About Cabrini Research

Professor Terry O’Brien

Chair, Cabrini Research Committee | Cabrini Board 

Terry is a renowned neurological clinician-scientist, translational researcher and University/Health Service leader. He is Chair of Medicine (Neurology) and Head, The Central Clinical School, Monash University and The Program Director, Alfred Brain, and Deputy Director of Research, Alfred Health.

He is a specialist in neurology and clinical pharmacology, with particular expertise in epilepsy, traumatic brain injury and neurodegenerative diseases, and pre-clinical and clinical trials and imaging/biomarkers. Among other things, he leads a translational research team with the goal of developing improved treatments for people with epilepsy and related brain diseases.

Jason Aquilina

Cabrini Chief Financial Officer

Jason joined Cabrini in 2011 as Director of Finance and was appointed Chief Financial Officer in August 2017. In this role, he has executive responsibility for Cabrini’s patient accounts, payroll, accounts payable, management accounting, procurement, enterprise risk management, finance and treasury functions. Before Cabrini, Jason worked in transport and logistics, where he held multiple finance roles including leading the accounting teams for various large infrastructure and information technology projects. Jason is a certified practising accountant and holds a Bachelor of Business degree majoring in accounting and economics.

Associate Professor Caroline Brand

Cabrini Board

Caroline brings to the Cabrini Research Committee her experience as a medical specialist and health services researcher. Caroline is a consultant rheumatologist with inpatient and outpatient experience in public and private healthcare sectors. She has degrees in Medicine (Monash University) and Arts (University of Melbourne) and a Master of Public Health degree (Monash University).

She is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Caroline has a particular interest in designing, implementing and evaluating new models of care for people with chronic conditions and improving the quality and safety of healthcare. Caroline was Director of the Clinical Epidemiology and Health Services Evaluation Unit (later known as Melbourne EpiCentre) between 2004 and 2010. She has been a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians since 1984 and is a member of the Australian Rheumatology Association.

Caroline has contributed to a number of committees for both professional organisations as well as State and National health governance bodies. She was president of the Victorian Branch of the ARA between 2006-2007. Caroline is a member of the Cabrini Patient Experience and Clinical Governance Committee.

Professor Sally Green

Sally is Co-Director of Cochrane Australia and Deputy Head (Research) of the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine at Monash University. She holds a PhD in Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine from Monash and has several competitively funded research projects which aim to improve health outcomes by investigating the most effective and efficient pathway of knowledge from research result to sustained change in clinical practice and policy. Professor Green is also a member of Australia’s National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Synthesis and Translation of Research Evidence (SToRE) Advisory Group and is a member of Cochrane’s International Governing Board.

Professor Matt Sabin

Group Director, Medical Services and Clinical Governance

Matt joined Cabrini in December 2022. Prior to this, he held the position of Chief Medical Officer and Executive Director of Medical Services & Clinical Governance at The Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne. He has a background in Paediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes, is a Member of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health in the UK, a Fellow (and previous examiner) of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, and an Associate Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators. He has a strong background in health service leadership, as well as clinical research. His PhD was in the area of Childhood Obesity and Diabetes, and he has published more than 100 original research papers and held significant research grants. He has also completed a Senior Executive MBA at Melbourne Business School.

Associate Professor James Lee

James is an academic endocrine surgeon at The Alfred, Monash Health and Epworth HealthCare in Melbourne. His research focuses on the development of precision medicine in thyroid cancer care, with a current research project on developing molecular biomarkers to improve the diagnosis of thyroid cancer on cytology. James received the Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Sydney for his thesis on the miRNA biomarkers of papillary thyroid cancer. James recently held the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) Foundation for Surgery Senior Lecturer Fellowship.

His current research is funded by The Aftershock, IMPACT Philanthropy and Epworth Research Institute Development Grant. Other areas of research include patient reported outcomes in collaboration with ANZ Thyroid Cancer Registry and application of artificial intelligence in endocrine surgery. James is on the RACS Court of Examiners, an executive committee member of the ANZ Endocrine Surgeons and on the steering committee of the ANZ Thyroid Cancer Registry.

