Governance

The Western Australian Health Translation Network (WAHTN) is an unincorporated joint venture, that is, an association of legal entities bound by mutual agreement to pursue common goals. This governance structure reflects the value to each organisation in providing an opportunity to deliver impact and access to knowledge, expertise and infrastructure that may not be available solely within any one of the organisations. Underpinning this relationship is a commitment to excellence in the health sciences.

The Executive Board of WAHTN is comprised of nine members: an independent Chair, a WA Department of Health representative, four members representing the sectors of contributing partners, the Office of the Chief Scientist of WA, a consumer advocate representative and a representative from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People. The role of the Executive Board is high-level goal setting and the overall oversight of WAHTN. Reporting to the Executive Board is an Executive Director who is an ex-officio member of the Executive Board.

Board

Professor Steve Webb – Chair

Professor Webb is an Intensive Care specialist, Group Co-Director of Research at St John of God Health Care, and Professor of Critical Care Research at Monash University.

He holds adjunct roles at the University of Western Australia and Curtin University.

He is a founding fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences and has previously chaired both the Australian Clinical Trials Alliance and the ANZICS Clinical Trials Group.

His background is the design and conduct of innovative clinical trials that generate evidence to improve patient care. He has been involved in clinical trials involving over 80,000 patients, has helped secure more than $190 million in competitive research funding, has published over 250 papers, and cited more than 78,000 times.

His vision is that research will be purpose driven for impact, focusing on generating and implementing evidence that will definitively improve patient outcomes and performance of the healthcare sector.

Professor Caroline Finch AO – Representing the University sector

Professor Caroline Finch AO is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) at Edith Cowan University (ECU), a role she has held since 2018.  She is a highly accomplished academic and world-renowned public health focused injury prevention researcher. Over her career, she has authored 600+ publications and received >$24M in health-related research funding, including as an NHMRC Principal Research Fellow (2004-2017) and holder of continual and multiple ARC and NHMRC grants over 2004-2020.

Following her MSc and PhD in mathematical statistics, she has worked as an epidemiologist and public health researcher since the mid-1980s. She has received formal international recognition as one of Australia’s leading injury prevention and injury surveillance experts. At ECU, she maintains her international research leadership and has been the Editor-in-Chief of the prestigious international peer-review journal BMJ) Injury Prevention since late 2022.

Her influential research outcomes have directly informed the implementation and evaluation of health and safety policies and programs for Government Departments of Health and Sport, health promotion/injury prevention agencies, and peak sports bodies worldwide. In 2018, she was appointed as an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for her distinguished service to sports medicine, particularly in the area of injury prevention as an educator, researcher and author, and to the promotion of improved health in athletes and those who exercise.

Mr Steve Arnott – Representing the Medical Research Institute sector

Mr Robert Toms – Representing the Public Health Care sector

Mr Robert Toms joined North Metropolitan Health Service in late 2024 and has a proven track record of leading and transforming large and complex organisations, developing the consumer experience, implementing corporate strategy and improving operational performance.

Robert is passionate about creating engaging workplaces and healthy cultures which enable positive staff experience, and great outcomes for patients and consumers.

Prior to this role, he was the Chief Executive at Health Support Services, where he gained considerable experience in information and communication technology, procurement, corporate finance, supply chain management and workforce services within the modern healthcare environment.

Robert has worked across a number of industries and countries and has previously held senior leadership positions at Western Power and Rio Tinto.

Robert has a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Business Administration from Nottingham Trent University and Master of Business Administration from the University of West London.

Professor Desiree Silva – Representing the Private Health Care sector

Desiree Silva is the Professor of Paediatrics at Joondalup Health Campus (JHC) (part of Ramsay Health Care) and the University of Western Australia. She is also the inaugural Director of Research at JHC and was Head of Paediatrics and Neonatology at JHC for 14 years (2007-2021).

She qualified as a doctor in the UK and completed her paediatric specialist training in Western Australia and Northern Territory. She has a strong interest in early identification and evidence-based management of neurodevelopmental disorders and an advocate for improving the lives of families with mental health conditions, having published the ADHD GO-TO GUIDE for parents and teachers.

She is currently the project co-director for the ORIGINS study, which is a community intervention birth cohort that will generate a new research platform with a strong translational focus. Desiree is keen to promote a good work life balance through being active, adventure and nature connectedness.

Dr Stacey Waters – Representing the WA Department of Health

Stacey Waters is the Executive Director, Research and Innovation at the Department of Health.

Stacey is passionate about evidence-informed, prevention-focussed research conducted with integrity, formed over many years leading intervention research with children and young people as well as teaching research methods to emerging researchers.

