About Us

The Digital Health Cooperative Research Centre (DHCRC) is advancing digital health innovation by linking academia, industry and government to accelerate research implementation, enable effective use of data, connect care, empower the health workforce and support consumers to confidently be in control of their health and wellbeing.

We are funded through the Commonwealth Department of Industry, Science and Resources’ Cooperative Research Centres Program, and are supported by our 60+ participant organisations across the university, healthcare and technology industries.

Together, we invest in research and development to support the growth of a strong digital health industry, improve patient outcomes and experience and deliver sustainable digital health solutions.

Our Focus

Research & Development

Virtual care, Including telehealth, hospital-in-the-home, remote monitoring and new models of care.

Effective use of data including clinical decision analytics, data standards, interoperability and data linkage.

Advancing a sustainable and connected health and [aged] care system including regional and remote care.

Education & Capacity Building

Supporting the next generation of digital health leaders and upskilling the current workforce.

The DHCRC has a highly successful education and training program that is delivering new and innovative learning opportunities.

Translation & Commercialisation

Developing the evidence base for digital technology to support the creation of new products and services, and drive innovation.

Growing Australia’s digital health technology sector, positioning Australia as a global leader in digital health innovation.

Our Impact

We’re interested in projects that lead to sustainable impacts on health outcomes, increased efficiencies and contribution to the digital economy. We measure impact by:

Our People

  • Team
  • Board
  • Academic Leaders
  • Annette Schmiede, DHCRC CEO

    Annette Schmiede

    CEO
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    Annette was appointed CEO of the Digital Health CRC in March 2022, having been a Senior Adviser to the DHCRC since its establishment in 2018.

    She is a well-respected leader within Australia’s health and aged care sector, having held leadership and governance roles that include public and private healthcare, industry, universities and research entities.

    She has recently retired from her role as Executive Leader of the Bupa Health Foundation and completed her term as Deputy Chair of the Northern Sydney Local Health District after 10 years.

    She recently stepped down as Chair of Research Australia (December 2023), however, remains on the Research Australia Board as a Board Member. Annette is also a Senate member of the Australian Catholic University. Her research interests include aged care, mental health and health system reform. Annette is an economics graduate and Adjunct Associate Professor in the Faculty of Medicine and Health University of Sydney.

  • Dr Clare Morgan, Research Director

    Dr Clare Morgan

    Deputy CEO, Director of Research, Translation and Commercialisation
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    Clare is a PhD-qualified research scientist with extensive experience in project and stakeholder management and the commercialisation of academic research.

    Most recently a senior business development manager at the Walter & Eliza Hall Institute (WEHI), Clare has direct experience in the commercialisation of personalised medicine, bioinformatics and computational biology research projects.

    Previously, Clare led an extensive collaborative alliance between WEHI and a commercial partner, overseeing large-scale research projects encompassing up to 30 scientist and three organisations (both academic and industry).

    Clare has a Bachelor of Science (Hons – First Class) and PhD from the University of Western Australia and a Master of Entrepreneurship (Dean’s Honours List) from the University of Melbourne. She is also a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

    Based in our Melbourne office, Clare works collaboratively with the Chief Innovation Officer and DHCRC project management team on the ideation, planning and execution of DHCRC research projects.

    Outside of work, Clare likes weekend walks with her partner and young daughter and bike packing along gravel roads in regional Victoria.

  • Alessandro Luongo, Program Director

    Alessandro Luongo

    Director of Operations, Program Director & Company Secretary
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    Alessandro (Alex) Luongo is a healthcare professional with extensive experience working in private and public settings projects across digital health, quality improvement, and chronic disease management.

    Alex is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and holds a masters in Public Health, a masters in Health Management, Bachelors in Science (Nutrition) (first class honours), and Bachelor in Applied Science (Sport & Exercise). Alex has led and consulted on a wide variety of digital health initiatives with the Australian Digital Health Agency, Primary Health Networks, State departments Local Health districts, and more including the Department of Health PIP QI Incentive program, NSW Ministry of Health’s Lumos project, and upscaling an Australian-first real-time interoperability solution, iRAD.

