How we’re governed

BSc (Hons), MB BS (Hons)(Syd), D Phil (Oxon), FRACP, FRCPA, FFSc (RCPA)

Emeritus Professor in Haematology-University of Sydney

Emeritus Consultant Haematologist-Royal Prince Alfred Hospital

Professor Joshua was previously Head of Clinical Haematology at Sydney Cancer Centre, Head of the Sydney Area Health Service Haematology Service, Alan Ng Professor in Medicine at the University of Sydney, and Director of the Institute of Haematology at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, New South Wales, Australia. He has received many awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Myeloma Society.

He is a founding member of the Faculty of Science of the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia (RCPA) and was Chief Examiner in Haematology for the RCPA. He was recognised as a Distinguished Fellow of the College of Pathologists.

He has collaborated in many clinical trials of myeloma, as well as having a direct involvement in basic research supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council, Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, and the University of Sydney Cancer Research Fund. He has published extensively in clinical and basic research on myeloma.

Senior Staff Specialist and Director of Research

Department of Haematology, Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards

Professor of Medicine Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney

Christopher is a clinical haematologist with special interests in disorders of blood clotting and bleeding. He’s based at Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney and oversees teaching and research programs, including genetic screening for inherited bleeding disorders. Christopher represents Australia in several international societies and was recently appointed to the Council of the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH).

Honorary Associate Professor, John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, Canberra

After graduating with a PhD in Biochemistry (University of Queensland, 1986), Robert’s research has spanned protein chemistry and organic synthesis (metalloenzymes and inhibitors) to biochemical analysis of human platelet receptors, ligands and snake venom proteins. This combination has led him to his later research on mechanisms of human disease involving haematological systems, and analysis of new platelet-specific biomarkers for bleeding and thrombotic risk. This research has resulted in over 200 peer-reviewed publications, and was awarded the Esteemed Career Award from the International Society on Thrombosis & Haemostasis (ISTH) in 2023.

MD, FACP

EVP and Chief Medical and Scientific Officer, Vitalant, USA

Ralph is the Chief Medical and Scientific Officer of Vitalant, based in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Prior to joining Vitalant in 2014, Ralph was the Chief Medical Officer of the American Red Cross Blood Services’ East Division. From 1992-2002, he was the Director of Medical Education, an Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Program Director, and a hospital administrator for a 3-hospital system in Philadelphia.

Ralph serves on the committees of several leading international blood transfusion organisations, and is on the editorial boards of Transfusion, Transfusion Medicine Reviews, and Transfusion and Apheresis Science. He has authored book chapters in Williams' Hematology, Rossi's Principles of Transfusion Medicine, Practical Transfusion, Apheresis Principles and Practice and more than 90 other articles and reviews.

PhD

Senior researcher, Sanquin Blood Supply

Professor Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam Department of Sociology

Eva-Maria is a sociologist with a background in family studies and demography. She is head of the research line Donor Behaviour at Sanquin and Professor in Donor Behaviour at the Sociology Department of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Her research benefits from her theoretical expertise in social science theories on prosocial behaviour and her collaborations within the Dutch Blood Bank, the Biomedical Excellence of Safer Transfusion (BEST) Collaborative, and the International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT).

PhD

Group leader at the John Curtin School of Medical Research at the Australian National University, Canberra

Scientific Director of the National Platelet Referral and Research Centre, ANU and The Canberra Hospital.

Elizabeth received her PhD in Biochemistry from Monash University (1994) and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland OH USA. She has expertise in platelet biochemistry and platelet receptor function, particularly relevant to both thrombosis and bleeding in patients. She was a Trustee of the Thrombosis and Haemostasis Society of Australia and New Zealand (THANZ), and is Deputy Editor of Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, and on the Editorial Board of Blood. She is co-Editor in Chief of Platelets Journal. She is on the ISTH Membership Committee and the ISTH Basic Science Taskforce.

