Leanna Read

Chair of the Board

Dr Leanna Read has broad-ranging executive, board and investment experience in health translation and in a range of technology-based enterprises, particularly biotechnology. As CEO and Chair of the CRC for Cell Therapy Manufacturing (CTM CRC) until October 2019, she had oversight of research translation programs focused on cancer immunology as well as smart surfaces for implanted medical devices. She has an ongoing role as chair of CTM CRC’s spin-out companies, Carina Biotech Pty Ltd and TekCyte Pty Ltd, which are commercialising the technology in these fields.

Leanna has recently completed a four-year term as Chief Scientist for South Australia and brings extensive experience on boards that address innovation across government, industry and academic sectors. She is a current member of several private and public sector boards including Uniseed venture capital investment company, Biosensis Pty Ltd, RSPCA SA and the Federal Government Biomedical Translation Fund Committee.  She also chairs the recently established Agtech Advisory Group for the SA Government.

Susan Hillier

Professor Susan Hillier is an academic and clinician with teaching and research interests in the broad field of neuroscience and rehabilitation. One of her main research areas is on the effectiveness of rehabilitation approaches after stroke. The influence of rehabilitation on neuroplasticity is also a focus.

Susan also has an interest in movement education and intervention approaches for other populations such as children with developmental coordination disorder or people who are ageing. As well as conducting clinical trials to produce primary evidence, Susan also is an experienced Cochrane reviewer (vestibular rehabilitation, HIV, self-management after stroke, task-specific training).

Susan’s current role at the University of South Australia is Dean: Research (and Research Education) for the Division of Health Sciences.

Alison Kitson

Professor Alison Kitson is Vice-President & Executive Dean College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University. She was the former Dean of Nursing and Head of School at the University of Adelaide and is now a University Titleholder. She is an Associate Fellow of Green Templeton College, University of Oxford in the UK. Alison is internationally recognised for her work in Knowledge Translation (KT) and as the originator of one of the most widely cited and used KT frameworks, the Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services (PARIHS) Framework.

Jonathan Craig

Professor Jonathan Craig is an internationally recognised clinician and scientist and holds the position of Vice President and Executive Dean of the College of Medicine & Public Health.

Professor Craig holds many board and advisory panel positions, including as a member of the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Advisory Group on the Synthesis and Translation of Research Evidence, a member of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee, a member of the Medicare Services Advisory Committee, a member of the International Advisory Panel for Singapore’s Agency for Care Effectiveness, and President of the Australia-NZ Society of Nephrology.

Mark Hartigan

Mark Hartigan is currently Chief Executive Officer of the Country SA PHN, and was previously Deputy CEO of Country SA PHN and Country North SA Medicare Local for 8 years. He is the current South Australian representative on the PHN CEO Cooperative Management Committee and Joint Venture Committee. Mark has been a Justice of the Peace since 1998, and is also a member of Australian Institute of Company Directors (MAICD), holding accounting and business qualifications.

Mark has strong background and experience in commercial/rural banking, Local Government, and as a CEO in private business throughout regional South Australia. He currently lives in the beautiful Barossa Valley and enjoys following sports and a glass of the Barossa’s reds!

Shane Mohor

Shane Mohor is currently Chief Executive Officer of the Aboriginal Health Council of SA Ltd (AHCSA). He has worked in Aboriginal health as a Registered Nurse (including remote Kimberly work, hospital and forensic health), Senior Executive in Government, University and Non-Government Organization’s for over 25 years in South Australia including interstate.

Steve Wesselingh

Professor Steve Wesselingh, Executive Director of the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), is currently the Research Director for HTSA.

Professor Wesselingh is an Infectious Diseases Physician and researcher in Neurovirology, HIV and vaccine development. He has consistently worked towards the integration of high quality medical research with health-care delivery, leading to improved health outcomes for Australia and the poorly resourced countries of the region.

Andrew Zannettino

Professor Andrew Zannettino is the Pro-Vice Chancellor of Health Partnerships (University of Adelaide) and Executive Director of Research Strategy (Central Adelaide Local Health Network). He is also the Professor of Experimental Haematology and heads the Myeloma Research Program at the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute.

For the last 2 decades, Professor Zannettino’s research interests have centred on identifying the molecular and cellular mechanisms responsible for myeloma disease progression. Notably, Professor Zannettino has co-authored more than 230 refereed publications, which have received in excess of 17,000 citations.

Prof. Zannettino is a member of the Medical and Scientific Advisory Group (MSAG) of the Myeloma Foundation of Australia. In addition, he serves on the Health and Medical Industries Ministerial Advisory Panel, is a member of the Executive management boards for the Cancer Council of South Australia, the Robinson Research Institute and Adelaide Biomed City, and is a Non-Executive Director for AusHealth.

Dr Michael Cusack

Dr Michael Cusack is from the United Kingdom and joined the Department for Health and Wellbeing in February 2020 as the Chief Medical Officer. Prior to his current role, he was the Northern Adelaide Local Health Network Executive Director for Medical Services.