Professor Stephen Nicholls

Steve is the Director of MonashHeart, Director of Victorian Heart Institute and Professor of Cardiology at Monash University. He will be the Director of the Victorian Heart Hospital. He completed his cardiology training at John Hunter Hospital and his PhD at the University of Adelaide, prior to holding a postdoctoral fellowship and faculty appointment at the Cleveland Clinic and the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute.

His research interests focus on the role of metabolic risk factors and imaging in atherosclerosis, with work spanning from early discovery to leadership of large clinical trials. He is Chair of the Australian Atherosclerosis Society Clinical Council, Australia and New Zealand Alliance for Cardiovascular Trials, Asia Pacific Cardiometabolic Consortium, Secretary of the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences.

Professor Gary Richardson OAM

Group Director, Cabrini Research

Gary joined Cabrini in 2001 in the role of Director of the Szalmuk Family Department of Medical Oncology. He took over the role of Group Director of Cabrini Research in November 2019. Gary is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians and trained at St Vincent’s Hospital, the Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute and the National Cancer Institute in the United States. He is a Professor of Medicine at Monash University. Gary initiated and developed clinical research in haematology and oncology at Cabrini and is involved in the design, development and conduct of clinical trials.

Gary is past Chairman of Foundation 49, a men’s health organisation, and is part of the Federal Government’s advisory board that developed the National Male Health Policy and the Victorian Men’s Health and Wellbeing Strategy. He was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia in 2017 for services to medical oncology.

Bob Santamaria

Cabrini Board

Bob joined the newly constituted Cabrini Research Committee upon its formation, having joined the Board of Cabrini Health in October 2020. Bob retired as ANZ Group General Counsel in September 2019, after 12 years in that role. Prior to ANZ, Bob was a partner for 20 years at the law firm, Allens. In addition to his Cabrini roles, Bob is on the Boards of Villa Maria Catholic Homes Limited (involved in aged care, disability support and homes for the homeless) and Orygen Foundation Limited (involved in youth mental health).

Sue Williams

Cabrini Health Chief Executive 

Sue has more than 25 years’ experience in the healthcare industry at senior management level in both the public and private sectors. She has held various roles including the Director of Nursing at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, Chief Operating Officer of 44 hospitals at Healthscope and Chief Executive Officer at Peninsula Health. Sue originally trained as a nurse, has postgraduate qualifications in business management, a Master of Business Administration from Monash University and has completed an Advanced Management Program at Harvard University and the Australian Institute of Company Directors course. She joined Cabrini in the new role of Chief of Health Operations in October 2017 and accepted the role of Chief Executive at Cabrini in December 2019.

Kee Wong

Kee Wong is the founder of e-Centric Innovations – a technology consulting firm that operates in Australia, Malaysia and Singapore, serving large multinational enterprises and governments. Kee actively invests in startups and established businesses across the technology, retail, property, services and food & beverage industries in Australia and overseas. Kee is a current Board member of Carsales.com, an ASX100 listed company. Kee is also a Board member for the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO), the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD), the Committee for Melbourne and the Board of Managers of Eloque LLC (a global joint venture company between Xerox and Victorian Government).

Professor Sophia Zoungas

Sophia is an endocrinologist and a leading clinician scientist and trialist. She is Head, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University and Professor of Diabetes, Vascular Health and Ageing. Her research focus is on the generation and implementation of evidence for the prevention, screening and management of chronic conditions such as diabetes and its complications of kidney and cardiovascular disease. Professor Zoungas directs and supports projects and teaching on healthcare delivery, as well as advises on clinical epidemiological methods and trial design/conduct/reporting. She is a senior staff specialist in Endocrinology and Diabetes at Alfred Health and Monash Health, Victoria where she provides inpatient and outpatient services.

