Board and Committees

2025 ASCEPT Board

Associate Professor Bridin Murnion
President
Associate Professor Nicola J. Smith
President Elect
Associate Professor Daniel Wright
Secretary
Associate Professor Hesham Al-Sallami
Treasurer
Dr Luke Grundy
Director and SAC Chair
Associate Professor Kellie Charles
Director and Education Forum Chair
Dr Katie Burns
Director and NZ Forum Chair
Dr Brendan Wilkins
Director and EDI Chair
Professor Arduino Mangoni
Director and ATC Representative
Dr Elizabeth Johnstone
Director and ASCEPT IUPHAR ECR Representative
Dr Slade Matthews
Director and Toxicology Representative
Associate Professor Darren Roberts
Director and AMD Representative (RACP)
Professor Elly Djouma
Director
Associate Professor Andrew Rowland
Director
Dr Chantal Donovan
Director
Dr Chengxue Helena Qin
Director
Dr Betty Exintaris
Prize Coordinator (Observer)

ASCEPT Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Committee

Dr Brendan Wilkins
Chair, LGBTQIA+ representative
Professor Elly Djouma
Immediate Past Chair, CALD/Gender/Family representative
Dr Nilushi Karunaratne
Age/ECR/CALD representative
Dr Rima Caccetta
CALD/Alternate Needs representative
Dr Betty Exintaris
CALD/Ability representative
Associate Professor Tina Hinton
Gender/Family representative
Associate Professor Bridin Murnion
Family representative
Dr Danial Saifuddin
CALD representative
Dr Marina Junqueira Santiago
CALD/Family [caring for adults] representative
Professor Nick Holford (Age representative)
Age representative

Special Interest Groups (SIGs)

Each Special Interest Group elects a Chair and/or Co-Chair, who may be contacted through the ASCEPT Executive Officer.

Cardiovascular
Dr Anida Velagic & Dr Maria Jelinic (Co-Chairs)
 
Clinical Pharmacology
Dr Nicholas Farinola (Chair)
 
Drug Discovery
Assoc Professor Michelle Halls (Chair) & Dr Emma van der Westhuizen (Deputy Chair)
 
Drug Disposition and Response
Dr Cornelia Landersdorfer & Dr Robyn Meech (Co-Chairs)
 
Education Forum
Assoc Professor Tina Hinton (Chair) & Assoc Professor Kellie Charles (Chair Elect)
 
Gastrointestinal-u
Professor Helen Irving & Dr Sab Ventura (Co-Chairs)
 
Innovation and Industry
Professor Kevin Pfleger (Chair) & Dr Nicholas Hunt (Chair Elect)
 
Neuropharmacology
Dr Luke Grundy & Dr Eryn Werry (Co-Chairs)
 
New Zealand Forum
Dr Katie Burns (Chair)
 
Pharmacoepidemiology
Dr Edwin Tan (Chair) & Dr Mouna Sawan (Deputy Chair)
 
Pharmacogenomics
Dr Nuala Helsby (Chair) & Professor Andrew Somogyi (Immediate Past Chair)
 
Toxicology
Professor Garth Maker (Chair) & Dr Slade Mathews (Deputy Chair)
 
Respiratory and Inflammation
Dr Simone De Luca (Chair) & Dr Chantal Donovan (Deputy Chair)
 
Student Forum
Deidree Somanader & Lorna Pairman (Co-Chairs)
 

Associate Professor Bridin Murnion

President
St Vincents Hospital Sydney/UNSW

Associate Professor Murnion studied Pharmacology and Medicine at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. She holds 3 fellowships: FRACP in Clinical Pharmacology, FFPMANZCA and FAChAM.

She is currently a Senior Staff Specialist in Clinical Pharmacology at St Vincents Hospital Sydney and Clinical Pharmacology/Addiction Medicine at Northern Sydney Local Health District. She is Conjoint Associate Professor, School of Medicine and Health, University of New South Wales and Clinical Associate Professor, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney. Her current research interests focus on the clinical pharmacology of opioids and Quality Use of Medicines in vulnerable populations. 

