathology on 26 April 2005. He continues as director of haematology at the Royal Children's Hospital, and has an active clinical practice incorporating general non-malignant haematology with a dedicated thrombosis and anticoagulation service.

Susan Sawyer appointed to first chair of adolescent health

Susan Sawyer has been appointed to the newly established chair of adolescent health in the Department of Paediatrics at the University of Melbourne. This is the first chair of adolescent health in Australia and represents a new phase in the field's growth as an academic discipline. Professor Sawyer is director of the Centre for Adolescent Health at the Royal Children's Hospital. Her diverse research interests include a special focus on the interface between adolescent development and chronic illness.

Mark Hargreaves appointed to chair of physiology

Mark Hargreaves has been appointed to the chair of physiology, commencing in January 2005. His appointment follows the retirement of Professor Trefor Morgan. He has a BSc and PhD in physiology from Melbourne and an MA in exercise physiology from Ball State University, Indiana, USA.  Professor Hargreaves' research examines the physiological and metabolic responses to exercise, with a focus on skeletal muscle carbohydrate metabolism and metabolic factors in fatigue.

Appointments in 2004

Nick Crofts appointed director of Turning Point

Professor Nick Crofts was recently appointed director of Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre. Prior to this he was head of the Epidemiology Unit and the Centre for Harm Reduction at the Burnet Institute. This included work in Asia over the last 15 years on prevention of HIV infection among and from injecting drug users.

Christos Pantelis appointed to new chair of neuropsychiatry

Christos Pantelis has been appointed to the first chair of neuropsychiatry in Victoria and scientific director of the Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, established last year as a joint centre of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Melbourne and North Western Mental Health, Melbourne Health. In 2004 he was awarded the Selwyn Smith Medical Research Prize in recognition of his outstanding research work on schizophrenia and has undertaken neuroimaging and neuropsychological work on schizophrenia and psychosis over the past decade.

Boost for Indigenous health

One of Australia's leading health experts, Professor Ian Anderson, has been appointed Chair of Indigenous Health at the University of Melbourne. Professor Anderson is a strong advocate of Aboriginal-led health initiatives for Indigenous people. He is the first Aboriginal Australian to hold the position. Find out more about the appointment.

Trevor Kilpatrick appointed to head Centre for Neuroscience

Professor Trevor Kilpatrick has been appointed head of the Centre for Neuroscience and Chair in Neurology. He is a clinical neurologist with a strong research interest in the area of demyelinating diseases (including Multiple Sclerosis). Professor Kilpatrick leads a research group focused on Multiple Sclerosis, in a joint initiative between the Centre for Neuroscience and the Howard Florey Institute. His group is investigating the cellular and molecular events that influence the capacity of the demyelinated brain to remyelinate. Professor Kilpatrick and his colleagues are also attempting to unravel the cause of Multiple Sclerosis by studying the genetic and environmental factors that contribute to the disease.