One of the Institute’s key strengths is the expertise of its staff. Our senior management team’s breadth of experience and depth of knowledge continue to drive us in new directions. They are supported by committed and talented staff members across each of our divisions.
Executive team
Dr Martin McNamara
CEO
Martin became the Institute’s CEO in January 2023, after serving as Deputy CEO since 2018. An experienced health system …
Martin became the Institute’s CEO in January 2023, after serving as Deputy CEO since 2018. An experienced health system executive, he has previously held a number of senior leadership roles at Commonwealth and state levels, spanning strategy and research to policy development and health system performance. Since joining the Institute in 2016, Martin has guided the development of a number of the Institute’s key programs, and he remains Chief Investigator of the 45 and Up Study. Prior to joining the Institute, he was Executive Director at the National Health Performance Authority. Martin has a PhD from the University of Sydney.
Justin Eccleston
Head, Business Services Transformation
Justin has over 20 years’ experience working in the research and not-for-profit sectors in the UK and Australia, includi…
Justin has over 20 years’ experience working in the research and not-for-profit sectors in the UK and Australia, including senior roles at the King’s Fund in London and at national health charities in both countries. He has expertise in business transformation, strategic planning and organisational development. Justin joined the Institute in July 2021 and leads the corporate functions spanning human resources, IT, commercial and facilities. He has a BSc (Hons) in Business Administration from the University of Bath.
Melinda Ewell
Head, Finance
Melinda leads the Institute’s Finance team and provides financial and regulatory guidance to the Institute’s CEO and Boa…
Melinda leads the Institute’s Finance team and provides financial and regulatory guidance to the Institute’s CEO and Board to support delivery of the Institute’s Strategic Plan, as well as ensuring sustainability of the Institute’s operations. After early career roles across the IT and merchant banking sectors, Melinda has worked as a finance executive in the not-for-profit sector for more than a decade, focusing on program innovation, technology integration and effective governance.
Melinda is a Certified Practising Accountant and has a Master of Commerce from Western Sydney University.
Melinda is a Certified Practising Accountant and has a Master of Commerce from Western Sydney University.
Nadia Mastersson
Head, Prevention
Leading the Prevention portfolio for the Institute, Nadia is responsible for heading The Australian Prevention Partnersh…
Leading the Prevention portfolio for the Institute, Nadia is responsible for heading The Australian Prevention Partnership Centre. The Prevention Centre represents crucial national infrastructure providing systems leadership in chronic disease prevention for Australia, incubating and mobilising knowledge into policy and practice.
Nadia has worked across the prevention landscape for more than 25 years through policy and legislation, program delivery, research, health service strategy and system change. Her work has focused on the power of collaborative partnerships to improve the health of the community.
Nadia holds Master of Business Administration and Master of Nutrition and Dietetics and is a graduate and member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Nadia has worked across the prevention landscape for more than 25 years through policy and legislation, program delivery, research, health service strategy and system change. Her work has focused on the power of collaborative partnerships to improve the health of the community.
Nadia holds Master of Business Administration and Master of Nutrition and Dietetics and is a graduate and member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Dr Rebecca Tinning
Head, Programs
Rebecca leads the Institutes Programs Division and is responsible for the operational management and development of the …
Rebecca leads the Institutes Programs Division and is responsible for the operational management and development of the Institutes programs and capabilities. She has over 20 years’ experience in health services research and policy, population health management, and health service innovation and delivery. Prior to joining the Institute, Rebecca worked at Medibank where she innovated evidence-informed models of care for private and public health care payors including primary care based chronic disease and integrated care services, hospital readmission avoidance programs and telephone support services. Rebecca has a Professional Doctorate in Applied Public Health (DrPH) from UNSW.
