Our Leadership Team

Professor Fabienne Mackay is a globally recognised immunologist and biomedical research leader, and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences. She became the first female Director and CEO of QIMR Berghofer in 2020. She leads an executive team that advances the objectives of the Institute and manages and oversees its activities and functions.

Professor Mackay's discoveries have directly influenced treatments for debilitating diseases such as arthritis, leukaemia, and lupus. Her laboratory discovered the role of an important protein, known as BAFF, in health and autoimmune diseases. These findings provided the foundation for the development of the first new treatment for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in more than 50 years.

Her research group has also identified mechanisms responsible for immune-suppression in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). Professor Mackay's laboratory continues to build on this breakthrough work on CLL and SLE.

Professor Grant Ramm is the Deputy Director and Chief Scientist at QIMR Berghofer. He works with the Director and CEO on the leadership of the Institute’s research, strategy, research governance, and funding. He oversees research integrity, research ethics, the management of research misconduct, and required reporting.

Professor Ramm is also a leading scientist and Head of the Institute’s Hepatic Fibrosis Group. He researches the causes of hepatic fibrosis (liver scarring) and chronic liver disease, particularly hereditary haemochromatosis, cystic fibrosis-associated liver disease in children, and liver cancer.

His research is focused on clinical translation including the early detection of patients at risk of serious liver disease complications, better monitoring of disease progression, and development of new therapeutics to treat inflammation and hepatic fibrosis.

Dr Stephen Weller is the Chief Operating Officer at QIMR Berghofer. He leads the Services Division, overseeing properties and facilities, engagement and advancement, finance and administration, scientific services, genome informatics, governance and risk, information technology, legal and Q-Gen Cell Therapeutics.

The Services Division plays an instrumental role in advancing our strategic goals and ensuring that we continue to provide outstanding support to all researchers and stakeholders.

Dr Weller holds a Doctorate in Organisational Justice from Victoria University, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Technology, Sydney, a Master of Commerce, Employment Relations from the University of Western Sydney, and a Bachelor of Arts, Government and Public Administration from the University of Sydney.

Dr Weller has more than 35 years’ experience across six universities in three Australian states.

Catrina Dieckmann Scott leads the People and Culture Department with responsibility for human resources (HR) operations, HR strategy and development, and safety and wellbeing.

Ms Dieckmann Scott ensures compliance with relevant regulatory and industrial requirements and facilitates constructive, cooperative employee relations across the Institute.

She has extensive experience in human resource leadership in the tertiary education sector, with previous roles covering HR strategy, workplace relations, organisational development, project initiatives and client services.

Dr Robert McLachlan leads the commercialisation function at QIMR Berghofer, with oversight of commercial development, intellectual property, business development transactions, and alliance and contract management.

He is a financial investment professional and cancer cell biologist by training and brings extensive commercialisation and leadership experience and a track record of creating and executing successful business development deals across multiple therapeutic areas.

At QIMR Berghofer, Dr McLachlan has managed and expanded commercial alliances and negotiated transactions with leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.

Professor Juliet French is the Program Director of Cancer Research and Head of the Functional Genetics Laboratory at QIMR Berghofer.

Her research seeks to understand how genetic variants in non-coding regions of the genome influence breast and ovarian cancer risk and progression. The ultimate aim is to pinpoint key genes and pathways involved in the development of breast and ovarian cancer, to identify potential new treatments and interventions.

Professor Christian Engwerda is Program Director of the Infection and Inflammation Research Program and Head of the Immunology and Infection Laboratory at QIMR Berghofer. He is an honorary professor at UQ and Adjunct Professor at Griffith University.

His research program has defined fundamental immune regulatory mechanisms governing the balance between controlling infection and development of malaria and leishmaniasis, two globally important parasitic diseases.

Knowledge generated by his research has guided prevention, treatment and control measures for these diseases. In addition, his team has identified novel immune targets to treat immune-mediated inflammatory diseases afflicting millions of people worldwide.

Professor Murat Yücel is an Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) registered clinical neuropsychologist and Director of the Brain and Mental Health research program at QIMR Berghofer. He has received several prestigious NHMRC fellowships and served leadership roles within Australia's top universities and medical research institutes, transforming the nation’s mental health research capability.

He has pioneered many studies blending neuroscience with digital, lifestyle and psychedelic medicines, leading to the creation of novel assessments and interventions to improve brain and mental health. He has assembled large and multidisciplinary research laboratories across several organisations, envisioned and built international research facilities and helped shape the focus and sustainability of research institutes, culminating in advanced training and infrastructure.

Professor Darren Gray is Program Director of the Population Health Research Program and Head of the Global Health and Tropical Medicine Group.

Professor Gray investigates the transmission and control of tropical infectious diseases and diseases of poverty that cause suffering and economic loss worldwide. He aims to develop new public health interventions that will eliminate these diseases.

Professor Gray is leading a multi-disciplinary team working to eliminate strongyloidiasis, a little-known and potentially fatal infection, caused by a parasitic worm, and endemic in remote Indigenous communities across Australia. He also leads the team behind the ground-breaking Magic Glasses health education intervention in China and south-east Asia.

As QIMR Berghofer’s inaugural Clinical Director, Professor Elizabeth Powell oversees the clinician scientist strategy and associated virtual academy, promoting the career development, training, and mentorship of clinician researchers. She is working to strengthen the Institute’s integration with hospitals, clinics and clinicians by developing collaborative opportunities.

Professor Powell is a hepatologist and senior staff specialist at Princess Alexandra Hospital’s Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. She is also Director of the network Centre for Liver Disease Research at UQ.

Over the last five years, her research has uncovered exciting new paradigms in hepatology, examining the role of injury-stratifying biomarkers and pathways of care for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and chronic liver disease.