The Board of HMRI is responsible for the strategic direction and management of HMRI. The Directors of the Board include nominees from Hunter New England Health, the University of Newcastle and the community. Collectively, the Directors bring a wealth of business, academic and research experience to the Board.
Community representatives
Mr Robert Kennedy
Chair, HMRI Board
Mr Kennedy is a former Managing Director of Masterfoods Australia with experience in major corporations in Australia, New Zealand and Asia. With his wife Terry, Mr Kennedy runs Beyond Broke Vineyard in the Hunter Valley, which recently completed its eleventh vinetage. He is President of the Broke Fordwich Wine Growers Association and a committee member of the Hunter Valley Vineyard Association. He also serves on the trustee board of the Masterfoods Superannuation Fund. From March 2006 to October 2007 Mr Kennedy chaired the HMRI Foundation, HMRI's marketing and fundraising arm.
The Honourable Patricia Forsythe
Company Director
The Hon. Patricia Forsythe is the Executive Director of the Sydney Chamber of Commerce, a position she has held since September 2006. She is also a Member of the Council of Macquarie University; Board Member of Business Events Sydney and serves on the finance committee of the Anglican Board of Mission. Prior to joining the Sydney Chamber of Commerce, Patricia served as a Member of the NSW Legislative Council from 1991 to 2006. From 1995 to 2005 Patricia served on the Opposition frontbench, in a variety of shadow portfolios including Community Services 1995-99, and Education and Training 1999-2002. Prior to her election to Parliament, Patricia was Executive Officer to the Minister for Local Government and Planning from 1988. Her earlier career roles were as Government Affairs Manager for the Australian Soft Drink Association and prior to that as a high school teacher in NSW State and Independent Schools. Patricia holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Diploma of Education from the University of Newcastle, which is also the city in which she was born and raised.
Mr Hilton Grugeon AM
Investor and Company Director
Hilton Grugeon is a prominent Hunter business identity, probably best-known for his involvement with Hunter Land, a local development company responsible for industrial, commercial and residential developments. The sheer scope of Mr Grugeon's business interests means he is involved with a variety of industries and organisations. He is vocal in his support of local business and enterprise as a driver for local employment.
Mr Neville Sawyer AM
Company Director
Mr Sawyer is a company director who joined the HMRI Board in October 2007. He established Ampcontrol P/L in 1968, which was recognised with regional, state and national awards in “business, engineering, innovation and export” in 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, and 2005. In 1996 He was recognised as the Engineers Australia National Engineering Associate of the Year, and was awarded Australian Honours AM Award in 2006. He is also a NSW Business Chamber Past President and Life Governor. Mr Sawyer is Chairman, Smart Digital Optics; and is Director for Percutaneous Cardiovascular Solutions and Wine Design. He is a member of Engineers Australia, and is a Fellow of both the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Australian Institute of Management.
HNE Health Representatives
Professor Brian English
Retired Academic
Professor Brian English's distinguished academic career spans both his chosen discipline of social work and university administration. Professor English held the positions of the University of Newcastle Foundation Professor of Social Work and Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the time of his retirement in 2005. He is currently a Director of the Samaritan Foundation and Mercy Health Care. Other current memberships include the Internal Audit Committee of the Hastings City Council and Centacare Advisory Board.
Dr Nigel Lyons
Chief Executive, Hunter New England Health
Ms Tracey McCosker
Director of Clinical Operations, Hunter New England Health
Ms McCosker has been a Director of the HMRI Board since 2004. With a background in accounting and the private health sector, Tracey joined Hunter Health in August 1992 (to May 1995) as Business Manager for the Hunter Area Pathology Service. She was appointed as Director of Finance in November 1998. Her role expanded in 1999 to incorporate responsibilities for Aged Care and Rehabilitation Services (ACARS). Tracey's role further expanded in 2003 with the integration of ACARS and Community Health. Tracey is also on the Board of Life Without Barriers, a non government organisation that assists people in the community with disabilities. In 2007, Tracey was appointed Director of Clinical Operations at Hunter New England Health.
