Eight rising stars will join the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences (AAHMS) as Associate Members, after being selected from a competitive national pool of applicants.
Associate Members join the Academy for three years as part of its mentorship program, where they are paired with experienced Fellows as mentors.
AAHMS Mentorship Program Chair and Fellow Professor Louise Maple-Brown said the new mentees included experts across epidemiology, neuroimmunology, psychology, microbiology and more.
“As a former mentee myself, I know how valuable the program is,” she said.
“It’s an incredible opportunity to learn from some of the top leaders in your field. Associate Members contribute to the Academy’s policy work and provide valuable insight and fresh perspectives – it’s a relationship that benefits both the mentors and mentees.”
The Academy has had more than 100 mentees join its mentorship program since it began in 2015, and has a strong legacy of success, with many alumni winning major awards, career promotions, or going on to mentor others.
The program includes an annual workshop and access to support and networking opportunities. Applications for the program open later this year: applicants can register their interest now by emailing [email protected]
Meet the Academy’s newest mentees below.
Professor Eric Chow, Monash University
Professor Chow will be mentored by Professor Shyamali Dharmage FAHMS, Head of the Allergy and Lung Health Unit & Deputy Director (Research) of the Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics.
“As a culturally and linguistically diverse mid-career researcher, I sometimes find navigating leadership roles challenging as this is a new experience for me. I hope this mentorship program will connect me with outstanding senior researchers who can provide guidance on overcoming these challenges and offer insights into becoming a successful leader.”
Professor Chow is a sexual health epidemiologist and biostatistician at the School of Translational Medicine, Monash University. He also heads the Health Data Management and Biostatistics Unit and the HIV/STI Clinical Trial Unit at the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, Alfred Health. His program aims to improve the treatment, prevention, and control of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), with a particular focus on gonorrhoea, syphilis, and human papillomavirus (HPV). He has published more than 390 peer-reviewed papers and has received over 40 awards and honours recognising his achievements in sexual health, including the 2024 Australian Academy of Science Gottschalk Medal, the 2022 Eureka Prize for Infectious Diseases Research, and the 2020 Commonwealth Health Minister’s Award for Excellence in Health and Medical Research.
Associate Professor Jai Darvall, Royal Melbourne Hospital
Associate Professor Darvall will be mentored by Professor Ian Davis FAHMS, Professor of Medicine; Head, Eastern Health Clinical School.
“Australia’s population is ageing rapidly, with this major demographic shift presenting significant health challenges in delivery of surgery and intensive care in a resource-finite health system. As a clinician-researcher at the interface of these areas, I am eager to learn more from the experience and wisdom of the Academy in tackling these challenges. In particular, I am excited to be mentored by a senior academic clinician to hopefully understand how to better translate research findings into engagement and impact, ultimately leading to positive health system change.”
Associate Professor Darvall is an anaesthetist and intensive care specialist at the Royal Melbourne Hospital in Victoria. His PhD investigated the implications of frailty in anaesthesia and critical care, and he is a research leader in perioperative medicine in these cohorts. His research program aims to improve health outcomes for vulnerable older patients undergoing surgery or suffering critical illness.
Professor Jenny Downs, Telethon Kids Institute
Professor Downs will be mentored by Professor Ingrid Scheffer AO FRS FAA FAHMS, Laureate Professor, Paediatric Neurology Research The University of Melbourne and Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health.
“I applied for a place on the AAHMS mentorship program to help me accelerate the impacts of my research. I want to learn how best to build my networks, confidence, and critical thinking, and to translate my research into practical health benefits. I want to understand how best to support the growth of the post-doctoral researchers in my team for them to build impactful careers.”
Professor Downs’s child disability research includes epidemiological, measurement science and interventional studies for children with intellectual disability and rare disorders, including developmental epileptic encephalopathy conditions. She has led the development and validation of clinical outcome assessments for functional abilities and quality of life that are fit-for-purpose and used in clinical trials internationally. She has worked with parents to co-design translational resources and ensure that the knowledge gained from her research programs is accessible to the community for their use.
Associate Professor Lea-Ann Kirkham, Telethon Kids Institute
Associate Professor Kirkham will be mentored by Professor Bronwyn Kingwell FAHMS, Senior Director, Research Therapeutic Area Lead, CSL Limited.
“I am looking forward to working with my mentor and I hope to gain confidence in leading interdisciplinary teams, learning strategies to balance management responsibilities with research pursuits, and expanding my network of research leaders.”