Associate Professor Nicola J. Smith

President Elect
Head of Pharmacology, UNSW Sydney, Australia

Nicola is a molecular pharmacologist with a longstanding passion for G protein-coupled receptors. She obtained her PhD in pharmacology from the University of Melbourne (Baker Heart Research Institute) before undertaking a CJ Martin NHMRC/NHF post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Glasgow and Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute. At the end of 2019, Nicola relocated her laboratory to UNSW Sydney where she is a teaching and research academic and head of department.

Nicola has been an ASCEPT member since 2002, was an ASCEPT Denis Wade New Investigator, has represented ASCEPT at Science Meets Parliament, and has been the NSW representative on both the Drug Discovery and Cardiovascular SIGs. Since election to the ASCEPT Board of Directors in 2020, she has been Prize Co-ordinator (2020-2021), Chair of the Student Forum (2020-2021), Chair or Co-Chair of ASCEPT’s annual scientific meetings from 2021-2024 and Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) Chair from 2023-2024. Nicola was elected to the role of President-elect at the 2024 AGM.

Associate Professor Daniel Wright

Secretary
Sydney Pharmacy School, University of Sydney

Member of ASCEPT since 2005.
Associate Professor Wright graduated with a BSc(Pharm) from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada in 1986. He holds an MSc in clinical pharmacology (2007), and a PhD in pharmacometrics (2013) from the University of Otago. Dan is the Past President of the New Zealand Forum of ASCEPT (2013-2015) and served as the SAC chair in 2021 and 2022. He co-chaired the ASCEPT ASM for 3 years from 2020-2022. Dan’s research aims to enhance the quantitative understanding of how drug treatments impact human biology and vice versa. The goal is to optimise the safe and effective use of medicines in the clinical setting and improve patient outcomes. His research focuses primarily on dose optimisation, therapeutic drug monitoring, renal drug dosing, and medication adherence.

 

Associate Professor Hesham Al-Sallami

Treasurer
School of Pharmacy, University of Otago

Hesh has been a member of ASCEPT since 2007 and has expertise in clinical pharmacy and clinical pharmacology teaching, research, and practice.

Joining the ASCEPT NZ executive committee in 2016 was an important step that enabled Hesh to give back to the Society and subsequently became the chair of ASCEPT NZ, from 2019 to 2022.
Hesh values the importance of effective communication and a collaborative approach to working within diverse teams such as the ASCEPT Board. Hesh has adeptly served as treasurer over a 10-year period for various scientific and professional societies, including ASCEPT NZ, PAGANZ, and the pharmaceutical society of NZ (PSNZ Otago). Within these roles, Hesh created numerous budgets, coordinated financial transactions, and ensured legal and ethical fiscal compliance.

Dr Luke Grundy

Director and SAC Chair
Flinders University and South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute
Luke Grundy (BSc Hons, PhD) is a Senior Research Fellow in Clinical Pharmacology, and Head of the NeuroUrology research group at Flinders University. His research focusses on understanding the mechanisms of, and identifying novel therapeutic targets for chronic pelvic pain disorders. He is Chair of the ASCEPT Neuropharmacology special interest group, and organised the inaugural ASCEPT Neuropharmacology satellite meeting in 2018. Luke has been actively involved in the ASCEPT ASM as a poster judge since 2016, symposium chair and speaker (2018), and as a member of the ASM organising committee in 2019. He received the CERTARA Young Investigator Award in 2021 for his research identifying novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of chronic pelvic pain.

Associate Professor Kellie Charles

Director and Education Forum Chair
Professor in Pharmacology, University of Sydney

Kellie Charles is an Associate Professor in Pharmacology at The University of Sydney and is a leading Australian health professions educator. She holds a PhD in Medicine (clinical cancer pharmacology, 2004) and a Bachelor of Science (pharmacology and microbiology). She completed postdoctoral research in the field of cancer and immunology pharmacology at Barts Cancer Institute and Queen Mary, University of London, UK. Kellie returned to a lectureship in Pharmacology in 2008 and was awarded a Denis Wade New Investigator Award in 2009 based on her postdoctoral research. Kellie has continued to support and with her PhD students regularly presents at ASCEPT Annual Scientific Meetings. She contributes to the Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacogenomics and Education Special Interest Groups. 