University of Newcastle Representatives
Professor Mike Calford
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), the University of Newcastle
Professor Calford is an internationally acclaimed Neuroscientist. He is also Chair of Human Physiology and Head of the Faculty of Health's School of Biomedical Sciences. Professor Calford's degree qualifications, a Bachelor of Science (with Honours) and a Doctor of Philosophy, are from Monash University. He has a number of awards including a Queen Elizabeth ll Fellowship, the inaugural Australian Medical Research Award of the Australian Society for Medical Research and an NHMRC Research Fellowship. Professor Calford is also the Director for CRC for Asthma Inc Ltd.
Professor Nicholas Talley
Pro-Vice Chancellor (Health), the University of Newcastle
Professor Talley is Pro Vice-Chancellor of the Faculty of Health at the University of Newcastle. He has published over 600 original and review articles in the peer-reviewed literature, and he is considered one of the world’s leading authorities in clinical research on the stomach. Professor Talley was formerly Chair of the Department of Internal Medicine at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida where he held the rank of Professor of Medicine at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, and was the Foundation Professor of Medicine at the University of Sydney, Nepean Hospital. Professor Talley serves on a number of prominent editorial boards, and currently holds adjunct research appointments as Professor at Mayo Clinic, University of North Carolina and the Karolinska Institute. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, Royal College of Physicians (both London and Edinburgh), and the American College of Physicians.
Professor Nicholas Saunders
Vice-Chancellor & President, the University of Newcastle
Nicholas Saunders MD, FRCP(C) commenced his five year term as Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Newcastle in October 2004. Prior to this he was Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Services at Monash University. Over the years he has served on many national committees and councils relevant to higher education and research. He was Chair of the National Health and Research Council (2000-2003) and served on the Higher Education Council, the Prime Minister's Science Engineering and Innovation Council, Torres Strait Islander Health Council, and the Committee of Deans of Australian Medical Schools (Chair (2000-2002). Professor Saunders is the Director of the Graduate Careers Council and the Hunter Business Chamber. He is also the Director of Neurosciences Australia Limited. Professor Saunders was awarded the Centenary Medal from the Commonwealth Government for his contribution to academic medicine in 2002.
HMRI Director
Professor Maree Gleeson
Director, Hunter Medical Research Institute
Professor Gleeson was appointed as the Director of HMRI in November 2006. Under her directorship HMRI will develop and implement strategies to enhance health and medical research in the Hunter region and to promote the research undertaken by HMRI. Professor Gleeson was the Inaugural Director of Medical Research in the NSW Ministry for Science and Medical Research (2004 – 2006), where she was responsible for strategic planning for growth and innovation of medical research in NSW and funding of health and medical research programs by the NSW Government.
Professor Gleeson is an immunologist, with over twenty-eight years experience in diagnostic pathology, and was previously the Director of Immunology in the Hunter Area Pathology Service. Holding an appointment at the University of Newcastle, Professor Gleeson’s research focuses on the impact of respiratory infections on disease outcomes and spans the fields of asthma and allergy, sudden infant death syndrome, infections in premature birth and exercise immunology.
In addition to serving on a number of Federal and State Government scientific advisory committees, Professor Gleeson is a Member of the Board of Directors of Alzheimer’s Australia NSW. She is active in community service through Rotary International, in particular the Australian Rotary Health Research Fund mentorship program.
HMRI Foundation Chair
Mr Glenn Turner
Chair, HMRI Foundation
Mr Turner had a thirty-year career at senior executive level in the mining services, manufacturing, engineering and contracting sectors in Australia, as well as USA, China, South American, South Africa and India. He is an accountant by training but has always worked in commercial and management roles in engineering/manufacturing/construction organisations. He occupies non executive roles in public and private companies in a variety of industries and the services sector.