Dr Scott Winch
Head, Aboriginal Health
Scott is a Wiradjuri man who lives on Dharawal Country. He is the Head, Aboriginal Health at the Sax Institute and has n…
Scott is a Wiradjuri man who lives on Dharawal Country. He is the Head, Aboriginal Health at the Sax Institute and has nearly 30 years’ experience in Indigenous affairs at local, state, national and international levels. His experience spans from urban to remote communities mainly in the health, education and early childhood sectors including leadership roles in service and program delivery, community development, research and evaluation and policy. He has a PhD in Aboriginal Education, a Masters of Applied Epidemiology and a Graduate Diploma in Health Services Management.
Senior advisers
Sandra Bailey
SENIOR ADVISER, ABORIGINAL HEALTH
Ms Bailey is an expert in Aboriginal primary health care with a broad interest in public health, especially mental healt…
Ms Bailey is an expert in Aboriginal primary health care with a broad interest in public health, especially mental health, child and maternal health as well as in policy, strategic planning and governance. A Yorta Yorta woman from the NSW-Victorian border region, she was CEO of the Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council for 25 years, and was instrumental in the creation of the Coalition for Research to Improve Aboriginal Health (CRIAH) as a partnership between the Sax Institute and AH&MRC. She has a law degree from the University of Melbourne and was awarded the Australian Government’s Centenary Medal in 2003 for her contribution to health.
Professor Fiona Blyth AM
SENIOR ADVISER
Professor Blyth is an epidemiologist with a special research interest in chronic pain. She is Coordinator of Medical Edu…
Professor Blyth is an epidemiologist with a special research interest in chronic pain. She is Coordinator of Medical Education at The University of Sydney’s Concord Clinical School.
Professor Cate D’Este
SENIOR ADVISER
Professor D’Este is a biostatistician with over 30 years of experience in health and medical research. She has previousl…
Professor D’Este is a biostatistician with over 30 years of experience in health and medical research. She has previously held positions as Chair in Biostatistics at the Australian National University and The University of Newcastle, and currently has honorary appointments at both of those institutions. Cate has extensive experience in the design and analysis of a wide array of research projects in population health, covering a variety of study designs and methods such as cross-sectional studies and surveys, cohort studies, audits, analysis of routinely collected administrative health data and disease register data (including linked data), and experimental designs such as individual and cluster randomised controlled trials and stepped-wedge cluster randomised trials.
Professor Michael Frommer AM
SENIOR ADVISER
Dr Frommer is a public health physician with extensive experience in government, NGO and academic roles. His contributio…
Dr Frommer is a public health physician with extensive experience in government, NGO and academic roles. His contributions have been in injury epidemiology, perinatal health and data linkage systems, cancer services, and medical education. Michael designed and implemented the NSW Government’s research infrastructure funding program (now Medical Research Support Program). A former head of the University of Sydney’s medical program, he is an Adjunct Professor in the university’s Faculty of Medicine and Health, and is helping to develop the university’s satellite Dubbo medical program.
Associate Professor Carmen Huckel Schneider
SENIOR ADVISER
Associate Professor Huckel Schneider is a public health policy expert with over 20 years’ experience. Carmen is Deputy D…
Associate Professor Huckel Schneider is a public health policy expert with over 20 years’ experience. Carmen is Deputy Director at the Leeder Centre for Health Policy, Economics and Data at the University of Sydney where she is also lead of the Health Systems and Financing theme. Carmen is also Co-Director, Academic Education in the Sydney School of Public Health. Her research expertise spans health systems approaches to health policy analysis, governance, administration and financing.
Professor Christine Paul
SENIOR ADVISER
Prof Christine Paul is Head of Research for the School of Medicine and Public Health at the University of Newcastle. Ch…
Prof Christine Paul is Head of Research for the School of Medicine and Public Health at the University of Newcastle. Chris has a track record for delivering on rigorous behaviour change interventions on an individual, system and population level. Prof Paul has produced high quality, practice-relevant behavioural research across a range of health issues and behaviours.