Kellie is a passionate educator and is committed to inspiring and training the next generation of health leaders with future-oriented skills and knowledge to explore Australia’s wicked challenges with open, respectful curiosity. She aims to improve student’s ability to problem-solve creatively and collaboratively by designing curricula that enhance technological proficiency, critical analysis, ethical acumen, a collaborative spirit, and a commitment to continuous learning. 

In 2018, Kellie pivoted to an education-focused career and has led education research projects amalgamating cutting-edge technological advances and educational pedagogies into innovative inter-professional learning and professional skill development curricula. Her impact in curriculum design has been recognised with the award of an Outstanding Excellence in Teaching Award (ASCEPT, national pharmacology society, 2020), Senior Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy in UK (2021) and Churchill Fellowship investigating AI in higher education (2024). She currently Chairs the ASCEPT Education Forum, that supports enhancing pharmacology education across preclinical, clinical and post-registration training.

Dr Katie Burns

Director and Chair NZ Forum
Senior Research Fellow, School of Medical Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, NZ.
Katie graduated with a PhD in Biomedical Science from the University of Auckland in 2015. Her research is centred around understanding the molecular basis of drug disposition and its impact on the clinical effectiveness and safety of medicines. She has a particular focus on the regulation and activity of drug transporters and metabolic enzymes, and their role in treatment outcomes. Katie currently serves as the ASCEPT NZ Forum Chair and has previously served as treasurer of the ASCEPT NZ Forum (2019-2022), along with conference convenor for the 2018 Annual Scientific Meeting of that forum.

Dr Brendan Wilkins

Director, EDI Chair and LGBTQIA+ representative
School of Biomedical Sciences, UNSW Sydney

Brendan obtained his PhD in Pharmacology and Physiology from UNSW Sydney. His research focuses on the molecular pharmacology of G protein-coupled receptors, particularly those that influence cardiovascular physiology. He is currently a lecturer in the Department of Pharmacology at UNSW Sydney, where he teaches into multiple undergraduate programs, including Medicine, Medical Science, Science, Optometry, Pharmacy, and Exercise Science. Brendan is also an associate fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Brendan currently serves as the ASCEPT Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee Chair and is committed to ensuring an inclusive and culturally safe environment within ASCEPT. He is a proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community and is dedicated to increasing its visibility within the society.

Professor Arduino Mangoni

Director and ATC Representative

Arduino A Mangoni is Strategic Professor of Clinical Pharmacology at Flinders University, Senior Consultant in Clinical Pharmacology and General Medicine and Head of the Department of Clinical Pharmacology at Flinders Medical Centre, Southern Adelaide Local Health Network, Adelaide, Australia. His academic career has focused on investigating the effects of pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions on the cardiovascular system, the identification of new age-related disease biomarkers and drugs targeting arginine metabolic pathways, and the safety and quality use of drugs in older patients. His clinical career has been dedicated to the management of patients with hypertension and cardiovascular risk and the implementation of deprescribing and medication management strategies in older patients.

 

Dr Elizabeth Johnstone

Director and ASCEPT IUPHAR ECR Representative
School of Biomedical Sciences and Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia

Liz Johnstone obtained her PhD in Pharmacology from the University of Western Australia (UWA) in 2016. Since then she has been working as a postdoctoral researcher at the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research/UWA Centre for Medical Research where she studies the molecular pharmacology of receptors. In 2017, she spent a year working part time as Senior Project Officer for Accelerating Australia, a consortium dedicated to promoting biomedical innovation and entrepreneurship. In 2021 she was appointed as a Pharmacology Lecturer in the UWA School of Biomedical Sciences, while she continues her research at the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research. Liz has been a member of ASCEPT since 2011, and has been actively involved in the Drug Discovery SIG throughout that time. Liz is also currently a member of the International Union of Pharmacology Early Career Committee and a Council Member of the Endocrine Society of Australia.