Building on this strong academic background, Stacey now leads the Office of Medical Research and Innovation with a vision to position Western Australia as the home of timely and relevant funding opportunities, supported by fit for purpose policies and processes in an ecosystem where world-class infrastructure is readily available to allow research and innovation to thrive.

Professor Romola Bucks – Representing the Centre Agent

Born and educated in the UK, Romola obtained her qualification in Clinical Psychology at the University of Birmingham, UK, in 1991, before specializing in Clinical Neuropsychology. In Australia, Romola is a Psychology Board of Australia endorsed Clinical Psychologist. She obtained her PhD in Cognitive Neuropsychology at the University of Bristol and moved to the University of Western Australia in 2007.

Whilst publishing work across the lifespan, she is internationally recognised for her work in the diagnosis of cognitive decline and dementia, and for her expertise in the cognitive and affective consequences of key disorders of ageing, including obstructive sleep apnoea and Alzheimer’s.

In 2018, she was made a Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science for her contribution to the field. A former Head of the School of Psychological Science and Deputy Executive Dean of the Faculty of Science, UWA, Romola is the Director of the Raine Study – https://rainestudy.org.au/ and Pro Vice Chancellor (Health and Medical Research), at the University of Western Australia.

Professor Rhonda Marriott AM – Representing the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples

Inaugural Pro Vice Chancellor, Ngangk Yira Institute for Change, and Director of the Yorga, Maaman and Koolanga Research and Advocacy Centre, Murdoch University. AM., PhD., RN., Midwife, Fellow CATSINaM.

Matrilineally descended from the Nyikina people of the Kimberley, Prof Marriott, AM has extensive senior University leadership experience, and maintains her professional connection with nursing and midwifery. She champions the translation of co-designed maternal, early childhood and youth research outcomes into national policy and practice to emphasise the strengthening of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander family futures through transformational research.

As PVC for the Ngangk Yira Institute for Change, she has drawn together a passionate team of Aboriginal and non-indigenous researchers for meaningful research partnerships with Elders and members from Aboriginal communities across Western Australia. Rhonda’s Birthing on Noongar Boodjar project was voted ’10 of the Best’ by NHMRC and she has very recently been presented with the Dr Lowitja O’Donoghue Leadership Award at the 2024 CATSINaM Conference which she was honored to receive.

Ms Rael Rivers – Consumer Representative

Rael is the Executive Manager, Strategic Programs at Respiratory Care WA and has worked in the public and community health sector for more than 13 years in a variety of program management and service development roles. Prior to her work at Respiratory Care WA, Rael spent six years at the WA Country Health Service developing specialist training pathways for Junior Doctors in rural WA and coordinating medical education.

Rael has been involved in research for more than 10 years as a person with lived experience, as an associate investigator, and is currently on the Scientific Advisory Committee for the Wal-yan Respiratory Research Centre. She is involved in informing numerous respiratory research projects using her lived experience as an adult and parent of three children with asthma.

She has worked closely with the WAHTN CCIProgram in a number of ways, including co-presenting in their Masterclass Series. Rael enjoys assisting researchers communicate in plain language, utilising her skills as a teacher and understanding of learning principles, to help them succeed in communicating to consumers and research participants. Rael’s consumer experience also involves assessing and reviewing individual grant applications together with being a member of grant assessment panels. She is passionate about guiding and supporting research with a lived experience voice to enhance the translation process to make a difference in people’s lives.

Dr Debra Turner- Ex officio

Dr Debbie Turner is the General Manager of the Western Australian Health Translation Network (WAHTN), a role formed from the merger of her previous positions as WAHTN Chief Operating Officer (2018–2024) and WAHTN Acting Executive Director (2023). She leads the WAHTN on behalf of the Board and the Partner Organisations, which are comprised of 21 diverse organisations across the WA health research sector, including state government, universities, medical research institutes and health service providers.

Debbie brings over three decades of experience in medical research and public sector leadership. Prior to WAHTN, she held senior roles within the WA Department of Health, including Director of the Offices of the Chief Medical Officer and Assistant Director General of Clinical Services and Research, and the Disability sector. Her research career of 20+years focused on respiratory health, particularly asthma, inflammatory lung disease, viral respiratory infections, and the effects of environmental irritants on lung growth and development. Debbie has a BSc(Hons) and PhD from The University of Western Australia and undertook 4 years of postdoctoral studies at McGill University, Montreal, Canada. She has published widely, led successful research teams, and secured competitive grant funding.

In addition to her research experience, Debbie is recognised for her expertise in health policy, strategic planning, and executive management. She works with an array of stakeholders across the health and medical research sector, represents WAHTN on the Australian Health Research Alliance Council, and contributes to the sector through numerous board, committee, and advisory roles at local and national levels.