Master of Pharmaceutical Industry Practice Advisory Board Acknowledgement

Charles Rossis the Director of Operational Excellence at Vaxxas, and has over 20 years’ experience in the manufacture of sterile pharmaceutical products.

He has worked as a project manager at CSL both in Melbourne and Switzerland where he managed the development of a novel aseptic manufacturing process. Following his work at CSL, Charles worked as a GMP consultant specialising in sterile facility design, commissioning and validation before taking on the role as General Manager of a Contract Manufacturing Organisation.

Dr Jan Lewis is an associate medical director at AbbVie Australia & New Zealand. Graduating from the UCL School of Pharmacy in the UK, Jan began his healthcare career as a hospital pharmacist, later specialising in oncology and haematology. After relocating to Australia in 2001, Jan made the move into the pharmaceutical industry a couple of years later. His commercial career commenced with a local affiliate role at AstraZeneca Australia as Oncology Development Associate in 2003 and progressed to 2014 with his appointment to a global Research and Development Medical Affairs leadership role, responsible for building and leading medical evidence plans in the delivery of non-interventional, phase 3b and 4 studies for a newly developed oncology product, Lynparza. Jan returned to Australia in 2017 to complete a PhD thesis titled 'Personalised Medicine: Disruption and Transformation' at Sydney University, which highlighted the disruptive nature of personalized medicine and the impact of this movement on existing drug development and approval paradigms.

Jan has been an active member of Medicines Australia, having led a Real-World Evidence Working Group as part of an oncology industry taskforce. Jan currently sits as an executive member of the Australian Pharmaceutical Medical and Scientific Professionals Association, APPA. As an advocate for the role of pharmacists in the industry and medical affairs in particular, Jan provides experience and perspectives on the opportunities that exist for pharmacy graduates interested in a rewarding and personally fulfilling pharmaceutical industry career.

Jarrod Belcher, Director, REDI Initiative, MTPConnect

Jarrod Belcher is MTPConnect’s Director of the REDI program. He has nearly 20 years’ experience working with companies to help solve their human resource needs. Jarrod has a history of assisting companies and industries achieve their potential through skilling workforces across Australia, the Pacific, Asia and Middle East, to government, NGO and corporate clients utilising innovative practices to embed and apply newly developed skills and behaviours. Jarrod also led the first vocational Bachelor of Biotechnology course delivered in a TAFE. He previously was a co-founder of a life science company. 
 

Maree Smith AC is Emeritus Professor and Director of the Centre for Integrated Preclinical Drug Development (CIPDD) in the School of Biomedical Sciences at The University of Queensland.

Internationally, Professor Smith is a leading researcher in biomedical discovery/translation with particular expertise in the novel pain therapeutics field. She is inventor on a patented novel analgesic technology that was licensed to the UQ spin-out company, Spinifex Pharmaceuticals, for commercialization.

In 2015, Spinifex was acquired by Novartis. In the period, 2005-2017, she guided the establishment, growth and industry engagement of the CIPDD and its commercial interface, TetraQ, through skilful strategic and scientific leadership of a high-performing team that collectively completed more than 700 contract-funded R&D studies in collaboration with >200 industry and academic clients in the biotech sector.

Although her focus is on IP-sensitive research, she has maintained an excellent publication output, with 200 publications to date. She has also advised/co-advised 33 PhD students and >50 Research Masters/Honours students to completion, as well as mentored numerous researchers over the past several decades.

Melissa is the Director of the Queensland Department of Health’s Queensland Clinical Trials Coordination Unit (QCTCU).

Melissa started her career with GSK after completing her undergraduate Science (Pharmacology) degree from The University of Queensland. She used her clinical trial management experience to then manage the Quintiles Educational Services Australia and New Zealand team, before leading ARCS to develop their professional services curriculum and business expansion.

Melissa currently Co-Chairs the national Clinical Trials Collaborative Forum, as a platform for industry and governments to share and not to duplicate efforts, and QCTCU has established the Queensland Clinical Trials Consortium to progress national and international business development opportunities.

Melissa actively engages in improving research efficiencies and a highlight is implementing and building on the National Mutual Acceptance (NMA) of Ethics reviews scheme, (creating the world’s largest ethics committee network with 365 meetings per year). Her team is pivotal in streamlining national clinical trial contracts and implementing teletrials on a national scale.

Professor Victoria Elegant joined Amgen in October 2016 and was Vice-President, JAPAC(Asia Pacific) Regional Medical Head, and Global Lead, Access to Medicines. She left Amgen in 2024, and is now consulting and teaching.

Prof Elegant is a physician who joined the pharmaceutical industry after postgraduate training in obstetrics and gynaecology in the United Kingdom. She has held positions in global drug development, medical affairs, regulatory affairs and drug safety in Japan, Australia, Europe and Asia. Prior to Amgen, Prof Elegant was the Vice-President, Regulatory and Medical Affairs, APAC, based in Shanghai for 10 years for Baxter, and Vice President, Medical Affairs, Asia for Shire. She has extensive experience in pharmaceuticals, biologics, and devices.