 

Dr Slade Matthews

Director and Toxicology Representative

Slade is a researcher and educator in both pharmacology and toxicology at the University of Sydney School of Pharmacy. His BmedSci (Hons), 1995, included an investigation of copperhead snake venom using classical pharmacological bioassays, chromatography, and electrophysiology. His doctoral research (PhD 2007) focused on the integration of machine learning techniques for cell classification tasks and modelling clinical outcomes in clinical data. He also holds two educational qualifications: a DipEd and a GradCertEd (HigherEd). Slade’s primary research focus is computational toxicology – a fusion of experimental design, statistical analysis, and machine learning. He serves as representative pharmacologist on NSW Health, Poisons Advisory (statutory) Committee and is also an external assessor for TGA Therapeutic Goods Evaluation Panel and also collaborates with AICIS on computational Ames-assay models for mutagenicity chemical assessment. He is Deputy Chair of the ASCEPT Toxicology Special Interest Group and contributes to ASCEPT’s official responses to TGA requests for consultation.

Associate Professor Darren Roberts

Director and AMD Representative (RACP)
Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
Darren Roberts attended his first ASCEPT Annual Scientific Meeting in 1996. He has trained in pharmacy and medicine and is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (FRACP) subspecialising in clinical pharmacology, nephrology and addiction medicine. He is the Medical Director of the NSW Poisons Information Centre and Senior Specialist in Clinical Pharmacology at the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network, Senior Staff Specialist in Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, and Conjoint Associate Professor, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health, UNSW Sydney. His research interests are in the broader fields of clinical pharmacology and toxicology, and evidence-based medicine, including guideline development to facilitate the translation of research into practice.

Professor Elly Djouma

Director
Head of Department of Microbiology, Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology, La Trobe University

Elly Djouma is a Professor of Pharmacology and Head of the Department of Microbiology, Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology at La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia. A Neuropharmacologist by training, Elly’s research focus has been on understanding the neuroscience of addiction. As a passionate educator with over 20 years’ experience in research and tertiary education, Elly holds a Graduate Certificate in Higher Education and is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy in the UK. Recognised for her sustained dedication to teaching excellence, she has received numerous teaching awards for developing and teaching pharmacology curriculum to diverse student cohorts, including the La Trobe Vice Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching in both 2011 and 2019. Since taking on leadership roles in tertiary education, Elly’s interests now focus on pedagogical approaches to learning and teaching. In 2023-2024, Elly served as the inaugural ASCEPT Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Chair and is dedicated to the promotion of an inclusive and diverse society, where every individual feels supported and empowered to access equal opportunities. Elly also currently serves as a Councilor of the International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology Education Section (IUPHAR-Ed).

Associate Professor Andrew Rowland

Director
College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University

Andrew is a Cancer Council Beat Cancer Mid-Career Research Fellow. He leads a dynamic team of scientists at the forefront of advancing extracellular vesicle isolation and analysis platforms for use with biospecimens. Andrew’s team is world leading in the isolation and characterisation of tissue specific EVs from blood and works closely with industry and clinicians to apply this technology to improve patient outcomes by enhancing drug efficacy and minimising harms.

 

Dr Chantal Donovan

Director
Senior Lecturer and co-lead of the ImmunoPharmacology Research Group, University of Technology Sydney

Chantal Donovan is a Senior Lecturer and leader of the ImmunoPharmacology Research Group (IPRG) at the University of Technology Sydney. She has been an ASCEPT member since 2011, is a previous winner of the Garth McQueen Prize (2012) and Denis Wade Young Investigator Award (2016), represented ASCEPT at Science Meets Parliament (2017), was an invited speaker ASCEPT career symposium (2017), and a plenary session chair (2022).


She is also Deputy Chair of the Respiratory and Inflammation SIG. Chantal is committed to creating new opportunities for early and mid-career researchers and educators, and has an ambition to implement new strategies within the society that support emerging leaders.

 

Dr Chengxue Helena Qin

Director
Laboratory Head, Cardiovascular Pharmacology, Monash University

Dr Chenguxue Helena Qin is a NHF Future Fellow, MRFF-REDI Industry Fellow and Monash Talent Accelerator Fellow. Dr Qin is an emerging translational pharmacologist with a research vision to develop “pro-resolving medicines” to treat cardiopulmonary diseases, by employing multi-disciplinary approaches spanning molecular & integrative pharmacology, rational drug design, supported by NHMRC, NHF, MRFF. Her achievements have been recognized by J&J Science Ignite Award, Monash Future Research Leader Award, Hypertension Australia Jaye Chin-Dusting Mid-Career Award, CSANZ Ralph-Reader Prize, ASCEPT-BPS Outstanding Young Investigator Award, 40-under-40 Asian-Australian. She also actively contributes to the field of pharmacology through her leadership roles, including serving on the AcVA Emerging Leaders Committee, as a Global ADDC Director, and organising committee (e.g. APFP, AIM Cardiovascular Symposium). She previously served as the ASCEPT Cardiovascular SIG Co-Chair.

