Professor Maria Kavallaris AM

Non-Executive Director
Appointed May 2024

Experience and Expertise

Professor Maria Kavallaris, AM FAHMS FRSN is a Founding Director of the Australian Centre for NanoMedicine, UNSW Sydney, and Head of Translational Cancer Nanomedicine at the Children’s Cancer Institute. Maria is internationally recognised for her significant contributions to cancer research and the development of nanotechnology-based therapeutics and diagnostics. The impact of her research and contributions has been recognised with receipt of prizes and awards and include Australian Museum Eureka Prizes in 2007 and 2021, AFR/Westpac 100 Women of Influence, 2017 Premiers Science and Engineering Award for Leadership in Innovation, 2019 Lemberg Medal, and the 2020 NSW Premier’s Woman of the Year.

Maria served as President of the Australian Society for Medical Research and is a Member of Council of QIMR Berghofer. Recognised by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) in 2014 as an Australian ‘high achiever’ in health and medical research, she contributed to high level policy on government panels including NHMRC and the Medical Research Future Fund. She is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences and a Fellow of the Royal Society of NSW. In 2019, Maria was appointed a Member (AM) of the Order of Australia for her significant service to medicine, and to medical research, in the field of childhood and adult cancers.

Committees

• Co-Chair, Research Advisory Committee.