    Based in our Sydney office, Alex oversees the operations of Digital Health CRC, the delivery of projects across our R&D pipeline, and company secretary duties.
    With a love for all things sport, Alex enjoys basketball with mates, catching a few Sydney Swans games, and spending quality time with his family.

  • Isobel Frean

    Dr Isobel Frean

    Digital Health Integration Director
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    Isobel is a strategic advisor in digital health, data, and information governance. She trained as a head and spinal injury clinical nurse specialist at the University of Edinburgh and Pennsylvania and went on to work in acute and rehabilitation settings in the UK, USA, and Australia in the early part of her career.

    An interest in health prevention and health policy led to a career in the Australian public sector, which provided the opportunity to be part of the shaping of national reforms in health prevention and disability services.  These experiences opened doors that over the past few decades have included leadership roles in private and public health and aged care sectors in the UK and Australia.

    Isobel received an ARC Industry Grant to undertake a PhD in health informatics at the University of Wollongong, focusing on HL7 interoperability standards.  For over twenty years, she has been a volunteer with the standards development organisation, HL7, where she is currently a Director of HL7 Australia and a member of the HL7 International Policy Advisory Committee.

    The exposure to data standards and the fickle world of standards use, uptake, and promulgation has provided her with a unique skills base combining healthcare governance, policy and advocacy, and the application of information communications and technologies to health and social care markets. Isobel has worked with the DHCRC as a consultant since 2019. In December 2023 she was employed as Director of Digital Health Integration.

  • Dr Melanie Haines, Education Manager

    Dr Melanie Haines

    Education and Workforce Director
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    Dr Melanie Haines is an education specialist and researcher.

    At the DHCRC, she co-creates educational opportunities in digital healthcare to develop digital literacy, support digital transformation and build digital leadership capacity and capability.

    Melanie has been based in Canberra for the past 15 years working in roles for the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator, Therapeutic Goods Administration, the Australian National University, Science and Technology Australia and the University of Canberra.

    Melanie holds a PhD in Entomology from Lincoln University in New Zealand. In 2018, she was inducted as a Fellow of the UC Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching Scholarship, and in 2017, was recognised by UC with a Teaching Excellence Award for her contributions to postgraduate research education.

    Melanie is also kept busy running @WriteThatPhD via social media and has over 300,000 followers.

  • Hui Mathews

    Commercialisation Manager
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    Hui Mathews is our Commercialisation Manager, leading the translation of our research program into practice. Hui was previously at Deloitte Digital as a Senior Manager in Digital Health. In this role, she collaborated with prominent healthcare organisations and agencies across Australia to develop human-centric business models, innovative digital experiences, and cutting-edge technology to drive digital transformation initiatives.

    Prior to her tenure at Deloitte Digital, Hui served as the Digital Product and Service Design Lead at NSW Health, where she played a pivotal role in developing digital solutions such as the digital front door and COVID-19 vaccination solutions for the Sydney Local Health District.

    Outside of work Hui enjoys exploring trails and national parks across Sydney, sometimes with her two primary-aged children in tow.

  • Judith Ngai

    Research Translation Manager
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    Judith has over 15 years’ experience in consumer-driven healthcare, health promotion, and healthcare design.

    Judith is an experienced community pharmacist and also previously worked at a large, national health insurer in a clinical team leveraging health insights to design and create person-centred, evidence-based solutions connecting the right people to the right information at the right time.

    Her passion is to see health knowledge effectively used in digital tools to support better health and care outcomes, which has led her to join the Digital Health CRC as the Research Translation Manager.

    Judith has a Bachelor of Pharmacy from the University of Sydney and additional qualifications in Media and Cultural studies from Macquarie University.

  • Meagan Snewin, Program Manager

    Meagan Snewin

    Program Manager
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    Meagan has over 20 years’ experience in IT industry and in program and project management. Working at IBM for 14 years, she headed up two business units within cloud and cognitive software, using operational intelligence to drive business change.