He qualified as a doctor in 1992 and subsequently trained as a Cardiologist at St Thomas’ Hospital in London. On completing his training, he took up his consultant post at a newly commissioned regional cardiothoracic centre in Wolverhampton and subsequently became the Clinical Director for Cardiothoracic Services. This unit went on to become the largest centre in the West Midlands region with nationally recognised outcomes and an active clinical research programme.

Michael has additionally held a number of leadership role in the National Health Service (NHS) including Cardiovascular Network Clinical Director, surgical Divisional Director and Medical Director for a large acute NHS Hospital Trust.

Maree Geraghty

Maree Geraghty was appointed as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Northern Adelaide Local Health Network in January 2019 having previously been CEO of Country Health SA Local Health Network since 2013.

Maree has extensive experience in public administration and leadership responsibility in the provision of health care services, and has worked at the Chief Executive level within large complex organisations with statutory, public stewardship and fiscal responsibilities.

Through a team-based leadership approach, Maree has developed organisations to be consistently delivering high performing outcomes that have improved the health of people, patient safety and access to health care.

Maree has a passion for the delivery of high quality health services, integrating services across the continuum of care and engaging with local communities about their health services. 

Maree holds a Masters in Business Administration, Graduate Diploma in Education and a Bachelor of Arts degree.

Nadia Corsini

Dr Nadia Corsini is a behavioural scientist with expertise in health research and evaluation, having worked with industry, government, and consumer partners to inform the development of resources, services, and policy to improve health outcomes. Her priority research areas include consumer-centred care, psycho-oncology, and health workforce wellbeing. She leads a research program on the use of patient-reported outcome measures in cancer policy. Nadia has worked innovatively with consumers by co-supervising students, co-developing funding proposals, and building authentic relationships through regular communication and engagement activities.

Nadia is currently Senior Research Fellow at the Rosemary Bryant AO Research Centre. She is a member of the SA Cancer Clinical Network Steering Committee, chair-elect of the International Society for Quality of Life Research – Australian and New Zealand Special Interest Group, and chair of Consumer and Community Engagement Action Group at Health Translation SA.

Paul Ward

Paul Ward is Professor of Public Health at Torrens University Australia. Paul graduated with a PhD in Medical Sociology from the University of Manchester over 20 years ago and has been undertaking sociological research in public health ever since. He leads numerous large studies funded by the ARC, NHMRC and Cancer Australia and ultimately wants his research to lead to a more equitable and inclusive society for disadvantaged and marginalised population groups globally. He also supervises numerous PhD students who, like him, are undertaking research focussed on improving both social justice and human flourishing. Paul’s main research interests are around socio-spatial inequalities and inequities in health, medicine usage and the provision of health and social care.  Paul also has a particular interest in research around lay and professional perceptions, knowledge and understandings of health, healthcare, medicines, risk and trust.

Derek Chew

Professor Derek Chew commenced as Commissioner at the Commission of Excellence and Innovation in Health in April 2021.

Derek is a clinical and interventional cardiologist as well as a clinical and health systems researcher. He completed his Masters of Public Health at the Harvard School of Public Health, with formal training in epidemiology, trial design, biostatistics, clinical trials and cost-effectiveness analysis. His PhD thesis explored the factors for improving heart attack care in Australia.

Derek most recently led the Heart and Vascular program at SAHMRI and was the Network Director of Cardiology for the Southern Adelaide Health Local Heath Network. He is also a Professor of Cardiology at Flinders University. He has national and international roles in chest pain/acute coronary syndrome evidence generation, assimilation and translation.

In addition, Derek chairs the Cardiovascular Disease Expert Advisory Group, the primary cardiovascular disease monitoring body of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, while providing expert advice to the Australian Commission for Quality and Safety in Health Care.

Michelle McKay

Michelle was appointed Adelaide PHN CEO in August 2021. With a clinical background in emergency nursing for over 20 years, Michelle has held a range of executive roles in the health sector across Queensland (QLD), South Australia (SA) and the Northern Territory (NT), in both public and not-for-profit sectors and in the United Kingdom’s National Health Service. Prior to joining Adelaide PHN, Michelle was Chief Operating Officer of the Top End Health Service within NT Health.

Her previous executive roles included Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust in the UK, Uniting Care QLD and Executive Director of Planning and Performance at SA Health, in addition to roles at QLD Health.

Bev Muhlhausler

A/Professor Bev Muhlhausler is Acting Research Director of the newly formed Human Health Program in the Health and Biosecurity Unit at CSIRO. The Human Health Program brings together capabilities across pandemic preparedness, diagnostics and nutrition and behavioural sciences to develop strategies to build a healthy and resilient Australian population.

Bev joined CSIRO after 14 years as an NHMRC Early Career Fellow, and then Career Development Award Fellow, at the University of South Australia and University of Adelaide. Over this time, her research has had a strong focus on the role of maternal and infant nutrition in the early life programming of obesity and metabolic health. She has published 180 peer-reviewed papers which have been cited over 4,400 times, written 12 invited book chapters and 7 invited editorial and commentaries and presented 30 invited talks at national/international scientific conferences.