Professor Hylton Menz is a podiatrist and NHMRC Fellow. His broad research disciplines are human movement, rehabilitation and rheumatology, with a particular focus on musculoskeletal foot problems in older people. Professor Menz has published 297 papers in podiatry, gerontology, rheumatology and biomechanics journals and has attracted over $10m in research funding.

Professor Menz has made significant contributions to the understanding of the prevalence, risk factors and impact of foot disorders, their underlying pathophysiology, and their optimum non-surgical management using exercise, therapeutic footwear and orthotic interventions.

Professor Andrew Steer is a paediatric infectious diseases physician and Director of the Infection and Immunity Theme at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute. He is an international authority on tropical infectious diseases. His research has established global community-based treatment programs for tropical skin infections, influenced vaccine design for group A streptococcal disease, and introduced diagnostic technologies and control programs for rheumatic heart disease.

Professor Steer is a global and national leader in these fields, evidenced by scientific leadership roles, including as Chair of the International Alliance for the Control of Scabies, and Co-Director of the Australian Strep A Vaccine Initiative.

Professor Tim Stinear is a distinguished microbiologist who has revolutionised our understanding of important bacterial infectious diseases by the use of cutting-edge genomic technologies. His fundamental research has led to new diagnostic tests and new insights on how infections spread in our hospitals and how bacteria are evading our most powerful antibiotics. He is a fellow of the Australian Society for Microbiology.

Professor Stinear is one of the world’s foremost authorities on the neglected tropical disease, Buruli ulcer, and he is leading a ground-breaking intervention trial here in Australia to stop its spread.

Professor Roy Robins-Browne is a medical microbiologist who has made seminal contributions to the field through research and teaching. His research has improved fundamental understanding and clinical management of the diarrhoea-associated bacterial pathogens, coli and Yersinia enterocolitica, as well as other bacteria that infect humans. His teaching has guided a generation of medical and bioscience students.

Professor Robins-Browne’s work has provided new insights into the mechanisms of disease and host pathogen interactions. Practical applications of his research include novel diagnostic methods, widely used therapeutics, research reagents, and new strategies to treat and prevent bacterial infections.

Professor Merlin Thomas is an internationally renowned clinician scientist in diabetic kidney disease, where he is recognised as one of the top experts globally. His translational research spans basic biochemistry and biology to epidemiology and clinical trials. He is also a sought-after speaker, teacher and best-selling author. He has an exceptional track record of productivity, publishing in journals including the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Circulation Research and Diabetes. His discovery work has led to patent applications that he has translated into early-phase commercial development.

Professor Thomas has received the Eric Susman Award from the RACP, TJ Neal Award from the Australian and New Zealand Society of Nephrology and the Millennium Award from Diabetes Australia.

Professor Karin Thursky is an infectious diseases physician, Director of the National Centre for Antimicrobial Stewardship and Deputy Head of Infectious Diseases at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. Her highly productive clinician research career spans both adult and paediatric infectious diseases, infections in cancer, computerised decision support and antimicrobial stewardship in animals and humans. As a skilled health services researcher, she has successfully implemented and scaled clinical pathways for sepsis and neutropenic fever. She is widely recognised as a pioneer in the design and implementation of antimicrobial stewardship programs in Australia and has national and international leadership roles.