The AAMRI represents 54 member organisations in medical research, spanning 19,000 staff and students.
AAMRI President Professor Jonathan Carapetis AM said the board now “properly represents the breadth of talent from women in senior positions in the medical research sector.”
The AAMRI recently stated in its submission to the STEM Decadal Plan that the underrepresentation of women in senior medical research roles is occurring due to women leaving the sector or not being promoted at the mid-career stage.
It noted that 60 per cent of the medical research workforce is female, along with 55 per cent of PhD and Masters students. But more than 70 per cent of those in the highest seniority cohort of medical researchers are male.
“Unlike other STEMM fields — physics, engineering and mathematics — medical research has strong female representation up to postgraduate and junior postdoctoral leave, but women are lost or stalled in their career paths at mid career,” states the AAMRI submission.
The new AAMRI board members joining Carapetis, along with Professor Elizabeth Hartland, Professor Maxine Morand and Peter MacCallum include:
- Scientia Professor Helen Christensen AO, Black Dog Institute (NSW) (pictured above)
- Professor Thomas Kay, St Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research (VIC)
- Professor Sarah Robertson, Robinson Research Institute (SA)
- Professor Peter Schofield AO, Neuroscience Research Australia (NSW)
- Professor Alison Venn, Menzies Institute for Medical Research (TAS)
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