NHMRC asked each expert working group member to document their interests and involvement (financial and non-financial) in activities regarding ADHD and child developmental issues. The members were also asked to consider perceived conflict of interest as well as real interests.
As per NHMRC committee meeting processes, the expert working group at its first meeting reviewed and discussed their declared conflicts and agreed on how it would adjudicate its conflict and how the conflicts would be managed. The Chair then discussed these processes with the NHMRC CEO. No members were excluded in this process.
The working group members were specifically asked to identify, to the best of their ability, potential or real conflicts of interest regarding:
- Participation in the development or endorsement of any of the guidelines and/or educational materials relating to ADHD
- Support for pharmaceutical companies or other corporations whose products or services are related to the treatment, management or diagnosis of ADHD. This is inclusive of participation in/attendance at sponsored events
- Financial interests or relationships including honoraria, research funding, consultancies, employment, or ownership.
The NHMRC will review the conflict of interest information throughout the working group’s project to ensure that changes for members over time do not represent conflicts or potential conflicts.
Expert Working Group Members
Professor Bruce Tonge (Chair)
Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist
Professor and Head of Discipline of Psychiatry, School of Psychology and Psychiatry, Monash University, Melbourne
Relevant experience
Holds appointments as Director, Clinical and Professional Services Division, Clinical Advisor to the Southern Health Mental Health Program.
Member of the Mental Health Research Institute Board.
Research and teaching interests in developmental psychiatry with a particular focus in the areas of Autism Spectrum Disorders and behavioural and emotional disturbance in children and adolescents with intellectual disability and treatment outcome studies in childhood anxiety and depressive disorders.
Guideline development:
- NHMRC
- Autism Victoria
Consultancy:
No commercial interests but consultancy for:
- Department of Human Services, VIC
- Department of Health and Ageing
- Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs
- Ageing, Disability and Home Care, Family and Community Services, NSW
Affiliations:
- Chair, Victorian Mental Illness Research Fund Advisory Committee
- Immediate past Chair of the Board of Autism Victoria
- Neuroscience Victoria
- Neuroscience Australia
- Monash University
Research Funding:
- NHMRC
- Australian Research Council (ARC)
- BeyondBlue
- Rotary
- Pratt Foundation
- Dara Foundation
- National Institutes of Health, USA
- Financial Markets Foundation for Children
Honoraria: NA
Conference attendance:
Attendance at some professional meetings sponsored by:
- Pharmaceutical companies
- Natural therapies
- Educational industries
Other potential COI:
Author of a Developmental Behaviour Checklist. Profits go to Monash University.
Professor Jon Jureidini
Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, University of Adelaide
Senior Child Psychiatrist, Department of Psychological Medicine, The Women's and Children's Hospital, Adelaide
Relevant experience
Published extensively and his research interests include child development and health, such as ADHD, children’s play, munchausen by proxy syndrome, physical illness and disability, and childhood depression.
Works to improve communication in medicine and health service delivery, and reduce the potentially harmful effects of misleading drug promotion.
Guideline development: NA
Consultancy:
Paid consultant to Baum Hedlund representing Plaintiffs in class action against GlaxoSmithKlin.
Affiliations:
-
Healthy Skepticism
- Flinders University
- University of Adelaide
- The Women's and Children's Hospital, Adelaide
Research Funding: NA
Honoraria: NA
Conference attendance:
Has attended meetings sponsored by pharmaceutical companies.
Other potential COI: NA
Professor Mark Dadds
Professor of Psychology, School of Psychology, University of New South Wales
Principal Research Fellow of NHMRC
Relevant experience
Has developed, directed, and evaluated several family-based intervention programs for children, youth, and their families at risk for mental health problems.
Focuses on non-medication based treatments for families who are experiencing difficulties in the management of children with a range of behavioural and emotional problems.
Guideline development: NA
Consultancy: NA
Affiliations: NA
Research Funding:
-
NHMRC Project Grants in the following areas:
- genetic, biological, and behavioural markers of conduct disorders in children
- screening in Indigenous populations
- identification and treatment of early-onset behaviour disorders in children
- autism spectrum disorders
- Centre for Clinical Research Excellence grant- anxiety and neuroscience
- ARC grant - deficits in childhood onset mental health problems.
Honoraria: NA
Conference attendance:
Invited to present at a conference sponsored by a pharmaceutical company in London in 2007.
Other potential COI:
Published a parenting training manual which is accessible to parents of children with ADHD.
Professor Michael Kohn
Senior Staff Specialist, Department of Adolescent Medicine, Children’s Hospital WestmeadClinical Associate Professor, Faculty of Medicine, Sydney University
Relevant experience
Consulting paediatrician with research interests in neuroscience and ADHD.