    Meagan spent much of her time at IBM on international assignment in places such as Brazil and Singapore working on large scale transformation programs spanning health and human services, finance and government industries.

    With extensive experience delivery in agile and SCRUM methodology and a business analyst by trade, Meagan has a track record of successfully defined programs of work, and successfully delivered projects.

    Meagan is a team builder and brings a diverse set of business and technology skills coupled with the ability to and bring the best out of people and leverage networks.

    When she gets the chance, Meagan will attest to being a foodie and has a dream of one day owning a vineyard or working in the wine industry.

  • Dr Joycelyn Ling

    Dr Joycelyn Ling

    Program Manager
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    Joycelyn comes from a clinical, research, service development, and project management background. Joycelyn is an AHPRA registered clinical psychologist, having gained her Clinical Doctorate and Research Masters degrees from the University of Sydney, and PhD from UNE. Joycelyn has worked in public and private health services in a wide range of settings, gaining a depth of knowledge and experience across various health fields. Joycelyn is a strong advocate for the development and adoption of digital health solutions to improve health outcomes, healthcare delivery, and consumer experiences.

    Prior to joining Digital Health CRC, Joycelyn was involved in developing and evaluating digital health tools and programs, project managing the implementation of telehealth and online mental health services, and collaborating on therapeutic services digitalisation projects. In her spare time, Joycelyn enjoys exploring artisan and farmers markets, and trying to cobble together Book Week and school concert costumes the night before.

  • Win Yee Tan, Program Manager

    Win Yee Tan

    Program Manager
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    Win Yee is a project manager with experience in delivering health initiatives at a regional, state-wide, and national level.

    She specialises in the implementation and coordination of complex projects with multiple stakeholders. Win Yee comes from a diverse public health background and has worked in community settings, primary health, and federal agencies.

    With an honours degree in Medical Anthropology and a Master’s degree in Health Communications, Win Yee is particularly interested in sociological thinking on the consumption and experience of healthcare.

    She is motivated to use nuanced understanding in these areas to deliver healthcare services that provide sustainable and efficacious outcomes to the Australian population.

    Win Yee has a wide variety of interests, and loves applying her project management skills on an ever-growing list of dreams.

  • Dr Shiva Sharif, Program Manager

    Dr Shiva Sharif

    Program Manager
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    Shiva has a background in biomedical engineering and earned her PhD from Curtin University, where she focused on leveraging AI and wearable device data for the early detection of gait pattern abnormalities.

    She works on a number of complex projects involving multiple stakeholders, managing all stages from initiation and planning to delivery and completion.

    Prior to joining the DHCRC team, she contributed to national digital health initiatives at the Australian Digital Health Agency. Before that, she was part of the Research and Development team at Siemens, where she played a technical role in developing innovative engineering solutions.

    As a Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Digital Health, Shiva specialises in digital health technologies, with a particular interest and expertise in the applications of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and wearable devices in healthcare.

  • Neil Taplin

    Neil Taplin

    Education Operations Manager
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    Neil’s involvement in learning and digital started in the late '90s when he joined an elearning start-up in the UK as a designer and animator. Before long the company expanded, and Neil’s role evolved into a production team lead.

    In 2006, Neil moved on to tackle more formal project management roles at digital agencies in the UK and Australia until 2017, when a move to the public sector enabled him to work on a range of exciting projects aiming to help the public sector tackle some of today’s universal challenges including the future of work, leadership development, and digital transformation.

    Based in our Sydney office, Neil’s focus is to operationalise and support the DHCRC’s unique education program.

    Off duty, Neil enjoys nothing more than exploring Sydney’s ocean pools and diverse food scene.

