Alan Young was co-author of the Shine Young Report, a review of health and medical research in South Australia commissioned by the South Australian Government which led to the establishment of the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), where he was Co-Founder and Deputy Chair. Mr Young is Co-Founder and Joint Managing Director of Baker Young Limited.

He is also the past Founder/Chair of Belvidere Winery, Chair of the Australian Central School of Art, Chair of Solstice Media (InDaily, New Daily (Melbourne and Sydney), In Queensland and the Weekend Edition, The Post, City-Mag, SA Life magazine, SA Gardens and Outdoor, SA Life Food and Wine, SA Homes and Interiors, InReview (Arts)), Founder/Co-Chair of Breakthrough Mental Health Research Foundation, Founder/Chair of Flinders Bio Medical Engineering, Director of NoQ Holdings US, and Director of eGrowcery (US), and Founder / Director of Little Love Co. Florist.

In 2009 in the Queen’s Birthday Honours, Mr Young was awarded the Order of Australia for service to the community, particularly through business advisory roles within health, medical research and educational organisations including in the visual arts.

In 2013 he was made a Companion of Flinders University, an award recognising his contribution to the University through his commitment to medical research and the visual arts.

Donna Benge is a Partner in Piper Alderman’s Private Client Services team, specialising in personal estate, wills and business succession planning. With a wealth of experience, Donna is renowned for her insights into business and governance issues, family succession, charitable foundations and complex estate plans.

Her expertise in understanding corporate and trust structures means she is invaluable counsel to directors, trustees and fiduciaries and brings extensive insight to bear on the non-for-profit sector, advising charities and donors with a special focus on Private Ancillary Funds. Donna is a full member of STEP, the world’s premier professional organisation for advisors advising families across generations.

She further contributes to her field as the Co-Deputy Chair of STEP South Australia and as an inaugural Director of the Pelvic Pain Foundation of Australia. Recognised for her outstanding contributions, Donna has consistently earned accolades in Doyle’s rankings, being ‘Recommended’ for Estates & Succession Litigation Lawyers in SA since 2015, and ‘Leading’ for Estates & Succession Planning Lawyers in SA since 2017.

Donna embodies excellence in legal expertise and a deep commitment to giving back to the community, making her an invaluable asset to both her clients and the not-for-profit sector.

Professor Raymond Chan is the Deputy Vice Chancellor – Research at Flinders University.

He is also a current National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Investigator Fellow.

His research program aims to optimise models of care and health services’ responses to meet the needs of people affected by cancer. He has secured over $37 million of research funding support and published more than 220 peer-reviewed articles and two book chapters.

Dr Kerrie Freeman is an experienced executive in the leadership of healthcare delivery and transformative change. She is a Doctor of Philosophy in Community Health, an Australian Institute of Company Directors graduate and holds an Adjunct Professorship at the University of Queensland.

Before joining the Southern Adelaide Local Health Network (SALHN) as Chief Executive Officer, Kerrie led health services across the healthcare spectrum in Australia and New Zealand. This included rural and remote Queensland, regional New Zealand, metropolitan Brisbane and surrounds, and quaternary health services at Children’s Health Queensland.

Before SALHN, she was Chief Executive of West Moreton Hospital and Health Service, one of Queensland's most diverse and fastest-growing health services. Here she led a major digital and capital program, as well as leading through the COVID-19 pandemic.

She also has senior executive experience in purchasing health services, implementing large-scale digital change, redeveloping health service infrastructure and leading organisational cultural improvement. Her passion is to serve the community, ensuring health services meet community needs and expectations by taking a population health approach to health strategy.

Michael Michael spearheads the Cancer Research Program at the Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute and oversees the Gene Expression Laboratory at the Flinders Centre for Innovation in Cancer.

After helping to establish one of Australia's inaugural biotech firms, Michael transitioned to Flinders in 1998 with a keen focus on colorectal cancer biomarkers. He blazed a trail in the global profiling of microRNAs, linking them to various diseases, especially solid tumours.

While his research now encompasses epigenetics and non-coding RNAs in human development and metabolism, his primary mission remains the development of diagnostic tests to guide clinical choices and pinpoint drug targets for innovative treatments.

Beyond the lab, Michael lends his expertise to community and regulatory entities, including the Gene Technology Technical Advisory Committee under the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator.