Prof Elegant is a Fellow of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine and a member of the FPM Global Committee. She is on the Board of Studies for the Masters in Pharmaceutical Medicine, UNSW, and Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney. She is also on the advisory committee for the Pharmaceutical Industry Practice, UQ, and the Advisory Board for the Masters in Pharmaceutical Medicine, University of Sydney.

She is a founding member of the China Medical Affairs Network, and President of the Asia Pacific chapter of the Medical Affairs Professional Society(MAPS). She is also on the Hong Kong stock exchange biotech advisory panel.

She has published extensively on regulatory affairs, medical affairs and clinical development in the Asia Pacific region, and has been invited speaker, panelist and chair at numerous forums.

Born in Hong Kong, Prof Elegant holds her medical degree from the University of London. Her passion is improving standards of care and outcomes for patients in Asia Pacific. She has 3 children and 3 dogs, sails and lives in Hong Kong.

Associate Director, Clinical Trials, Gallipoli Medical Research

Dr Suzanne Elliott joined the Gallipoli Medical Research Foundation as Associate Director of Clinical Trials at the Greenslopes Private Hospital in 2016. 

Commencing her career in Medical Laboratory Science in pathology laboratories she transitioned to a QUT academic career in molecular oncology research where her work and staff training was used to establish the Mater Hospital molecular laboratory. Under the CRC –Vaccine Technology, she developed animal vaccine models for vaccine development platforms at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research, culminating in a proof-of-concept T-cell based EBV vaccine trial and adoptive immunotherapy. 

As the Clinical and Regulatory Affairs Manager of Vaccine Solutions, she managed the CRC-Vaccine Solutions vaccine platform project management. Suzanne was the first QIMR Berghofer Regulatory Affairs Manager, overseeing the administration of the Institutes ethics committees and the QIMR investigator initiated clinical trials of unique oncology cell-based and infectious disease clinical trials, including malaria challenge vaccine trials. 

As Chief Scientific Officer and Operations Manager, Suzanne oversaw complex Phase I clinical trials and introduced vaccine trials at Q-Pharm, a spin off University of Queensland Company. A total of 29 vaccine trials during her 13 year period saw the introduction of GMO trials, vaccine-vaccine interaction trials and a total of 26 malaria challenge trials of novel malaria drugs under development by the Medicine for Malaria Venture organisation. Suzanne represented Queensland Biotech as part of the Life Science Queensland entourage at several overseas Bio’s, where Q-Pharm was recognised as a premier Early Phase company by Big Pharma, CRO’s and both local and international biotech companies. 

Suzanne now leads an Australian recognised leading patient base clinical trial unit and is passionate about STEM student career pathways in the biotech and clinical trial areas.

Senior Director, Clinical Monitoring, Medpace

RN, MBA

Sharon is currently VP, Clinical Operations at ProPharma, based in Australia, responsible for growing the corporate clinical trial footprint capability and establishing infrastructure to support global and local clients in APAC. With breadth and depth of 29 years’ experience in the healthcare sector across geographies, functions (corporate, clinical, medical affairs, sales/marketing, corporate communications, BD), she has assisted biotechs and CROs in clinical and commercial development, strategic information management and M&A diligence and integration. Sharon’s expertise includes strategic product development planning and execution, clinical trial program planning and management, and her functional expertise spans all areas of clinical operations and includes clinical trial site-side experience. Sharon has held leadership positions at various global and local Biotech companies, such as CSL, Mesoblast, Biogen and Paradigm, and has led the growth of 2 global CROs in the APAC region.

In addition to her support of the UQ Master of Pharmaceutical Industry Practice Advisory Board, Sharon further supports industry through her activities with the Australian RDTF, ABCTAG, Australia’s Cell and Gene Catalyst Policy and Advocacy Expert Working Group, SBE Australia, IMNIS mentoring, and numerous other government and industry consultations.

IQVIA

Dr Tim Boyle is the Chief Executive Officer of ARCS Australia, the leading professional association for the medtech and pharmaceutical sector. With over two decades of experience spanning academia, industry, government, and not-for-profits, Tim has established himself as a strategic leader in research enterprise, commercialisation, and stakeholder engagement.

Tim holds a PhD in Medicinal Chemistry from the University of Wollongong and has extensive expertise in technology transfer, business development, and innovation management. Before joining ARCS Australia, he held senior leadership roles at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), where he spearheaded the development of translational research facilities for radioligand therapoy and radioembolism devices and founded the nandin Innovation Centre, which was Australia’s largest science-based startup incubator. He has also served as Executive Chair of the Alliance of Technology Transfer Professionals (ATTP), leading the global professional accreditation framework for research commercialisation.

