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.

Professor Kirsten Perrett, Director

Professor Kirsten 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. 

• Professor Kirsten Perrett, Allergy Research Hub Lead
• Professor Janet Davies, Repository & Discovery Hub Lead 
• Associate Professor Jennifer Koplin, Evidence & Translation Hub Lead
• Professor 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.

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

Pillar Project Officers

• Tanya O'Farrell, Pillar 1 Senior Project Officer
• Dr Catherine Hornung, Pillar 3 Senior Project Officer

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: Professor Michaela Lucas and Associate Professor Jason Trubiano 
• Group members: Dr Sara Barnes, Professor Andrew Carr, Professor Suran Fernando, Dr Jason Fok, Dr Alka Garg, Dr Pravin Hissaria, Dr Jamma Li, Associate Professor Katrina Randall, Dr James Yun

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

• Co-chairs: Professor 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: Professor Janet Davies and Dr Joy Lee 
• Group members: Associate Professor Raewyn Campbell, Professor Daniel Chambers, Professor Jo Douglass, Professor Connie Katelaris, Dr Frank Kette, Professor Adrian Lowe, Dr Richard Nolan, Professor 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
• Richard Hall, Senior Data Manager
• Edith Tse, Project Coordinator
• Mark Farrell, Project Officer