  • Keren Pointon

    Strategic Initiatives & Education Partnerships 
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    Keren is a Public Health professional with extensive experience leading healthcare improvements and influencing healthcare policy and research. Keren’s healthcare improvement journey began after navigating the health system with her youngest daughter, which inspired her to complete her Master of Public Health. Her strategic insight and lived experience drive her commitment to positive system change, particularly for vulnerable populations. Keren is a strong advocate for digital health and the enabler it can be for health literacy and democratisation of healthcare.

    Keren’s public health career includes work with the Queensland Department of Health, Children’s Health Queensland, Mater Children’s Hospital, Brisbane South Primary Health Network, Institute for Urban Indigenous Health, Health Consumers Queensland, Queenslanders with Disability Network and the University of Queensland, Queensland Digital Health Centre.

    Beyond her public health work, Keren is a Certified Practicing Accountant (CPA) with extensive experience in senior corporate roles. She also loves hosting friends for dinner, is a netball Mum and avid theatre goer.

    Keren’s multifaceted expertise spans public health, consumer engagement, and corporate leadership, making her a valuable asset in driving positive change within the health system.

  • Paul Cheal

    Communications Director
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    Paul leads the marketing communication activity for DHCRC.

    He has over two decades communication experience working with a broad range of corporate and financial clients across brand positioning and messaging; strategy development; issues and crisis management; stakeholder management; social and digital; content creation and change communications.

    As a former journalist, Paul brings deep media relationships and strong writing skills. He has a strategic mindset with proven delivery of outcomes and tangible business results.Paul is an experienced academic, having been a casual tutor and lecturer at University of Technology, Sydney, teaching PR and communication to undergraduate and post graduate students. He holds a Masters of Public Communication from UTS as well as a Bachelor of Arts (Communications).

  • Samantha Scholte

    Communications and Events Coordinator
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    Sam is our Communications and Events Coordinator leading DHCRC's events, and working alongside our Communication Director, Paul Cheal. Sam has completed a Bachelor of Communications Media and Commerce at the University of Wollongong (2018), and has recently completed a Bachelor of Nursing at Western Sydney University (2023).

    Sam has seven years of experience in PR, communications, and events across a range of sectors. This role brings together her passion for healthcare and creating effective communication strategies for impactful outcomes.

    Outside of work, you'll find Sam escaping to the countryside, spending time with her dog, or exploring the culinary delights of town.

  • Hunsha Mavji

    Program Support Officer
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    With over a decade of experience as a Legal Executive in New Zealand, Hunsha has excelled in various industries, including property law, banking, social housing, child safety and injury prevention, and aged care. Driven by a passion for enhancing health and wellbeing, especially for vulnerable populations, she transitioned into administrative roles aimed at advancing positive health outcomes in aged care. Hunsha has played a pivotal role in vaccination and telehealth rollouts and has supported practitioners in several residential aged care homes. Currently, she is embracing the exciting world of digital health.

    Outside of work, Hunsha completed a Diploma in Dementia Care at the University of Tasmania last year. She enjoys outdoor activities such as long walks and spending quality time with her family.

  • Kate Munnings, Chair

    Kate Munnings

    Chair
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    Kate is the CEO of Virtus Health, with a strong track record of leading teams that deliver exceptional services and drive commercial improvement; and in transforming businesses in preparation for changing operating environments.

    A qualified lawyer and registered nurse, Kate’s breadth of professional experience equips her to lead the Virtus Health team in continuing to provide their exceptional work, which helps people become parents.

    Prior to joining Virtus Health, Kate led significant operations as Chief Operating Officer of Ramsay Health Care Limited’s Australian business; and as Chief Executive, Operations at ASX-listed Transfield Services Limited (now Broadspectrum Limited). Kate previously served on the Board of South East Sydney Local Health District.

    Kate has also been a partner at law firms Corrs Chambers Westgarth and Baker McKenzie; specialising in contract law and also spent eight years as Chief Risk & Legal Officer/Company Secretary at Transfield Services.

  • Dr Megan Robertson, Deputy Chair

    Dr Megan Robertson

    Deputy Chair
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    Megan Robertson is an alumna of the University of Melbourne where she completed a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS).

