About us

Our people and structure

How our organisation is structured, and the people behind it.

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Find a researcher, scientist or other staff and students.

Executive Committee

Professor Brendan Crabb AC

Director and Chief Executive Officer

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Professor James Beeson

Deputy Director, Research Strategy

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Professor Heidi Drummer

Scientific Director for Research Translation

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Geoff Drenkhahn

Chief of Funding Growth

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Professor Margaret Hellard AM

Deputy Director, Programs

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Professor Caroline Homer AO

Deputy Director, Gender Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

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Chad Hughes

Deputy Director, International Operations

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Leanne Lawrence

Chief of People, Planning and Governance

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Di Lloyd

Chief of Public Affairs

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Mary-Ann Nicholas

Head, International Program Quality and Effectiveness

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Paul Rathbone

Chief of Staff

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Monica Zhang

Chief Financial Officer (Interim)

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Board of Directors

Mary Padbury

BA, LLB(Hons). Chair since 2019. Director since 2011.

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Robin Bishop

LLB(Hon), BCom, BA. Director 2012-2021, 2022-present.

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Professor Brendan Crabb AC

PhD, BSc. Director and Chief Executive Officer since 2008.

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Robin Davies

BA(Hons). Director since 2023.

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Professor Sandra Eades AO

PhD, FTSE, FASSA, FAHMS. Director since 2020.

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Professor Helen Evans AO

BA, BSocAdmin. Director since 2015.

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James Flintoft

LLB, BSc, MBA. Director since 2023.

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Kate Galvin

LLB, BEcon, GAICD. Director since 2024.

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Dr Andrew Nash

PhD. Director since 2025.

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Dr Serge Scrofani

BSc(Hons), PhD, MBA, MAICD. Director since 2019.

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Michael Ziegelaar

LLB(Hons), BEc, LLM. Director since 2015.

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Independent Scientific Advisory Committee (iSAC)

Professor Alan Cowman AC

Chair

Independent Scientific Advisory Committee

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Professor Brendan Crabb AC

Member

Independent Scientific Advisory Committee

Professor Nancy Baxter

Member

Independent Scientific Advisory Committee

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Professor Sandra Eades AO

Director, Burnet Institute

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Adeeba Binti Kamarulzaman

Member

Independent Scientific Advisory Committee

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Professor John Reeder

Member

Independent Scientific Advisory Committee

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Dr Shivaprasad S Goudar

Member

Independent Scientific Advisory Committee

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Country representatives

Dr Fredrick Charles

Country Director, Papua New Guinea

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Dr Phone Myint Win

Country Representative, Myanmar

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Kali Ameara

Country Representative, Vanuatu; Vanuatu Research Coordinator

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Our core programs

Interdisciplinary health programs are at the heart of our daily decision-making. Our ‘core programs’ are:

Disease Elimination
Health Security and Pandemic Preparedness
Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health.

Program directors and deputies

Dr Elissa Kennedy

Co-Program Director, Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health

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Professor Joshua Vogel

Co-Program Director, Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health

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Dr Lindi Masson

Deputy Director, Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health

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Professor Paul Dietze

Co-Program Director, Disease Elimination

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Associate Professor Anna Hearps

Co-Program Director, Disease Elimination

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Professor Joseph (Joe) Doyle

Deputy Director, Disease Elimination

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Associate Professor Megan SC Lim

Deputy Director, Disease Elimination

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Professor Leanne Robinson

Director, Health Security and Pandemic Preparedness

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Associate Professor Suman Majumdar

Deputy Director, Health Security and Pandemic Preparedness

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Our disciplines

Burnet has technically diverse experts across 3 key disciplines:

Life Sciences
Public Health
International Development.

Some staff and students work directly with communities experiencing or at risk of health challenges. Many of our staff work in our laboratories or office environments in Australia and internationally.

Discipline heads and deputies

Professor Gilda Tachedjian

Head, Life Sciences

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Associate Professor Paul Gilson

Deputy Head, Life Sciences

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Professor Mark A Stoové

Head, Public Health

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Associate Professor Alisa Pedrana

Deputy Head, Public Health

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Chad Hughes

Head, International Development

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Milena Dalton

Deputy Head, International Development

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Our flagship initiatives

Burnet invests in institute-wide initiatives that sit outside of working groups. These include:

Our working groups

Our working groups bring together experts across our programs and disciplines to work on common goals. These goals can range from eliminating hepatitis C to developing next-generation health diagnostics. Our multidisciplinary working groups enable research to turn into real health solutions that work.

Professional services and operations

Our work is supported by professional services staff in areas including partnerships, finance, legal, IT, operations, administration, fundraising, communication, and commercialisation.

Health themes

Projects

Published research

Careers

Study at Burnet

About us

Where we work

Our people and structure

Find a person

Executive Committee

Professor Brendan Crabb AC

Director and Chief Executive Officer

Professor James Beeson

Deputy Director, Research Strategy

Professor Heidi Drummer

Scientific Director for Research Translation

Geoff Drenkhahn

Chief of Funding Growth

Professor Margaret Hellard AM

Deputy Director, Programs

Professor Caroline Homer AO

Deputy Director, Gender Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Chad Hughes

Deputy Director, International Operations

Leanne Lawrence

Chief of People, Planning and Governance

Di Lloyd

Chief of Public Affairs

Mary-Ann Nicholas

Head, International Program Quality and Effectiveness

Paul Rathbone

Chief of Staff

Monica Zhang

Chief Financial Officer (Interim)

Board of Directors

Mary Padbury

BA, LLB(Hons). Chair since 2019. Director since 2011.

Robin Bishop

LLB(Hon), BCom, BA. Director 2012-2021, 2022-present.

Professor Brendan Crabb AC

PhD, BSc. Director and Chief Executive Officer since 2008.

Robin Davies

BA(Hons). Director since 2023.

Professor Sandra Eades AO

PhD, FTSE, FASSA, FAHMS. Director since 2020.

Professor Helen Evans AO

BA, BSocAdmin. Director since 2015.

James Flintoft

LLB, BSc, MBA. Director since 2023.

Kate Galvin

LLB, BEcon, GAICD. Director since 2024.

Dr Andrew Nash

PhD. Director since 2025.

Dr Serge Scrofani

BSc(Hons), PhD, MBA, MAICD. Director since 2019.

Michael Ziegelaar

LLB(Hons), BEc, LLM. Director since 2015.

Independent Scientific Advisory Committee (iSAC)

Professor Alan Cowman AC

Chair

Independent Scientific Advisory Committee

Professor Brendan Crabb AC

Member

Independent Scientific Advisory Committee

Professor Nancy Baxter

Member

Independent Scientific Advisory Committee

Professor Sandra Eades AO

Director, Burnet Institute

Adeeba Binti Kamarulzaman

Member

Independent Scientific Advisory Committee

Professor John Reeder

Member

Independent Scientific Advisory Committee

Dr Shivaprasad S Goudar

Member

Independent Scientific Advisory Committee

Country representatives

Dr Fredrick Charles