Chair
Professor John Findlay AO
Professor Findlay is the Director of Research at the Royal Women’s Hospital, Vic; Head of Female Reproductive Endocrinology Group and a Principal Research Fellow of NHMRC at Prince Henry’s Institute of Medical Research. Professor Findlay is an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) awarded in 2008 for services to medical research. He was awarded the 2006 Dale medal from the UK Society for Endocrinology, the highest accolade bestowed by that society. Professor Findlay has been the chair of the Embryo Research Licensing Committee of the NHMRC since it’s inauguration in 2003, and is also the former chair of the Infertility Treatment Authority (VIC).
Members
Professor Donald Chalmers
Professor Chalmers is the current Dean of Law School at the University of Tasmania; a Foundation Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law and the Chair of the Gene Technology Ethics and Community Consultative Committee (GTECCC) of the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (Australia). Professor Chalmers was Chair of the NHMRC Australian Health Ethics Committee (AHEC) from 1994 to 2000. During his tenure as Chair, AHEC presented the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Research Involving Humans to Federal Parliament. He is also the current Chair of the Gene Technology Ethics and Community Consultative Committee established under the Gene Technology Act 2000.
Associate Professor Lynn Gillam
Professor Gillam is a Senior Lecturer in Health Ethics at the Centre for Health and Society at the University of Melbourne, Academic Director and Clinical Ethicist, Children’s Bioethics Centre, Royal Children’s Hospital in partnership with Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and University of Melbourne and the Principal Research Fellow in ethics at Murdoch Children’s Research Institute. Her research interests include autonomy and informed consent; ethical issues in genetics, especially pre-natal diagnosis and research on humans. Professor Gillam is a member of several university and hospital ethics committees and is a member of the Infertility Treatment Authority (VIC) advisory panel.
Professor Robert Norman
Professor Norman is the Director of the Robinson Institute, a research institute for reproductive health at the University of Adelaide; the Academic Head and Head of the Medical and Scientific Advisory Board at FertilitySa and Flinders Reproductive Medicine, fertility clinics in Adelaide. Professor Normans is also a consultant gynaecologist at the Royal Adelaide Hospital. He has extensive experience in research, with research interests in assisted reproductive technology (ART) and reproductive endocrinology, particularly in Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome, the effect of lifestyle on reproductive outcomes and periconception medicine. Professor Norman is also a member of the South Australian council for Reproductive Technology (SARCT) established under the Reproductive Technology Act (SA) 1998.
Dr Stephen Junk
Dr Junk is currently the Scientific Director of Fertility Specialists, WA. He is also a member of the Reproductive Technology Council of WA Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) Committee. He is the previous Chairperson of the Scientists in Reproductive Technology (SIRT) which is a subgroup of the Fertility Society of Australia (FSA).
Dr Julia Nicholls OAM
Dr Nicholls is a veterinarian with over 30 years experience and until recently was the Principal and owner of Prospect Road Veterinary Hospital. Dr Nicholls was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 2007 for services to veterinary science. She is a life member of OASIS (Infertility Support Group) and was a member of the South Australian Council of Reproductive Technology (1991-2000), and Deputy Chair, the South Australian Council of Reproductive Technology (1994-2000).
Professor Belinda Bennett
Professor Bennett is a Professor of Health and Medical Law and Director of Centre for Health Governance, Law and Ethics at Sydney University. She is a founding Board Member of the Australian and New Zealand Institute of Health Law and Ethics (ANZIHLE) (formerly Australian Institute for Health Law and Ethics). She is also the Deputy Editor of the Journal of Law and Medicine. Professor Bennett’s areas of expertise include Health and Medical Law, legal issues relation to reproduction and genetics.
Ms Margaret Deane
Ms Deane is the current Chief Executive Officer of Queensland Aged and Disability Advocacy Inc and has extensive experience in relation to consumer issues relating to disability and health issues serving on a range of committees, consumer bodies and leading teams in a number of roles relating to these areas. Ms Deane has served as a Consumer Advisor Committee member on the Health Quality & Complaints Commission, the Queensland HACC Partnership Forum, a reference group member on the Queensland Law Reform Commission’s Review of Queensland Guardianship Laws, State Councillor on the State Palliative Care Queensland Board, member of the Queensland Futures Forum. Margaret has held senior leadership positions in both the Commonwealth and State Health departments, including State Manager for the Home and Community Care Program, program managers positions in the Palliative Care, Aged Care Assessment, Sixty and Better, Health Promotion Queensland and Australian Red Cross Blood service programs which included representation on the Blood and Blood Products Committee.