Darren is a Eureka Prize winning scientist, with over 20 years’ experience in cancer biology and neuroscience in Australia and North America. He is NSW Deputy Chief Scientist & Engineer and Executive Director in the Office of the NSW Deputy Chief Scientist & Engineer, leading independent scientific reviews for NSW Government. Darren has worked with Elizabeth Broderick & Co since 2017 as a senior research advisor and data expert on numerous reviews into workplace culture, harmful behaviours and systemic discrimination in the mining, aviation, education, arts and law enforcement sectors. Darren is an Adjunct Associate Professor in Medical Sciences at the University of Sydney, has held senior roles in peak professional bodies - leading policy and regulatory reforms in science and technology, and is a regular commentator on television and radio. Darren is also a committed thalassophile.

Angela Dawson is a Professor of Public Health, and nationally and internationally recognised expert in maternal and reproductive health and the Associate Dean of Research in the Faculty of Health, UTS. She leads the reproductive theme in the Women and Children’s Health Collaborative at INSIGHT, the UTS Research Institute she established in 2023 that seeks multidisciplinary solutions to complex issues.

Prof Dawson has a strong track record of applied research in health services, health promotion, and prevention research for underserved populations, including Indigenous Australians, refugees and migrants, people experiencing mental health challenges and substance use disorders, and people who have been incarcerated. She has undertaken research into the delivery of reproductive health services in humanitarian emergencies, the management and referral of women who have experienced domestic violence and FGM/C and access to abortion and emergency contraceptive pills in Australia and internationally.

Prof Dawson’s implementation research and mixed methods leadership have been acknowledged by funding from the NHMRC and Department of Health and Aging, NSW Health and the Cancer Institute. She was awarded the national Sax prize for research translation and impact and served on Hon. Min. Ged Kearny’s National Women's Health Advisory Council.

BSc, PhD, FRSPH, CPsychol, AFBPS

Professor of Health Psychology, University of Nottingham, UK

Eamonn is a Professor of Health Psychology at the University of Nottingham, heading up the Prosocial Health Behaviours (PHB) Lab. He is a Distinguished International Affiliate of Division 38 of the American Psychological Society, an associate scientific member of the Biomedical Excellence for Safer Transfusion (BEST) collaboration, a member of the NHS Blood and Transplant FAIR Steering group, where he heads up the behavioural science arm and co-leads the behavioural research theme within the Blood and Transplant Unit (BTRU) in Donor Health and Behaviour. Eamonn’s research focuses on human altruism and cooperation as applied to blood, plasma and organ donation, with a specific interest in incorporating broad theory on cooperation and altruism (e.g., evolutionary, economic, psychological, philosophical) to better understand blood, plasma, and organ donation. This is applied to address a variety of topics linked to encouraging more people from ethnic minorities to donate, a blood donor phenotype, incentives, warm-glow, interpretation error on door selection questions, and the emotional, behavioural and cognitive temporal dynamics of blood donation.

Chair

Professor Tari Turner
Cochrane Australia, Monash University
 

Community Members

Andrea Calleia

Brooke Raitt
 

Blood Donor

Martin Aicken
 

Researchers

Professor Merlin Crossley
University of New South Wales

Dr Christopher Mayes
Deakin University

Associate Professor Tina Noutsos
Royal Darwin Hospital
Menzies School of Health Research

Associate Professor Natalie Strobel
Edith Cowan University

Dr David Bishop (expertise related to Stem Cell Donors Australia)
Westmead Hospital
 

Health Care Professional

Dr Amanda Davis
The Alfred Hospital
 

Pastoral Care

Rev Canon Eron Perry
 

Lawyer

Varsha Patki
 

Lifeblood Representatives

Marion Hemphill
General Counsel

Dr James Daly
Medical Director, Pathology Services

Andrew Tracy
Head of Regulatory Affairs

Dr Angus Henderson
Director, Strategy & Research

Prof David Irving
Research & Collaboration Specialist Advisor

Daniela von Hieber
Ethics Secretary