Our people

From our International Scientific Advisory Board to world-leading allergy researchers, each member of our team is committed to helping transform the lives of Australians living with allergic disease.

Associate Professor Kirsten Perrett, Director

A/Prof Perrett is Director of the National Allergy Centre of Excellence (NACE) and the Centre for Food & Allergy Research (CFAR), hosted at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI). She is also Group Leader of the MCRI Population Allergy Group; a Paediatric Allergist and Vaccinologist at The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne and an Honorary Principal Fellow at The University of Melbourne.  A/Prof Perrett has received more than $44.3 million in competitive, government, philanthropic and industry research funding and has more than 100 peer-reviewed publications. Her research has helped shape world-wide changes to food allergy prevention, diagnosis and management. 

Executive Committee

An appointed Executive Committee includes the NACE Director and four Pillar Leads. The Executive Committee is responsible to the Federal Government for delivering the NACE activities. The NACE International Scientific Advisory Board and Management Office support the Executive Committee. 

• A/Prof Kirsten Perrett, Allergy Research Hub Lead
• Prof Janet Davies, Repository & Discovery Hub Lead 
• A/Prof Jennifer Koplin, Evidence & Translation Hub Lead
• Prof Dianne Campbell, Training & Innovation Hub Lead

Leadership Group

The NACE Leadership Group includes the Executive Committee and elected co-Chairs of the four research Stream Advisory Groups.

• A/Prof Kirsten Perrett, NACE Director and Allergy Research Hub Lead
• Prof Janet Davies, Repository & Discovery Hub Lead
• A/Prof Jennifer Koplin, Evidence & Translation Hub Lead
• Prof Dianne Campbell, Training & Innovation Hub Lead
• Prof Michaela Lucas and A/Prof Jason Trubiano, Drug Allergy Stream Co-chairs  
• Prof Mimi Tang and A/Prof Debbie Palmer, Food Allergy Stream Co-chairs  
• Prof Sheryl van Nunen and Dr Troy Wanandy, Insect Allergy Stream Co-chairs  
• Prof Janet Davies and Dr Joy Lee, Respiratory Allergy Stream Co-chairs 

NACE Streams

Streams for each allergy discipline – drug, food, insect and respiratory – act as a sustainable framework for collaboration and communication among allergy researchers across Australia, and contribute to the activities of the NACE related to each Stream of research. Stream membership is free and open to anyone to join with cross-discipline membership encouraged. An elected Stream Advisory Group leads each Stream. Become a NACE member

Stream Advisory Groups

The groups comprise of voluntary representatives from a range of expertise, including clinical trials, laboratory science, epidemiology and more. Each group elected two co-Chairs in 2022, who also form part of the Leadership Group. Stream Advisory Groups meet quarterly and provide advice and input into the NACE Pillar activities on behalf of the wider Stream each represents.

• Co-Chairs: Prof Michaela Lucas and A/Prof Jason Trubiano 
• Group members: Dr Sara Barnes, Prof Andrew Carr, Prof Suran Fernando, Dr Jason Fok, Dr Alka Garg, Dr Pravin Hissaria, Dr Jamma Li, A/Prof Katrina Randall, Dr James Yun

• Co-Chairs: A/Prof Debbie Palmer and Prof Mimi Tang  
• Group members: Dr Sarah Ashley, Prof Dianne Campbell, Dr Lara Ford, Dr Peter Hsu, A/Prof Jennifer Koplin, A/Prof Alice Lee, Dr Melanie Lloyd, Dr Paxton Loke, Prof Andreas Lopata, Dr Vicki McWilliam, Dr Merryn Netting, Dr Michael O'Sullivan, A/Prof Kirsten Perrett, A/Prof Rachel Peters, Prof Tri Phan, Ms Sigrid Pitkin, A/Prof Kristina Rueter, Dr Thimo Ruethers, Prof Richard Saffery, Dr Winnie Tong, Prof Valerie Verhasselt

• Co-Chairs: Prof Sheryl van Nunen and Dr Troy Wanandy 
• Group members: Dr Matthew Krummenacher, Dr Wun YJ Lau, Dr Adriana Le, Dr Emily Mulcahy, Dr Raymond Mullins, Dr Kymble Spriggs, Dr Chino Yuson, Dr Celia Zubrinich

• Co-Chairs: Prof Janet Davies and Dr Joy Lee 
• Group members: A/Prof Raewyn Campbell, Prof Daniel Chambers, Prof Jo Douglass, Prof Connie Katelaris, Dr Frank Kette, A/Prof Adrian Lowe, Dr Richard Nolan, Prof Frank Thien 

International Scientific Advisory Board

Our Board members generously volunteer their time and expertise to help the NACE deliver our vision of dramatically accelerating allergy research in Australia. The Board provides governance and strategic direction, including financial and risk management and support of the Executive Committee’s work.

• Members to be announced

Consumer Advisory Group

The NACE Consumer Advisory Group provides essential lived-experience information to help ensure the work of the NACE has a real-life impact for consumers, health professionals and the community.

• Members to be announced

Management Office

The appointed NACE Management Office supports the Executive Committee and oversees the NACE operations, partnerships, business management and communications.

• Dr Angela Young, Projects and Partnerships Manager
• Tenaya Jamieson, Business and Operations Manager
• Harriet Edmund, Communications Manager