Associate Professor Kirkham is an internationally renowned infectious disease microbiologist and Research Team Leader at the Telethon Kids Institute in Perth, Western Australia, adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Western Australia, and previous Co-Director of the Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases at the Telethon Kids Institute. Associate Professor Kirkham has contributed to every stage of drug development from discovery to clinical trials and post-market surveillance, including preclinical development of novel therapies to prevent and treat childhood ear infections, and assessment of influenza, rotavirus and pneumococcal vaccines that has informed national vaccine policy and advanced global vaccine development. Her involvement in co-founding the national ear health conference OMOZ, ongoing contributions to innovative research and development, and advocacy for gold-standard community engagement initiatives underscores Associate Professor Kirkham contributions to advancing scientific knowledge and addressing real-world health challenges.
Associate Professor Zohra Lassi, The University of Adelaide
Associate Professor Lassi will be mentored by Professor Alison Kitson FAHMS, Vice President, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University.
“I applied for the AAHMS program to advance my expertise in public health and medical sciences. The program’s esteemed network and commitment to excellence align with my career goals of improving health outcomes through rigorous research and evidence-based policy translation.
Through the program, I hope to gain access to a network of distinguished professionals and experts who can provide invaluable insights and guidance. I aim to enhance my understanding of global health advancements and best practices, applying this knowledge to develop evidence-based interventions and shape impactful health policies.
Additionally, I seek to develop my leadership skills by learning from experienced mentors who have successfully navigated national and global health policies and partnerships. Ultimately, I aspire to mentor and inspire the next generation of researchers and leaders, fostering a culture of excellence and equity in public health.”
Associate Professor Lassi is an internationally recognised epidemiologist specialising in reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health and nutrition (RMNCAH&N). With over 200 peer-reviewed papers and contributions to eight World Health Organization guidelines, her research has shaped global health policy. Associate Professor Lassi’s leadership in evidence synthesis and her role in prestigious collaborations underscore her commitment to advancing health equity and improving outcomes for marginalised populations worldwide.
Professor Denise O’Connor, Monash University
Professor O’Connor will be mentored by Professor Julie Redfern FAHMS, Director of the Institute for Evidence-Based Health, Bond University.
“I applied to the program to receive advice and mentorship on my career development and leadership from Australia’s top researcher leaders and gain experience in contributing to policy and advocacy activities of the Academy.”
Professor O’Connor is Professor (Research) and Deputy Director of the Wiser Health Care Unit in the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University and NHMRC Investigator Leadership Fellow. Her research investigates the causes of, and the design and evaluation of, implementation interventions to address research translation failures, with a particular focus on reducing over/misuse of healthcare tests and treatments. She has led several large implementation trials that have changed clinical practice and accelerated knowledge about effective research translation strategies.
Associate Professor Gemma Sharp, Monash University
Associate Professor Sharp will be mentored by Professor Gita Mishra FAHMS, Professor of Life Course Epidemiology, The University of Queensland.
“I am at a pivotal stage of my career and I wanted to broaden my horizons in multiple settings (research, clinical, industry) through this unique mentoring program. I am a firm believer in ‘paying it forward’ and I know that through this mentoring, I will be a better leader for my own students/staff/collaborators, thus helping the next generation of leaders.”
Associate Professor Sharp is the Lead of the Body Image and Eating Disorders Research Program at Monash University and is the Director of the international Consortium for Research in Eating Disorders (CoRe-ED). She is an internationally renowned clinician-scientist, has been awarded over 60 awards/prizes in her career and has been in receipt of consecutive NHMRC fellowships since 2018 – currently an Emerging Leadership 2 Investigator Fellow. She is also a Senior Clinical Psychologist and has led and contributed to multiple national and international clinical guidelines, strategies and policies in mental health, digital health and aesthetic medicine.
Associate Professor Jana Vukovic, The University of Queensland
Associate Professor Vukovic will be mentored by Professor Adele Green AC FAA FAHMS, Emeritus Fellow, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute.
“As part of the program, I expect to grow my network with individuals who are experienced and competent leaders in different aspects of medical sciences, so that I can fulfil my ambition to support medical research within Australia into future.”
Associate Professor Vukovic leads the Neuroimmunology and Cognition Laboratory at The University of Queensland, where her team is unravelling the immune system’s contribution to healthy brain function and repair. They have made fundamental discoveries about the role of microglia (brain’s resident immune cells) and developed a range of molecular tools to study and manipulate microglial genes in vivo in order to examine the effect of these manipulations on cognition using a battery of behavioural tests. Importantly, they have discovered that a neuroprotective phenotype in microglia can be triggered to improve functional outcomes following traumatic brain injury.
High-res images available on request.
Media: AAHMS Head of Media and Communication Katie Rowney, [email protected] or P: 07 3102 7212 M: +61 (0) 419 787 551