Professor Stephen M. Jane

Chair, Scientific Advisory Committee

MBBS, PhD, FRACP, FRCPA, FAHMS
Dean, Sub-Faculty of Translational Medicine and Public Health, Monash University; Director of Research, The Alfred; Honorary Professor, Xi’an Jiaotong University

Professor Stephen Jane completed his medical degree at Monash University. He entered the physician training program at the Alfred, completing clinical/laboratory haematology and a PhD under Professor Hatem Salem, Director of the Australian Centre for Blood Diseases. He then spent five years in the United States of America, the first three as a postdoctoral fellow at the National Institute of Health in Bethesda, and the remainder on the faculty at St Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.

He returned to Australia in 1995 as a Wellcome Senior Research Fellow to the University of Melbourne at the Bone Marrow Research Laboratories in the Royal Melbourne Hospital. He became
Director of the laboratories in 2000, a Principal Research Fellow of the NHMRC in 2005 and a Professor of Medicine at University of Melbourne in 2006.

Professor Jane was appointed as the Head of Central Clinical School, Professor of Medicine, Monash University and Director of Research for Alfred Hospital in 2011. He is also a member of the Clinical Haematology Service. In the six years since his appointment the School has increased its competitive grant funding four-fold, and has recruited over 400 new researchers and 30 laboratory heads, including major groups in Neuroscience, Diabetes, Sexual Health, Psychiatry and Gastroenterology.

Professor Jane has a range of research interests investigating both developmental and acquired disorders of the blood and skin in mouse models. At a basic level, this involves the study of gene transcription. He has attracted over $20 million in competitive research funding and has published over 120 papers including articles in the premier journals Science, Nature Medicine and Developmental Cell. He has commercialised his research, with a drug developed out of his laboratory being sold to the pharmaceutic company Merck in 2016 for USD$500 Million in milestone based payments.

Professor Chris Bain

Professor Chris Bain is an experienced clinician (former) and health information management and technology (IMT) practitioner with a unique set of qualifications, and a unique exposure to broad aspects of the healthcare system in Australia. He has extensive experience in designing, leading and running operational IMT functions in healthcare organizations. His chief interests are in the areas of digital health, the usability of technology in healthcare, data and analytics, software and system evaluation, technology ecosystems and the governance of IT and data.

Chris is one of the very few doubly qualified (in medicine and IT) health informaticians in the country and spent the first 27 years of his career in the operational side of the health industry – the vast majority of that time working in what he likes to call “touching distance of patients”. For the first 12 years of this period he worked as a medical practitioner, then the last 15 years in health IMT. He has held leadership positions in Australasian Institute of Digital Health and is often called upon to participate in jurisdictional committees on topics around Digital Health.

In November 2017 Chris commenced at Monash University as the inaugural Professor of Practice in Digital Health. He is based in the Faculty of IT and also has adjunct appointments with the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences; but he works with many stakeholders right across the diverse range of Faculties and Institutes at Monash, and with its health system partners.

Professor Wendy Brown

Professor Wendy Brown is an Upper GI and Bariatric Surgeon. She is the Programme Director for Surgical Services and Chair of the Monash University Department of Surgery at Alfred Health, the Director of the Oesophago-Gastric and Bariatric Unit Alfred Hospital as well as Clinical Director of the ANZ Bariatric Surgery Registry and Clinical Lead of the Victorian State Upper GI Cancer Registry.

Her sub-specialist interests are oesophago-gastric cancer, gastrooesophageal reflux disease and bariatric surgery. Her research interests focus on the health benefits from weight loss, physiology of upper GI procedures, optimal service delivery models for bariatric surgery and registry science. She collaborates with basic researchers exploring mechanisms of satiety, NASH and oesophageal cancer.

She is Chair of the International Federation for Surgery for Obesity and Metabolic Disorders (IFSO) Global Registry, Chair of the Victorian Perioperative Consultative Council Surgical Sub-Committee, Past President of OSSANZ and ANZGOSA, Past Senior Examiner in General Surgery for the RACS, Past- Chair of the Scientific Committee of IFSO.

