Speaker profiles – National Medicines Symposium 2024

Tegan Taylor is a multi-award-winning health and science reporter for the ABC. She hosts Radio National’s Health Report, Quick Smart and What’s That Rash? She’s received a Walkley Award, the Eureka Prize for Science Journalism and her work has appeared in the anthology The Best of Australian Science Writing.

Mark Butler is the Minister for Health and Aged Care. He served as Minister for Ageing and Australia’s first Minister for Mental Health in the Gillard Government. Mark has also held the ministries of Housing, Homelessness, Social Inclusion, Climate Change, Water and the Environment. In 2013 he was awarded the Alzheimer’s Disease International Award for Outstanding Global Contribution to the Fight Against Dementia.

Anne Duggan is Chief Executive Officer at the Commission and a highly  respected gastroenterologist with significant leadership experience in a range of healthcare settings. She is also a Conjoint Professor at the School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle. Anne is passionate about improving health care services through sharing knowledge and collaborating across the health system.

Professor Christine Kilpatrick AO is the Board Chair of the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care. She has extensive clinical, academic, and hospital administration experience and is recognised for building strong clinical governance and safety culture. Her previous roles include Chief Executive at the Royal Children’s Hospital, Chief Medical Officer at Melbourne Health, and Executive Director at Royal Melbourne Hospital.

Libby Roughead’s research focuses on improving use of medicines. Libby is Director of the Quality Use of Medicines and Pharmacy Research Centre, a member of the Australian Government Drug Utilisation Sub-Committee and the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care Medication Safety and Quality Advisory Committee.

Steve Waller is a pharmacist and consultant with extensive Australian and international experience in clinical trials management, regulations, product registration, supply chain, finance and general management. Since 2018 he has consulted to the Commission on safe and quality use of medicines, developing Australia's response to WHO Global Patient Safety Challenge - Medication Without Harm, and other reports addressing appropriate prescribing.

Professor Martin (FRACP, PhD) is a practising general physician and clinical pharmacologist. She is President of the RACP and is the Editor-in-Chief of the ASPET-BPS Journal - Pharmacology Research and Perspectives. Over the last 30 years, she has advised on clinical pharmacology matters for Pharma, Federal and State Health pharmaceutical regulation and reimbursement committees, and is the lead for the NSW State Medicines Formulary Committee. She leads a clinical pharmacology and drug repurposing team at the University of Newcastle.

Sarah Hilmer (BScMed(Hons) MBBS(Hons) FRACP PhD FAHMS) is head of department of Clinical Pharmacology and senior staff specialist geriatrician at Royal North Shore Hospital; Conjoint Professor of Geriatric Pharmacology at Sydney University; and leads Ageing and Pharmacology Laboratory at the Kolling. Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for service to clinical and geriatric pharmacology.

Dr Kouladjian O’Donnell is a Lecturer and credentialled pharmacist, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney. Lisa is currently the Deputy Chair of the Australian Deprescribing Network, and leads a research program that aims to optimise medicine use in older adults.

Dr Holdenson Kimura is a Medical Advisor for the Commission and a general practitioner based in Sydney, working in health policy and health professional education. She works clinically at the Hornsby-Brooklyn General Practice Unit and is passionate about promoting equitable and quality primary care.

Bronte cared for his wife, who had younger onset dementia, for 13 years - her final three in residential aged care. As Dementia Australia’s nominated advocate, he participated in development of the Clinical Care Standard of the “Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards” and the Commission’s Clinical Care Standard on use of Psychotropic Medicines.

Professor Jenny May AM has been passionate about rural health since her first rural medical student placement in 1980 and then as a trainee rural doctor at Tamworth Hospital in 1985. 

Professor May holds fellowships with The Royal Australasian College of General Practitioners and the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine and has extensive experience in clinical practice, research, education and rural health advocacy. In 2016, she was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for significant service to community health in rural and regional areas as a general practitioner, a member of professional medical groups, and an educator.

Natalie works with the Digital Health team at the Commission on national projects that support the safety and quality of digital health, including digital medicines and integrated systems. Natalie is a hospital pharmacist by background and has worked as a Senior Antimicrobial Stewardship pharmacist. Prior to her current role, she was a Quality and Accreditation Manager within Southwestern Sydney Local Health District, overseeing accreditation, quality improvement and risk management processes.

Melissa leads the Human Factors Digital Health Research Group at the University of Sydney. She is internationally recognised for her research on evaluation and optimisation of health technologies to support healthcare work and improve patient safety, with a particular focus on technologies to support medication management.

In addition to his role in SA Health, Michael is the chair of the Pharmacy Informatics group within the Advanced Pharmacy Australia and a PhD candidate with Flinders University. He is clinical lead for AutoMedic which is a Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) project to transform complex medicines review processes using AI.

Kate is the Program Manager for the medicines arm of the Commission’s Digital Health team. She leads the program strategy and execution, supporting the development and ongoing stewardship of nationally standardised tools, indicators and guidance used in the Australian healthcare system to manage medicines safely. Kate has extensive experience in electronic medication management and has managed several national digital medicines programs in partnership with the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care.

Alice Nugent has worked as a pharmacist in general practice for nearly 10 years. She collaborates with the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation to guide medicine policy and programs. Alice advocates for including more pharmacists in Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs). She contributes to projects and policies focused on improving medicine access and ensuring the safe use of medications for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Additionally, she promotes the use of digital tools such as electronic prescriptions, telehealth, My Health Record, Real-Time Prescription Monitoring, and secure messaging.