Professor Luke Wolfenden
SENIOR ADVISER
Professor Wolfenden is Professor of Public Health at the University of Newcastle and Editor-In-Chief of the Australian a…
Professor Wolfenden is Professor of Public Health at the University of Newcastle and Editor-In-Chief of the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health. His research focuses on primary modifiable risks, including obesity, diet, physical inactivity, alcohol and tobacco use. Prof Wolfenden is also a Co-Director of the Cochrane People, Health Systems and Public Health Thematic Group, and a member of the Prevention Centre’s Scientific Advisory Committee. He was recognised in 2020 with a Sax Institute Research Action Award for his contribution to the prevention of overweight and obesity in Australian children.
Program and team leads
Anthony Ashton
Information and Security Architect
Anthony leads on information security at the Institute and fulfils a consultancy role supporting digital transformation …
Anthony leads on information security at the Institute and fulfils a consultancy role supporting digital transformation across the organisation. He has responsibility for providing effective business systems and client liaison for SURE. Prior to joining the Institute, Anthony performed a senior IT role with Cancer Council NSW, where he gained key experience in protecting research data and knowledge in a not-for-profit sector setting. With over 20 years’ prior experience working in technical and senior leadership roles in information technology departments, Anthony has significant experience in both global and national organisations delivering mission-critical digital services.
Bethany Brett
Director, People & Culture
Bethany is responsible for providing comprehensive human resources (HR) advice and support to the Institute. Her focus i…
Bethany is responsible for providing comprehensive human resources (HR) advice and support to the Institute. Her focus includes employee engagement, HR strategic development, recruitment and talent management, and staff development. A committed and passionate HR professional, Bethany worked at a global law firm as the National HR Manager for over a decade before joining the Institute. In that role, she led the HR team to provide support to staff within Australia and New Zealand. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce (HRM & Management) from the University of Wollongong and has gained experience across a number of industries, including legal and not-for-profit organisations, since graduating.
Matthew Gorringe
Senior Director, Data and Research Services
Matt is responsible for the Secure Unified Research Environment (SURE) that provides a secure workspace to over 450 rese…
Matt is responsible for the Secure Unified Research Environment (SURE) that provides a secure workspace to over 450 researchers accessing data from more than 25 data custodians. In this role, Matt regularly explores and implements new opportunities for delivering significant improvements in capacity and processing power that will improve the experience for researchers and data custodians. Matt has extensive experience in survey research, including in data management and analysis, and management of large-scale research operations. Matt has senior executive experience in a human services delivery agency, and has a Graduate Certificate in Survey and Market Research Methods, and a Master of International Relations.
Dr Alice Knight
Director, Evaluate
Alice leads the Evaluate team to support government and non-government organisations to plan for, demonstrate, understan…
Alice leads the Evaluate team to support government and non-government organisations to plan for, demonstrate, understand and communicate their impact. Alice has over ten years’ experience working in the government, academic and not-for-profit sectors, with academic and policy expertise in the health and human services sectors. Prior to joining the Sax Institute, Alice worked as Manager of Evaluation at the Department of Communities and Justice, formerly FACS, where she managed and lead project teams to design, commission and monitor a wide range of complex evaluations. Alice has a passion for evidence informed program and policy design, and for developing innovative tools and methods to support decision makers design, implement and evaluate their programs and policies.
Ani Goswami
Director, decision analytics and innovation
Ani is responsible for developing cutting-edge, simulation-based decision-support tools at the Sax Institute, helping go…
Ani is responsible for developing cutting-edge, simulation-based decision-support tools at the Sax Institute, helping government and non-government organisations make informed policy and service decisions. His work draws on expertise in health informatics, strategic management, and digital transformation across the health and human services sector. Prior to joining the Sax Institute, Ani was Director of Governance and Business Services at an Aboriginal Health Service in NSW. In this role, he provided strategic leadership across governance, business services, and social programs, supporting the Board and driving an enterprise-wide transformation journey. Ani holds a Master of Health Services Management, is a Fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia, and Associate Fellow of the Australasian College of Health Services Management.