Professor Andrew Forbes

Andrew Forbes received his PhD in Statistics from Cornell University, USA in 1990, with his thesis involving methodological issues in matched case- control studies. Following this, he worked at Ciba-Geigy Pharmaceuticals, USA until January December 1991 as a postdoctoral fellow, gaining experience in methodology, design and analyses of clinical trials, and consultation with clinicians. He joined Monash University in January 1992, and heads the Biostatistics Unit, which consists of 10 staff. He has research interests in development of analytical methods for interrupted time series designs, the application of causal modelling principles to practical problems, and latent variable methods. He has active roles in biostatistics coursework development and teaching for postgraduate students in biostatistics, in health / clinical research, and undergraduate students in medicine and biomedical science. He is a chief investigator on numerous research projects in the Department and with external investigators, and is active in statistical consulting within the Faculty of Medicine, its affiliated institutes, and for external bodies.

Associate Professor Caroline Gurvich

Associate Professor Caroline Gurvich is a Clinical Neuropsychologist at Cabrini’s new Women’s Mental Health Centre and the Deputy Director of the Monash Alfred Psychiatry research centre. She leads the Hormones and Cognition research group where her research focuses on hormonal influences on cognition and their interactions with psychological and lifestyle factors, such as stress and early life trauma. She has over 100 publications which have ultimately contributed to a better understanding of neuropsychology in women’s mental health. She is the recipient of several awards, prizes and competitive grant funding, including NHMRC project grants, an NHMRC early career fellowship, Rebecca Cooper Foundation project grant as well as institutional and philanthropic funding.

Professor Stephen Hall

Professor Hall is a rheumatologist with a position as Adjunct Professor of Medicine at Monash University based at Cabrini Hospital. Stephen has published widely on all aspects of rheumatic disease and maintains a strong interest in general Medicine. He has led some 250 clinical trials and is fascinated by new advances in medicine and what they may offer those who suffer with various medical conditions. Patient care and safety remains his prime focus.

Professor Anne Holland

Professor Anne Holland is Professor of Physiotherapy and Head of Respiratory Research at Monash University and Alfred Health in Melbourne. She is a National Health and Medical Research Council Leadership Fellow. Anne leads a research program that aims to improve the lives of people with chronic lung disease using novel non-drug treatments. Her recent clinical trials have tested novel models of rehabilitation to increase access and uptake, including low cost home-based models and telerehabilitation. Anne’s publications underpin recommendations in national and international clinical guidelines for management of chronic lung diseases, delivery of oxygen therapy, and pulmonary rehabilitation.

Professor David Kaye

Professor David Kaye is Director of the Department of Cardiology at the Alfred Hospital and a senior member the Advanced Heart Failure Service. He co-leads the Hypertension and Heart Disease Program at the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute and is the recipient of an NHMRC Level 3 Research Investigator Grant. David’s research work has been directed towards better understanding the causes of heart failure and in developing new treatments. Several of his discoveries have been clinically translated, with the establishment of 3 clinically active early to mid-stage companies supported by 13 granted US patents. Professor Kaye holds numerous competitive national grants in support of his research. Prof Kaye has published more than 420 manuscripts. He has mentored numerous FRACP cardiology trainees and has supervised 13 PhD candidates to completion. Prof Kaye serves on several advisory boards for several national and international pharmaceutical and medical devices companies.

Associate Professor Julia Morphet

Associate Professor Morphet is an experienced emergency nurse, with more than 15 years of clinical practice, including seven years as an educator in a busy metropolitan emergency department. She transitioned to academia in 2010 to deliver the postgraduate emergency nursing program, completed her PhD part-time in 2015, and a Graduate Diploma in Health Economics in 2018.