    She is the current Group Chief Research Officer at St Vincent’s Health Australia and Director of Research at St Vincent’s Hospital, Melbourne.

    She is on the boards of the Digital Health CRC, Opyl AI, St Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research, FearLess (PTSD-ANZ), and Queen’s College (Univ of Melbourne), and the Tuckwell Scholarship Selection Panel at ANU.

    Previously, she held positions as the Director of Professional Affairs, CICM, as the Executive Director of Research at Epworth HealthCare, and as the Co-Director of the Intensive Care Unit at Epworth Freemasons.

    Megan also works with national bodies including the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Healthcare, AusBiotech, and the National Health and Medical Research Council.

  • Dr Steve Hambleton

    Dr Steve Hambleton

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    Dr Steve Hambleton is a General Practitioner in Brisbane and former State and Federal President of the Australian Medical Association.

    Steve is the Chief Clinical Adviser to the Australian Digital Health Agency having served as the final Chairman of the National e-Health Transition Authority (NeHTA).

    In addition to the Digital Health CRC, he serves on the Boards of Avant Mutual Group Limited and Mercy Community Services.

    In October 2019 he became co-chair of the Primary Health Reform Steering Group to set a vision and path to guide future primary health care reform for the next 10 years, as part of the Government’s Long Term National Health Plan.

  • Jenny Morawska

    Jenny Morawska

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    Jenny is a highly experienced Senior Executive. She has worked across multiple industries including finance, medical, technology, health, and education.

    Her commercial acumen and successful business career have been underpinned by her training as a research scientist and her further career as a banker. Jenny was one of the four most senior women in Federal Government.

    She is also a pragmatic commercial businesswoman, who for the last 15 years has worked on the global stage. She has a deep understanding of emergent technologies and sustainability, and practical experience in driving new revenues and customer engagement within a range of industries.

  • Dr Sanjay Mazumdar

    Dr Sanjay Mazumdar

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    Sanjay is a Partner in Digital, Data and AI in the Management Consulting Division at KPMG. He has 30 years of experience in ICT across a broad range of sectors.

    Sanjay was KPMG Australia’s inaugural Chief Data Officer and now he is applying his data and AI expertise to KPMG’s clients.

    Prior to joining KPMG, Sanjay was the CEO of the Data to Decisions Cooperative Research Centre (D2D CRC Ltd) and founding Board Director of the D2D CRC's spinout companies - Fivecast and NQRY.

    Sanjay has extensive experience in general management, engineering management, business development and project management. He combines this management experience with a strong understanding of AI/machine learning, data analytics and cybersecurity.

    As a result of his leadership in AI and data science, Sanjay was listed in The Australian newspaper’s Knowledge Nation 100 as a “Big Data Pioneer”.

  • Dr Neale Fong

    Dr Neale Fong

    Non-Executive Director
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    Dr Neale Fong has more than 35 years' experience in medical, health care and aged care leadership roles.

    He is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Bethesda Hospital, Chair of the WA Country Health Service Board, President of the Australasian College of Health Service Management and a Non-Executive Director at the Digital Health CRC.

    He was formerly Project Director for the establishment of the Curtin Medical School, the Director General of the WA Department of Health and Chief Executive Officer of St John of God Hospital Subiaco.

    He currently consults widely through Australis Health Advisory to a number of key health clients in Australia. He holds Bachelor Degrees in Medicine and Surgery, a Masters in Theological Studies and a Masters in Business Administration.

  • Berne Gibbons

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    With a background in Nursing and the Pharmaceutical Industry spanning 30 years, Berne Gibbons has held senior roles including Product Manager for Anaesthetics at Glaxo Wellcome, Head of Hospitals at Mayne Health Pharmaceutical Wholesale. CEO for Central Hospital Supplies participating in the 6th Pharmacy Agreement. Managing Director for Vitro Software Pty Ltd, where she developed a particular interest in providing digital medical records and the importance of the data being stored securely and available at the point of care.

