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The Animal Welfare Committee advises us about the care and use of animals for scientific purposes, in particular, for biomedical research.
Terms of reference
The Animal Welfare Committee will advise the National Health and Medical Research Council Chief Executive Officer, through NHMRC's Research Committee, on:
- Issues pertaining to the care and use of animals for scientific purposes, in particular, for health and medical research, and the ethics of such use.
- The regular review and, if necessary, revision of the Australian code for the care and use of animals for scientific purposes and on the development and revision of other NHMRC documents related to using animals in health and medical research.
Committee operation
The Animal Welfare Committee is a working committee established under Section 39 of the National Health and Medical Research Council Act 1992. It is not an animal ethics committee (AEC) and does not perform the functions of an AEC as outlined in the Australian code for the care and use of animals for scientific purposes.
Enquiries
For further information about the Animal Welfare Committee, please contact ethics@nhmrc.gov.au
Committee members
Chair,
Professor
Edna
Hardeman
Person with expertise in the use of animals for health and medical research
Declaration
- Chief Investigator on NHMRC Project Grants
- Past, current and future applications to NHMRC for research and people support
- Member of NHMRC Assigners Academy and Grant Review Panels
- Science Assessor and Commercial Assessor for NHMRC Development Grants
- Employed by an institution that administers NHMRC grant monies, uses animals in research, and contributes to the discussion on the use of animals for biomedical research
- Member of NHMRC committees that advised on the development of several NHMRC guidelines for the care and use of animals for scientific purposes
- Holds 2 patents for drugs being developed for the treatment of cancer.
Professor
Thomas
Burne
Person with expertise in the use of animals for health and medical research
Declaration
- Employed by an institution that uses animals in research
- Member of NHMRC Grant Review Panels
- NHMRC grant recipient
- Member of NHMRC committee that advised on the development of NHMRC Guidelines for the care and use of animals for scientific purposes
- Received payment as a PhD examiner (2019-2022).
Dr
Malcolm
France
Person with expertise in veterinary science and the care and use of animals for scientific purposes
Declaration
- Independent consultant in the care and management of laboratory animals; work includes independent external reviews under the ‘Australian code for the care and use of animals for scientific purposes’
- Ad hoc consultant, AAALAC International (Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International)
- Employed (casual) by the Australian and New Zealand Council for the Care of Animals in Research and Teaching (ANZCCART) to lead projects and provide ongoing management of the ‘Openness Agreement on Animal Research and Teaching in Australia’
- Chair, Animal Ethics Committee, University of Wollongong
- Category A member, Animal Ethics Committee for CSIRO Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness
- Honorary reviewer for the international journal ‘Laboratory Animals’
- Registered expert, Australian Science Media Centre
- Board member, Australian and New Zealand Council for the Care of Animals in Research and Teaching (ANZCCART) (2019-2023)
- Director of Animal Services, University of New South Wales (2019-2022)
- Member, Equine Welfare Advisory Council, Racing Victoria (2020)
- Secretary, Medicine and Management of Laboratory Animals Chapter, Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists (2018-2020)
- Public officer, Australian and New Zealand Laboratory Animal Association (2008-2020)
Dr
Suzanne
Fowler
Person with experience in furthering the welfare of animals used for scientific purposes
Declaration
- Chief Science Officer, RSPCA Australia; involved in development of RSPCA policy and position papers and submissions related to the role
- Member, Australian Veterinary Association
- Member, Animal Welfare Chapter of the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists (ANZCVS)
- General Member of the Executive of the Australian and New Zealand Laboratory Animal Association (ANZLAA) and convenor of the Veterinary Special Interest Group (VetSIG)
- Employed most recently as Senior Veterinarian, Australian National University (ANU), including Category A member, ANU Animal Ethics Committee
- Co-author, 'Superior hemostatic and wound-healing properties of gel and sponge forms of non-oxidized cellulose nanofibers: in vitro and in vivo studies'; 1st author Elmira Mohamed
- Assisted in writing the submission and presenting to the NSW Inquiry into the 'Use of primates and other animals for medical research in NSW', in June 2022, in role as Chief Science Officer for RSPCA Australia.
Ms
Anna
Hall
Person with experience in furthering the welfare of animals
Declaration
- Volunteer and casual paid contractor for the World League for Protection of Animals
- Manager, Volunteer for the World League for Protection of Animals
- President, Animal Liberation NSW
- Volunteer with a number of animal rights charities
- Rehabilitate, foster and rehome sick or young animals
- Previously employed by NSW Ministry of Health as Project Manager; specialised in mental health projects.
Ms
Robin
Matthews
Person with an understanding of community attitudes to the care and use of animals for scientific purposes
Declaration
- Category D member, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences Animal Ethics Committee, University of Melbourne
- Category D member, Scientific Procedures Licence and Specified Animal Breeding Licence Audit Advisory Panel, Victorian Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources
- Consultant, Independent External Review panel member, Ethiqualia
- Consultant panel member, independent external reviews under the ‘Australian code for the care and use of animals for scientific purposes’ of institutions that may be in receipt of NHMRC funds/grants.
Ms
Carlee
Mottley
Person with experience in the routine care of animals used for scientific purposes within an institution
Declaration
- Employed by an institution where animals are used for scientific purposes
- Executive Committee Member, Australian and New Zealand Laboratory Animal Association (ANZLAA)
- Senior Animal Facility Technical Officer, University of Wollongong (2014-2023)
- Third Party Assessor for audit under the ‘Australian code for the care and use of animals for scientific purposes’, Western Sydney University (2023)
- Animal Technician Advisor, University of Newcastle (Nov 2019-Oct 2020)
- Animal Welfare and Science Research Scholarship 2019 recipient, funded by Tecniplast Australia.
Associate Professor
Alexandra
Whittaker
Person with expertise in veterinary science and the care and use of animals for scientific purposes
Declaration
- Employed by an institution where animals are used for scientific purposes; actively involved in using animals in research and teaching as an academic staff member; member of the institution’s Animal Ethics Committee
- Teaches on animal welfare, law and ethics, and laboratory animal science to undergraduate students and presents and publishes on these topics
- Member, Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists (ANZCVS) Medicine and Management of Laboratory Animals Chapter
- Member, ANZCVS Animal Welfare Chapter
- Consultant, independent external reviews of institutions under the ‘Australian code for the care and use of animals for scientific purposes’
- Director, Veterinary Surgeons Board of South Australia
- Previous NHMRC Fellowship recipient
- Invited submission to the NSW Inquiry into the ‘Use of primates and other animals in medical research in NSW’ about smoke inhalation procedures, at the request of the NSW Animal Research Review Panel
- Consultant, Stewart Investigators. Investigation of companies’ attention to replacement of animal use and efforts to do this when using animals for drug discovery or product development
- Received funding from the Australian and New Zealand Council for the Care of Animals in Research and Teaching (ANZCCART) to examine public perceptions on animal research in Australia.