Our board

The Sax Institute Board has an independent chair, three directors elected by research centre members, a nominee from each of the Universities of Newcastle, New South Wales and Sydney, four directors with other expertise, a representative appointed by the NSW Minister for Health, and the Institute CEO (ex officio).

Dr Irene Moss AO (Chair)

Dr Moss is nationally recognised for her expertise in public sector governance. She was Australia’s first Federal Race Discrimination Commissioner, and has been the NSW Ombudsman and the Commissioner, Independent Commission Against Corruption.

Professor Julie Byles

Professor Julie Byles is Director of the Research Centre for Generational Health and Ageing at the University of Newcastle and a founding investigator and Director of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health. She heads the International Longevity Centre – Australia, is Secretary to the International Association of Gerontology Asia/Oceania region, leads the WHO Collaborating Centre for International Longitudinal Studies of Gender Ageing and Health, and advises the WHO on ageing.

Dr Kerry Chant PSM

Dr Kerry Chant is NSW Chief Health Officer and Deputy Secretary of the Population and Public Health Division, NSW Ministry of Health. The Division has accountabilities for a broad portfolio of issues, including tobacco control, reduction of risky drinking and obesity, the promotion of physical activity, end-of-life care and organ donation. Dr Chant has a particular interest in the response to HIV, hepatitis C and hepatitis B and Aboriginal health.

Professor Robert Cumming

Professor Robert Cumming

Professor Cumming is Deputy Head, School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, where he is Professor of Epidemiology and Geriatric Medicine. He has more than 25 years of research and teaching experience.

Professor Stephen Jan

Professor Stephen Jan

Professor Jan leads Health Economics and Process Evaluation at the George Institute, and is Professor of Health Economics at the University of Sydney. With over 20 years of research and teaching experience, he has worked closely with government and international agencies in Australia and overseas. He has collaborated extensively with the Sax Institute, including as a chief investigator on the Australian Prevention Partnership Centre.

Dr George Jessup

Dr Jessup is a founder and director of Start-up Australia Ventures, an institutional grade technology investment fund with top quartile returns over a period of more than 10 years. He has broad experience in commercialising technologies within start-up companies and large multinationals.

Mr Michael Lambert

Mr Lambert is a consultant with CIMB Group and has extensive experience in strategy, corporate advisory and mergers and acquisitions. He also has extensive health sector experience and sits on commercial and not-for-profit organisation boards. He is a former Secretary of NSW Treasury.

Mr Christopher Paxton

Mr Paxton is a Partner in the Strategy Consulting team at PwC. He has more than 15 years of experience working on corporate and business strategy, acquisitions and restructuring with leading companies in Australia, Europe, the US and Asia.

Professor Peter Smith

Professor Smith has held senior academic and clinical leadership positions in Brisbane, Melbourne and Auckland. He is the former Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at UNSW Australia, is currently a Non-Executive Director at St Vincent’s Health Australia and is a consultant with IntegenX, California and the Association of Academic Health Centers International, Washington, DC.

Nick Talley

Professor Nicholas Talley

Professor Talley is Pro Vice Chancellor of the Faculty of Health at The University of Newcastle. A world authority on clinical research on the stomach, he was formerly Chair of the Mayo Clinic Department of Internal Medicine and Foundation Professor of Medicine at The University of Sydney, Nepean Hospital.

Professor Johanna Westbrook

Professor Johanna Westbrook

Professor Westbrook is Director of the Centre for Health Systems and Safety Research, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University. She is internationally recognised for her research evaluating the effects of information and communication technology in healthcare. In 2014 Professor Westbrook was named Australian ICT professional of the year by the Australian Information Industry Association, and she serves as board member of the Australian Digital Health Agency.

Professor Sally Redman AO (ex officio)

Professor Redman is the Chief Executive Officer of the Sax Institute. She has extensive experience in public health research, particularly the evaluation of programs designed to improve health and healthcare. Previously she was the inaugural Director of the National Breast Cancer Centre.