 

Dr Betty Exintaris

Prize Coordinator (Observer)
Faculty of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University

Dr Exintaris is a senior lecturer and Deputy Pharmacy course director, at the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Betty’s discipline research area is urogenital / reproductive physiology and pharmacology. Betty’s education research areas include easing transition burden in 1st year students, building resilience in national and international student cohorts and designing curriculum to enhance teamwork practice.

Betty has been an ASCEPT member since 2000 and recipient of the Dennis Wade New Investigator Award (2007), Gillian Shenfield Early Education Award (2017) and ASCEPT Elizabeth Davis Teaching Excellence Award (2022). From 2013-2022, Betty was the co-chair of the ASCEPT Gastro-urogenital Special Interest Group. She has also previously served on the ASCEPT Board as secretary/company secretary from 2013 to 2018. Betty was elected Prize Coordinator in 2024.

Dr Nilushi Karunaratne

Nilushi or Nel, as many know her, is an Early Career Academic from a CALD background. She has been a member of ASCEPT since being a PhD student. Nel looks forward to representing ECRs on the EDI committee by bringing new ideas to the ASCEPT community.

Dr Rima Caccetta

Rima is a teaching and research academic at Curtin University (WA) with fundamental research across a broad range of areas spanning laboratory, practice, and teaching. Rima is from a marginalised CALD background and has family members of varied faiths and neuro diversities. Rima is passionate about tearing down barriers and enabling everyone to achieve to their potential. Thus, she hopes to promote true inclusivity by challenging restrictive criteria that may exclude or place individuals in silos.

 

Associate Professor Tina Hinton

Director and Education Forum Chair
Sydney School of Pharmacy, University of Sydney

Tina Hinton (BSc Hons, PhD, Grad Dip Sci Psych) is an Associate Professor of Pharmacology at The University of Sydney. She teaches pharmacology to Medical Science, Science, Pharmacy and Medicine students and is involved in biomedical sciences learning and teaching leadership and governance. Tina’s primary research area is neuropharmacology. More recently she has also published on pharmacology curriculum, pharmacology learning activities, and influence of learning space on learner activity.

 

Dr Danial Saifuddin

Danial completed his PhD in Pharmacology from The University of Queensland (UQ). His research interests are developing medicines with less debilitating side effects, in particular opioids. He is an associate lecturer in the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, teaching in the Master’s in Pharmaceutical Industry Practice (MPIP) program, where he teaches courses such as preclinical drug development, pharmaceutical innovation and entrepreneurship.

Danial is part of the ASCEPT Equity, Diversity and Inclusion committee. Hailing from a multicultural country, he intends to foster an environment of inclusivity and ensure the voices of members are heard. He is fluent in multiple languages, including English, Malay and Mandarin.

Dr Marina Junqueira Santiago

Marina is a mid-career academic from a culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) background and a primary carer for an adult with a disability. She earned her PhD in Molecular Pharmacology from Macquarie University, Sydney. Passionate about teaching, Marina strives to create an inclusive and welcoming environment for all students. She is eager to contribute to initiatives that mitigate biases and foster equitable opportunities.

Professor Nick Holford

Professor Holford obtained his medical qualifications (MBChB, MRCP) in the United Kingdom.

In 1983 he moved to Auckland, New Zealand to join the University of Auckland in the Dept of Pharmacology & Clinical Pharmacology. Until 1989 he had a part time appointment as a Specialist in Internal Medicine at Auckland Hospital. During this period he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians. He retired from the University of Auckland as Professor Emeritus of Clinical Pharmacology at the end of 2021.

His interests are in applying pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics to clinical pharmacology and developing tools to aid dose individualisation (www.nextdose.org).

He will be 80 years old in 2026 which may give him some insights into age diversity.