Has undertaken a number of projects which investigate the neuropsychological and neurobiological aspects of ADHD and the effects of medications on them.
Uses a holistic approach to treatment.
Consultancy:
- Paid to attend two meetings to advise the Strattera Advisory Board for Elli Lilly on adolescent's adherence to ADHD therapy.
Affiliations:
- Sydney University
- University of NSW
- Sydney Childrens Hospital Network
- Royal Australasian College of Physicians
- Brain Resource Centre - consulting pediatrician
- Brain Dynamics Centre - Head, ADHD research
Research Funding:
- Research funded by NHMRC on anxiety and ADHD
- Prior ARC grant investigating the diagnostic markers for ADHD at diagnosis and following treatment with stimulants
- Co-investigator in a large international study (ISpot A study) on markers for ADHD and response to stimulant medication sponsored by Managed Care
- Minor role in Eli Lilly LYFJ study on Atomoxetine
Honoraria:
Received gifts and honoraria in the sum of less than $500 from non -pharmaceutical companies and institutions for speaking engagements and preparing educational materials.
Conference attendance:
- Has attended and presented at meetings sponsored by Janssen Cilag and Eli Lilly.
- Received financial support from Janssen Cilag to attend a conference in Beijing in 2009 on young people’s mental health at which ADHD was discussed.
Other potential COI:
Has been paid to prepare post graduate teaching and training material by Janssen Cilag and educational materials on ADHD by Zest and Medimart .
Ms Margaret Vikingur
Consumer representative
Relevant experience
Has family members with ADHD.
Teaching background in primary & tertiary institutions with post graduate studies in special education, researching in ADHD.
Works in the community to promote evidence based education about ADHD.
17 years of experience volunteering with support, information and advocacy agencies for people with ADHD and associated conditions.
Guideline development: NA
Consultancy: NA
Affiliations: President of Learning and Attentional Disorders (LADS), WA. LADS has received unrestricted grants from Eli Lilly, Novartis & Janssen Cilag for educational purposes. These grants are acknowledged on LADS website and newsletters.
Research Funding:
NA
Honoraria: NA
Conference attendance:
Attended a dinner meeting sponsored by Janssen.
Other potential COI:
In her capacity as a qualified teacher, delivers educational sessions about ADHD.
Dr John Dowden
Editor-in-Chief of Australian Prescriber, Australia’s national journal of drugs and therapeutics.
Relevant experience
Member of the Editorial Advisory Board of the Australian Medicines Handbook and also a member of the Board of Therapeutic Guidelines, where he has contributed to the development of treatment guidelines in psychiatry, respiratory medicine and general dentistry.
Has worked in hospital medicine and general practice in several countries and has postgraduate qualifications in several medical disciplines including community child health.
Guideline development:
Director of Therapeutic Guidelines Ltd. Chaired the Expert Group that developed the Psychotropic guideline, which includes a segment on ADHD. Therapeutic Guidelines is a not for profit company. Income from sale of the guidelines fund the development of future guidelines. A small percentage of the Therapeutic guidelines are sold to pharmaceutical companies.
Consultancy: NA
Affiliations: NA
Research Funding: NA
Honoraria: NA
Conference attendance: NA
Other potential COI: NA
Associate Professor Nicole Rinehart
Associate Professor and Deputy Director of Clinical Psychology, Monash University, Melbourne
Consulting Clinical Child Psychologist at the Melbourne Children’s Clinic in Camberwell
Relevant experience
Published over fifty journal articles and six book chapters on autism, Asperger’s disorder and ADHD.
Her vision is to bridge the ‘bench to bedside’ gap in autism so that the latest scientific data can be translated to useable information for clinicians, teachers and families.
Has received grants from NHMRC, the Australian Research Council and international funding bodies.
Currently supervises a large group of PhD and Research Fellows in the field.
Guideline development: NA
Consultancy:
No commercial interests but consultancy for Southern Health
Affiliations:
- Melbourne Children’s Clinic
- Autism Victoria
- Neuroscience Victoria
- Neuroscience Australia
- Monash University
Research Funding:
- Several NHMRC grants for research in autism, ADHD and asperger's disorder
- ARC grant : on teaching sign language
- National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression grant recipient
- Rotary
- Cure Autism Now US
- Wellcome Trust
Honoraria:
Honaria funding from Novartis
Conference attendance:
Attendance and presentations at professional meetings/ conferences on autism sponsored by Janssen, Pzier, Nutricia
Other potential COI:
Author of a Developmental Behaviour Checklist. Profits go to Monash University.
Professor Vicki Anderson
Director, Psychology and Deputy Director Integrated Mental Health Program, Royal Children’s HospitalDirector, Critical Care & Neurosciences Research, MCRI Professorial Fellow, University of Melbourne
- Pediatric neuropsychologist with over 20 years’ experience. Her interests are in disorders of childhood that impact on the central nervous system, including both developmental and acquired disorders.