Under Tim’s leadership, ARCS Australia has expanded its professional development offerings to a lifelong learning model, introduced a core competency framework, and established globally recognised credentials for professionals in clinical research, regulatory affairs, and pharmacovigilance. His commitment to fostering industry collaboration and professional excellence has been instrumental in shaping ARCS as a key driver of workforce capability in the sector.

A recognised thought leader in innovation and commercialisation, Tim has held governance and advisory roles with organisations such as Knowledge Commercialisation Australasia, the NSW Innovation and Productivity Council, and the National Imaging Facility. He is also an Adjunct Professor at Swinburne University’s Design Factory Melbourne, where he contributes to research and industry collaboration initiatives.

Tim is a Medtech and Pharmaceutical Professional (MMPP),  Chartered Chemist (MRACI CChem), a Registered Technology Transfer Professional (RTTP), and a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD). He continues to advocate for the professionalisation of the medtech and pharmaceutical workforce, ensuring that industry professionals have the skills and credentials needed to thrive in a rapidly evolving landscape.

Heath Badger is the Chief Operating Officer - Research for Breast Cancer Trials, not for profit collaborative clinical trials group. Heath joined BCT in 2002 and has more than 20 years of experience in the design, coordination and conduct of international multicentre collaborative group breast oncology clinical trials. Heath’s primary role with BCT is to facilitate the coordination of BCT’s current research portfolio delivering complex system solutions in support of excellence in clinical trial execution. In his time with BCT Heath has been the operational lead for more than 30 national and international breast cancer clinical trials recruiting more than five and a half thousand participants. A significant component of Heath's work over 20 years has been to lead Information Systems development projects working closely with software engineer experts to develop Clinical Trial Management systems which are used daily in the design, setup and coordination of BCT’s clinical trials program.

Heath has been engaged in policy and consultation work with the TGA, Cancer Australia, Australian Clinical Trials Alliance and Australian Research Data Commons.  He is a member for the BCT Scientific Advisory Committee, a member of the Australian Clinical Trials Alliance Network Manager Special Interest Group and represents BCT within Health Data Australia and the Health Studies Australian National Data Asset program.  

Dr Krishan Thiru is Medical Director for Pfizer Australia. He has more than 15 years’ experience in the innovative medicines industry spanning multiple therapeutic portfolios. Prior to joining industry, Krishan worked in clinical medicine in hospital and community settings in metropolitan and regional Australia. He obtained his medical degree from the University of Sydney, is a Senior Fellow of the International Federation of Associations of Pharmaceutical Physicians and Pharmaceutical Medicine, Fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and has a Masters in Health Administration from UNSW. Krishan is an Executive Committee Member for Medical Affairs Professionals of Australasia and Scientific Board Member for the Accreditation Council for Medical Affairs.

B.Pharm MBA MPS

Rose-marie is a highly collaborative, customer and commercially focused pharmaceutical professional, manager and leader. She brings over 30 years’ extensive experience across multiple sectors of the pharmaceutical and life sciences industry and a passion for bringing innovative pharmaceuticals to consumers and improving patients’ lives.

Rose-marie is pharmaceutical and life sciences consultant, a pharmacist, mentor, speaker and Leadership and Mindset Coach.  In her consulting business, RMP BioPharma Consulting and as a consultant at My Medical Department where she is the Director of Pharmacovigilance and Quality, she provides services to pharmaceutical companies globally in the areas of Pharmacovigilance, Regulatory and Quality.

In one of her senior management roles, she was Medical Director for 9 years for a European global pharma company, LEO Pharma. In this role she established and managed an ANZ Medical Department and all its responsibilities including acting as QPPV. Previously Rose-marie held senior medical and regulatory roles at Glaxo-Wellcome, 3M Pharmaceuticals and Herron Pharmaceuticals. She also held the role of Business Development Manager at Uniquest / TetraQ (UQ).

Rose-marie has a depth and breadth of knowledge and experience across all medical areas including Pharmacovigilance, Medical Information, Regulatory Affairs, Medical Affairs, Quality Assurance and Marketing Compliance. Having spent most of her career in pharmaceutical organisations (both Global and Australian), Rose-marie has a very good understanding of clients’ needs and understands what is required from the client perspective. She has a proven track record in achieving results, finding creative solutions to problems, building relationships and getting things done with a can-do attitude. Rose-marie is a pharmacist and has an MBA.

Rose-marie is also an Adjunct Lecturer at The University of Queensland and has been a guest lecturer in the MPIP program lecturing and tutoring the Masters students in Pharmacovigilance since August 2022. She enjoys sharing her extensive real world experience with students and inspiring the next generation of pharmaceutical industry professionals. Rose-marie is also a Director and Board member of Co.As.It  Community Services.