The Board of HMRI is responsible for the strategic direction and management of HMRI. The Directors of the Board include nominees from Hunter New England Health, the University of Newcastle and the community. Collectively, the Directors bring a wealth of business, academic and research experience to the Board.
Community representatives
Mr Robert Kennedy
Chair, HMRI Board
Mr Kennedy is a former Managing Director of Masterfoods Australia with experience in major corporations in Australia, New Zealand and Asia. With his wife Terry, Mr Kennedy runs Beyond Broke Vineyard in the Hunter Valley, which recently completed its eleventh vinetage. He is President of the Broke Fordwich Wine Growers Association and a committee member of the Hunter Valley Vineyard Association. He also serves on the trustee board of the Masterfoods Superannuation Fund. From March 2006 to October 2007 Mr Kennedy chaired the HMRI Foundation, HMRI's marketing and fundraising arm.
Mr Hilton Grugeon AM
Investor and Company Director
Hilton Grugeon is a prominent Hunter business identity, probably best-known for his involvement with Hunter Land, a local development company responsible for industrial, commercial and residential developments. The sheer scope of Mr Grugeon's business interests means he is involved with a variety of industries and organisations. He is vocal in his support of local business and enterprise as a driver for local employment.
Mr Geoff Leonard
Managing Director and Principal, Leonard Investment Group
Mr Leonard is a Chartered Accountant, specialising in corporate advice. He has extensive public corporation and health care related experience as a Director, and was Chair of HMRI from February 1998 to February 2003. His ongoing contribution to Newcastle and the Hunter Region was recognised in 2000 when he was awarded the University of Newcastle Newton-John Award. In 2002 Mr Leonard received an honorary Doctorate of Business from the University of Newcastle. He is Chairman of the University of Newcastle Board of Advice for the Faculty of Business and Law, The University of Newcastle Research Associates (TUNRA), and Chairman of the Salvation Army Newcastle Division Advisory Board. Mr Leonard is also a Council Member and Audit Committee Memeber for The University of Newcastle. His commercial background includes private hospital and health care management throughout Australia.
Mr Neville Sawyer
Further information coming soon
HNE Health Representatives
Professor Eileen Doyle
Company Director
Professor Doyle was appointed as Director of the HMRI Board in August 2003. She holds a PhD in Applied Statistics (Epidemiology) and is a Conjoint Lecturer in the Graduate School of Business at the University of Newcastle. Prof Doyle is the Chair of Port Waratah Coal Services and the Hunter Valley Research Foundation. She is also a Director of OneSteel, State Super Financial Services, Ross Human Directions Limited and Steel & Tube Holdings Limited (NZ Company).
Ms Tracey McCosker
Director of Clinical Operations, Hunter New England Health
Ms McCosker has been a Director of the HMRI Board since 2004. With a background in accounting and the private health sector, Tracey joined Hunter Health in August 1992 (to May 1995) as Business Manager for the Hunter Area Pathology Service. She was appointed as Director of Finance in November 1998. Her role expanded in 1999 to incorporate responsibilities for Aged Care and Rehabilitation Services (ACARS). Tracey's role further expanded in 2003 with the integration of ACARS and Community Health. Tracey is also on the Board of Life Without Barriers, a non government organisation that assists people in the community with disabilities. In 2007, Tracey was appointed Director of Clinical Operations at Hunter New England Health.
Professor Brian English
Retired Academic
Professor Brian English's distinguished academic career spans both his chosen discipline of social work and university administration. Professor English held the positions of the University of Newcastle Foundation Professor of Social Work and Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the time of his retirement in 2005. He is currently a Director of the Samaritan Foundation and Mercy Health Care. Other current memberships include the Internal Audit Committee of the Hastings City Council and Centacare Advisory Board.
University of Newcastle Representatives
Professor Mike Calford
Pro Vice-Chancellor (Health), the University of Newcastle
Professor Calford is an internationally acclaimed Neuroscientist. He is also Chair of Human Physiology and Head of the Faculty of Health's School of Biomedical Sciences. Professor Calford's degree qualifications, a Bachelor of Science (with Honours) and a Doctor of Philosophy, are from Monash University. He has a number of awards including a Queen Elizabeth ll Fellowship, the inaugural Australian Medical Research Award of the Australian Society for Medical Research and an NHMRC Research Fellowship. Professor Calford is also the Director for CRC for Asthma Inc Ltd.
Professor Barney Glover
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), the University of Newcastle
Professor Barney Glover is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) of the University of Newcastle. He also holds an Adjunct Professorial Fellowship in the WA Centre of Excellence in Industrial Optimization. Professor Glover has held various Board positions on Cooperative Research Centres and other research organisations and maintains a strong interest in research management and professional development. He has also held positions at several Australian universities and has an extensive research background in applied mathematics and mathematics education. Professor Glover graduated from the University of Melbourne in 1993 with a PhD in Applied Mathematics, he also holds Bachelor of Science (Honours) and Master of Science degrees and a Diploma in Education from the University of Melbourne.
Professor Nicholas Saunders
Vice-Chancellor & President, the University of Newcastle
Nicholas Saunders MD, FRACP, FRCP(C) commenced his five year term as Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Newcastle in October 2004. Prior to this he was Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Services at Monash University. Over the years he has served on many national committees and councils relevant to higher education and research. He was Chair of the National Health and Research Council (2000-2003) and served on the Higher Education Council, the Prime Minister's Science Engineering and Innovation Council, Torres Strait Islander Health Council, and the Committee of Deans of Australian Medical Schools (Chair (2000-2002). Professor Saunders is the Director of the Graduate Careers Council and the Hunter Business Chamber. He is also the Director of Neurosciences Australia Limited and the University of Newcastle Research Associates (TURNA). Professor Sauders was awarded the Centenary Medal from the Commonwealth Government for his contribution to academic medicine in 2002.
HMRI Director
Professor Maree Gleeson
Director, Hunter Medical Research Institute
Professor Gleeson was appointed as the Director of HMRI in November 2006. Under her directorship HMRI will develop and implement strategies to enhance health and medical research in the Hunter region and to promote the research undertaken by HMRI. Professor Gleeson was the Inaugural Director of Medical Research in the NSW Ministry for Science and Medical Research (2004 – 2006), where she was responsible for strategic planning for growth and innovation of medical research in NSW and funding of health and medical research programs by the NSW Government.
Professor Gleeson is an immunologist, with over twenty-eight years experience in diagnostic pathology, and was previously the Director of Immunology in the Hunter Area Pathology Service. Holding an appointment at the University of Newcastle, Professor Gleeson’s research focuses on the impact of respiratory infections on disease outcomes and spans the fields of asthma and allergy, sudden infant death syndrome, infections in premature birth and exercise immunology.
In addition to serving on a number of Federal and State Government scientific advisory committees, Professor Gleeson is a Member of the Board of Directors of Alzheimer’s Australia NSW. She is active in community service through Rotary International, in particular the Australian Rotary Health Research Fund mentorship program.
HMRI Foundation Chair
Mr Glenn Turner
Chair, HMRI Foundation
Mr Turner had a thirty-year career at senior executive level in the mining services, manufacturing, engineering and contracting sectors in Australia, as well as USA, China, South American, South Africa and India. He is an accountant by training but has always worked in commercial and management roles in engineering/manufacturing/construction organisations. He occupies non executive roles in public and private companies in a variety of industries and the services sector.