Paul Teisseire is a professional independent non-executive director with more than 30 years of experience. In particular, Paul has been a non-executive director of the Drake Supermarkets Group during all of that time. Additionally, he spent more than 25 years in private practice in two large law firms as a corporate lawyer specialising in business and international law with a special interest in corporate governance and joint ventures.

Kate Thiele is a Non-Executive Director, Board Chair, CEO and Founder of Klarity. As well as her board role with Flinders Foundation, Kate is Chair of Skylight Mental Health, Chair of the Adelaide Crows Foundation, Deputy Chair of UniSA’s MBA Advisory Board and a Burnside Hospital Foundation committee member.

Kate works with boards, CEO’s, executives and emerging leaders across for-profits and for-purpose organisations, bringing expertise in governance, strategy, business development and stakeholder engagement. She is a sought-after leadership coach, mentor and facilitator. Kate is honoured to have been recognised as the 2015 Telstra SA Business Woman of the Year.

She is also the 2015 national winner of the Telstra For Purpose and Social Enterprise Award. The same year, Kate was bestowed a Harvard Club of Australia Fellowship to undertake the Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management program at Harvard University. Kate’s executive career includes leadership roles across retail, manufacturing, health, disability, and aged care. She has had the privilege of working with leading Australian charities and is passionate about for-purpose organisations and their work to build stronger communities.

Linda Williams APM LEM supports the Police Commissioner in his responsibility for the safety and protection of the state, serving 1.8 million South Australians over one million square kilometres while leading an organisation of nearly 6,000 employees.

Linda is a career police officer with 40 years of experience after joining South Australia Police (SAPOL) as a cadet. She has worked across diverse areas including frontline policing, prosecutions, internal investigations, crime prevention, road safety, counterterrorism, and policy development. Appointed Deputy Police Commissioner in 2015 after 12 years in SAPOL’s senior management and executive team, Linda performs the role of Commissioner of Police, and as such, the State Coordinator under the Emergency Management Act, and all SAPOL strategic projects as Chair of the SAPOL Strategic Programs Board.

Linda holds a Bachelor of Law with Honours, Bachelor of Arts, Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice, Graduate Certificate in Management, Graduate Diploma in Applied Criminology and Police Management and is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Nationally, Linda is the South Australian representative on the Australia New Zealand Counter-Terrorism Committee (ANZCTC), Chair of the ANZCTC Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear Security Sub Committee, a member of the Australian Transnational, Serious and Organised Crime Committee and a member of the Defence Employer Partnering Network. In South Australia, Linda is a Director on the Police Health Board and the Flinders Foundation Board and an Ambassador for Football SA.

Michael Michael spearheads the Cancer Research Program at the Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute and oversees the Gene Expression Laboratory at the Flinders Centre for Innovation in Cancer.

After helping to establish one of Australia's inaugural biotech firms, Michael transitioned to Flinders in 1998 with a keen focus on colorectal cancer biomarkers. He blazed a trail in the global profiling of microRNAs, linking them to various diseases, especially solid tumours.

While his research now encompasses epigenetics and non-coding RNAs in human development and metabolism, his primary mission remains the development of diagnostic tests to guide clinical choices and pinpoint drug targets for innovative treatments.

Beyond the lab, Michael lends his expertise to community and regulatory entities, including the Gene Technology Technical Advisory Committee under the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator.

As the Executive Director of Research at Southern Adelaide Local Health Network (SALHN), Professor Andrew Bersten oversees various research initiatives in the region. He is also an experienced intensive care consultant at Flinders Medical Centre, where he has served as Director of ICU, and Clinical Director, Division of Medicine, Cardiac and Critical Care. His research interests span lung injury and heart failure, with a focus on developing new opportunities in the field.

Professor Billie Bonevski is Director of the Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute (FHMRI) and Dean (Research), College of Medicine and Public Health. 

Qualified as a Behavioural Scientist her work spans across clinical and public health. Her research is highly collaborative, based on long held partnerships with health departments and services, Cancer Councils, primary care and other health industry partners.

She has published over 250 papers and attracted over $55 million in research funds.

Emeritus Professor Simon Brookes started his career as a neuroscientist with a PhD from Bristol University (UK) for studies on the neurobiology of caterpillars. He applied this training in post-doctoral research on the enteric nervous system of mammals, including humans, at the Royal London Hospital.

He then moved to Flinders University where he was awarded a Senior Research Fellowship from the Gastroenterological Society of Australia. He was a Senior Research Fellow of the NHMRC before being appointed Head of the Discipline of Human Physiology in 2005. In addition to teaching and administration, he continued research on the neuroscience of visceral organs, concentrating on studies of human tissue.