- Primary research focus is understanding the impact of traumatic brain injury for the developing brain, and in identifying ways of preventing and treating the resultant impairments.
- Has published over 100 papers in peer-reviewed journals, as well as two text books and has obtained numerous competitive research grants.
Consultancy: NA
Affiliations:
- Professorial Fellow, University of Melbourne
- Department at Royal Children’s Hospital (Vic)
- Critical Care & Neurosciences, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute
- Australian Centre for Child Neuropsychology Studies
Research Funding:
Funded by Naturel (Norwegian company) for Cancelled clinical trial on effects of Omega-3 on attentional behaviours.
Honoraria: NA
Conference attendance:
On the organising committee of the 'Youth Mental Health' symposium (August 2011), sponsored by Jansen-Cilag, but receives no financial support for this role.
Other potential COI:
Author on an attention test - Test of Everyday Attention for Children (Pearson Publishers), from which she receives royalties.
Professor Kim Cornish
Head, School of Psychology and Psychiatry, Monash University, Melbourne
Director, Developmental Neuroscience and Genetics Disorder Lab, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne
- Has made significant contributions to the field of ‘attention’ research and has published books and journal articles on attention, genes and developmental disorders.
- Adopts an interdisciplinary focus incorporating a range of techniques (psychology, genetics, brain imaging, psychiatry, and neuroscience).
- Aims to maximise the strengths of children so that they can achieve their full potential, whether they function at a normal level or face developmental difficulties.
- Holds special appointments with McGill University in Canada, Zhejiang Normal University in China and the University of Nottingham in the UK.
- Has a number of current research grants with the Australian Research Council, NHMRC, and the Apex Foundation for Research into Intellectual Disability.
Consultancy:
Paid by Novartis as a Research Advisor on Safety Board and efficacy of The AFQ056 Trial in Fragile X Syndrome.
Affiliations:
- Monash University
- McGill University – Canada
- Neuroscience Victoria
- Fragile X Association – Australia
- Nottingham University – UK
- ADHD Genetics Network
- National Fragile X Foundation, USA
Research Funding:
- ARC grant: research into genetics in carriers of Fragile X
- NHMRC grants: research into autism and ADHD
- Apex Foundation for Research into Intellectual Disability: rating scale for children with attention problem with different types of intellectual disabilities
Honoraria: NA
Conference attendance:
Attendance at some professional and research meetings sponsored by:
Pharmaceutical Companies and Education Industries.
Other potential COI: NA
Professor Helen Milroy
Winthrop Professor and Director of the Centre for Aboriginal Medical and Dental Health at the University of Western Australia
Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist with the Specialist Aboriginal Mental Health Service, Department of Health, Graylands Hospital, Perth
- Descendant of the Palyku people of the Pilbara region of Western Australia.
- Studied medicine at the University of WA.
- Worked as a General Practitioner and consultant in childhood sexual abuse at Princess Margaret Hospital for Children.
- Has completed specialist training in child and adolescent psychiatry.
- Current member of the NHMRC Australian Human Ethics Committee, Headspace Board and the NHMRC Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Advisory Committee.
- Conjoint award recipient of the World Council for Psychotherapy’s Sigmund Freud Award 2011 for contributions to the field of psychotherapy.
- Research interests include holistic medicine, child mental health, recovery from trauma and grief, application of Indigenous knowledge, Indigenous health curriculum development, implementation and evaluation, Aboriginal health and mental health, and developing and supporting the Aboriginal medical workforce.
- Past President of the Australian Indigenous Doctors Association (AIDA), and past member of the National Advisory Council on Mental Health and WA Indigenous Implementation Board.
On the Working Party drafting the Western Australian Mental Health Divisions policy document on ADHD, released 2001
Consultancy:
Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, Specialist Aboriginal Mental Health Service, Graylands Hospital, Department of Health, WA
Affiliations:
- Centre for Aboriginal Medical and Dental Health, University of Western Australia
- Fellow, Royal Australian & New Zealand College of Psychiatrists
- Australian College of Health Service Executives
- Child Death Review Advisory Panel, Ombudsman, WA
- GIJA Total Health Project, Telethon Institute for Child Health Research
- National Aboriginal & Islander Child Care
- Aboriginal Expert Panel, Department for Child Protection WA
- International Collaborative for Indigenous Health Research: Educating for Equity
- Australian Centre for Post Traumatic Mental Health Multidisciplinary Panel (ACPMH)
- Member, Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association
Research Funding: NA
Honoraria: NA
Conference attendance: NA
Other potential COI: NA