    A passionate advocate for digital health, Berne is an advisor on Digital Health Standards to the Australian Digital Health Agency and author of the National Digital Health Standards Guiding Principles. She is also an Associate Professor at the University of Technology, Sydney and a member of UTS Heath’s Dean Industry Advisory Board.

    Berne is a proud descendant of the Wurudjeri peoples and as a Board member of the NFP organization, Pathfinders developed an interest in registering the birth of Aboriginal people through the National Aboriginal Birth Certificate Register, being managed by Pathfinders.

    With a solid commitment to empowering healthcare consumers, Berne is a founding Director of the Continuity of Care Collaborative with the #Dontwaitmate campaign creating awareness of healthcare services for all Australians.

  • Professor James Boyd

    Professor James Boyd

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    Professor James Boyd is a Professor of Public Health at Curtin University and the inaugural Chair in Digital Health at La Trobe University.

    He has a strong research background and is an international expert in data linkage who will lead La Trobe’s Digital Health strategy around course development and research.

    James has over 25 years’ experience working with large, national, linked population-based health administrative datasets to product national epidemiological and management information, assisting in the monitoring and evaluation of health service performance.

    His research focuses on using linked data to support innovation in the public sector and industry, leading to advancements in preventative medicine, improvements in healthcare and better development of commercial drugs and diagnostics.

  • Professor Rachel Davey

    Professor Rachel Davey

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    Professor Rachel Davey is Director of the multi-disciplinary Health Research Institute at the University of Canberra and has over 30 years’ research experience relating to the prevention of chronic disease, health services research and evaluation, and clinical and community interventions.

    She has wide experience of working across the healthcare system in Australia and internationally.

    Rachel’s research has focused on partnerships with local, state and national government health authorities, hospital networks, primary care, General Practice and a broad range of medical, allied health services, health professionals and consumers.

    Her translational research has informed public policy in Australia and overseas in addressing physical inactivity, lifestyle behaviour risk, and broader social and environmental factors that impact on health and health outcomes.

  • Professor Steven McPhail

    Professor Steven McPhail

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    Professor Steven McPhail is Director of the Australian Centre for Health Services Innovation, and co-Director of the Centre for Healthcare Transformation at Queensland University of Technology (QUT). He also leads QUT’s health management discipline.

    He has a passion for empowering health service providers and clinical teams to make intelligent decisions that lead to high value, safe and effective care for patients.

    He is both a health economist and a clinician with 15 years’ experience working in collaborative partnerships between healthcare organisations, industry, government, and academic institutions.

    Steve has been supported by NHMRC administered fellowships for the duration of his research career, conducting research embedded in healthcare organisations.

    He has a special interest in digital disruption in healthcare environments as an unprecedented opportunity for improving value-based care and reducing non-beneficial care.

  • Professor Tim Shaw

    Professor Tim Shaw

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    Professor Tim Shaw is Professor of Digital Health and Director of the Research in Implementation Science and eHealth Group (RISe) in the Faculty of Medicine and Health at the University of Sydney.

    He helped lead the successful Digital Health CRC application and was the Centre’s Research Director for the first three years.

    Tim’s current research looks at how we use health data to impact on clinical decision making, quality improvement and professional development as well as how we implement new, virtual models of care.

    His focus in on translational research and bringing services industry and government together.

    Tim is a member of a number of senior National and International Committees and Working Parties include the Australian Digital Health Agency Research Committee and NSW Health Clinical Analytics Working Party.

  • Our Values
    Excellence.

    We believe in pushing boundaries and raising the bar to achieve excellence in everything we do. We are dedicated to constantly improving and achieving the highest quality outcomes.

  • Our Values
    Integrity.

    We will be fair, honest, transparent, and ethical in our conduct with each other and our partners; everything we do must stand the test of public scrutiny.

  • Our Values
    Authenticity.

    We are true to ourselves and each other; we are open in our views; we actively listen and communicate with respect.

  • Our Values
    Teamwork.

    We pride ourselves in working together as we achieve better results through unity.