He was made Emeritus Professor in 2023 and continues to pursue his research interests with colleagues in the College of Medicine and Public Health. He has 210 publications with about 11,000 citations (Google Scholar).

Professor Jonathan Gleadle is a nephrologist at SALHN who provides care for patients with kidney disease and who need kidney transplants and dialysis treatments. He leads the clinical disciplines and the Discipline of Medicine at the College of Medicine and Public Health at Flinders University. His research interests are in how cells and molecules respond to low oxygen and in the mechanisms that control kidney growth.

Bryone Kuss is a Professor of Molecular Medicine and Haematology at Flinders University, where she leads the discipline that she founded in 2010. She is the past Director of Clinical and Laboratory Haematology, Flinders Medical Centre, with a special interest in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). She has been the lead clinician for CLL in South Australia for over 15 years and has been involved in both clinical trials and bench research on this disease.

She is a co-Director of the Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia Australian Research Consortium and has published more than 120 papers, abstracts and book chapters. She has a PhD in molecular haematology and is a founding fellow and the current principal examiner of the Faculty of Science, Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia. She has received several research fellowships, including the CR Blackburn Research Fellowship, the Howard Florey Centenary Fellowship, and the Peter Nelson Leukaemia Fellowship. She continues to conduct active research and teaching at Flinders University.

B App Sc (OT), M Clin Rehab, Certificate in Implementation Science (UCSF), PhD

Professor Kate Laver's research aims to maximise independence and quality of life in older people and people with disabilities.

She co-designs, develops, implements and evaluates rehabilitation interventions and new models of care. She has extensive experience working with people with dementia and their families and has led research trials and developed national clinical practice guidelines in this field. She works collaboratively with health professionals and consumers to design and conduct high quality research that meets community needs. She is an experienced, registered occupational therapist.

Kate has a particular interest in the use of technology in health services (virtual care, telehealth, virtual reality). She has postgraduate qualifications in implementation science (UCSF) with expertise leading Australia-wide applied translational research projects.

Professor Claire Lenehan is the Dean (Research) for the College of Science and Engineering at Flinders University, and an analytical chemist with expertise in creating novel instrumentation and analytical methods for complex materials and fluids analysis. She has applied her expertise to a wide range of domains, such as minerals, plant extracts, archaeology, forensic science and synthetic specimens. Claire was a Director of the Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering between 2014 and 2019 and Chair from 2016 to 2019, where she led significant changes within the organisation. She is also the current Chair of the steering committee for the Australian Solar Thermal Research Institute. She was awarded the Robert Cattrall Medal from the Analytical Chemistry Division of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute, where she also served as Chair and Treasurer. She is an excellent educator, and has been awarded the Flinders University, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Executive Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Associate Professor Mark Slee (BAppSc, BMBS, FRACP, PhD, FANZAN) is a clinical academic neurologist at Flinders University and Flinders Medical Centre with a particular interest in immune-mediated nervous system disease, especially multiple sclerosis. He also has interests in medical education and vocational training in medicine, and the clinical neurosciences. Mark has published widely in the field of multiple sclerosis. He is chair of a national research ethics committee.

Professor Raj Shekhawat, Ph.D., MASLP, PGCert AP, CMALT, FHERDSA, PFHEA is an internationally recognized award-winning academic, mentor, keynote/TEDx speaker, and scientist. Raj is Dean of Research for College of Education, Psychology, and Social Work since 2023.

He was professor in Audiology & Academic Lead at Flinders university before this. He holds conjoint appointment as Public Relations Manager for Tinnitus Research Initiative, Germany. Raj has a diverse work experience spanning across four continents and six countries (USA, UK, Singapore, India, New Zealand & Australia), touching a plethora of cultural communities with his impeccable knowledge along the way.

He has a Ph.D. in Clinical Audiology from the University of Auckland, New Zealand which complements his outstanding international reputation for research and findings, which employ telerehabilitation, brain stimulation, sounds therapies & hearing aids for tinnitus management and pedagogical research.

Raj is a passionate academic with several prestigious educational fellowships such as: a senior fellow of HEA, HERDSA, and CMALT, he is also an executive on Higher Education Research & Development Society of Australasia and Chair of the scientific advisory board on Horizon 2020 European Research Grant.