She has held several senior nursing leadership roles, including five years as Director of Education for Monash University Nursing and Midwifery, and is currently the Deputy Head of School. Her leadership in emergency nursing over the last two decades culminated in her appointment as the National President of the College of Emergency Nursing Australasia (CENA) in 2017. In this position, she works with other emergency leaders guiding policy and strategic direction for emergency nursing and care in Australia. She works closely with industry, both at health service and government levels, promoting safe quality care for patients and staff.

She is a member of several Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care working groups, the National COVID-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce Steering Committee, and the Emergency Care Clinical Network, under the auspices of Safer Care Victoria, influencing policy direction for emergency care in Victoria. She has been a member of the Monash Health Low Risk Ethics Committee since 2015.
Associate Professor Morphet’s research is informed by her leadership in emergency care and education. She has led an extensive program of research examining nursing and health workforce, workforce preparation, and the effect on patient outcomes.

Her recent work has focused on preparation of undergraduate nursing students and clinical placement experience, including the introduction of novel models of student supervision. She has over 80 peer-reviewed publications, and been awarded more than $5 million in research income over her career.

Recently, she has held key roles in the development and delivery of an infection control and personal protective equipment (PPE) training program for residential aged care workers, which was delivered in 2020 to over 3500 participants from more than 240 aged care facilities, and development and delivery of a vaccination skills training program to upskill a new vaccination workforce.

Professor Terry O’Brien

Professor Terence J. O’Brien, MB, BS, MD, FRACP, FRCPE, FAHMS, FAES, is Chair of Medicine (Neurology) and Head, Central Clinical School, Monash University and Program Director, Alfred Brain and Deputy Director of Research, Alfred Health. He is a specialist in neurology and clinical pharmacology, with particular expertise in epilepsy and neurodegenerative diseases, pre-clinical and clinical trials, and in-vivo imaging in animal models and humans. He leads a large translational research team undertaking both basic studies and clinical studies focused on developing improved treatments for people with epilepsy and related brain diseases, including traumatic brain injury, dementias and brain tumours. He has been involved as a Principle Investigator in over 100 commercially sponsored and investigator initiated clinical trials of new treatments for epilepsy, dementias, headache, movement disorders, and new PET radiotracers. He has published more than 600 peer-reviewed original papers in leading scientific and medical journals which have been cited over 25,000 times (H-Index 82). He has held many major leadership roles in the Australian and International Epilepsy and Neurology professional societies, including Chair of the Australian Epilepsy Clinical Trials Network (AECTN), VIC/TAS State Branch Chair 2019, Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences, and Chair of the Translational Research Committee, American Epilepsy Society. He is currently the President of the Epilepsy Society of Australia (since 2018).

Professor Mark Shackelton

Professor Mark Shackleton is the Director of Oncology at Alfred Health, a Professor of Oncology at Monash University, a Victorian Cancer Agency Clinical Research Fellow and Chair of Melanoma and Skin Cancer Trials Ltd. After training in medical oncology and at the Ludwig Institute in Melbourne, he undertook PhD studies at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research and post-doctoral work at the University of Michigan, USA. He has received several major prizes for his research including the 2006 Victorian Premier’s Award for Medical Research, a 2010 NHMRC Achievement Award, a 2011 Pfizer Australia Fellowship, and a 2016 Victorian Cancer Agency Clinical Research Fellowship. In 2012, he was awarded the Australian Science Minister’s Prize for Life Scientist of the Year.

Professor Karen Walker-Bone

Professor Karen Walker-Bone was recently appointed Head of the Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health at Monash University in Melbourne. She is a clinically-qualified Professor of Occupational Rheumatology who has emigrated from the UK where she directed a National Centre for Musculoskeletal Health and Work. She is an MRC Investigator, holds grants from a range of funders and has published more than 220 outputs including 140 peer-reviewed journal articles, reviews, edited one book, 18 book chapters and 40 government reports. The focus of her research is to maintain health in the workplace and promote good work for people with long-term health conditions.