AMDF Board
John Christodoulou
MB BS PhD FRACP FRCPA FHGSA
Prof Christodoulou is currently Director, Western Sydney Genetics Program at The Children’s Hospital, Westmead in Sydney,
and Professor, Disciplines of Paediatrics and Child Health and Genetic Medicine, in the Faculty of Medicine at the University
of Sydney. His formal training includes paediatrics and clinical genetics, with his major clinical focus being the investigation
and management of individuals with inborn errors of metabolism.
He is the former President (2005-2007) of the Human Genetics Society of Australasia, and has also been a recent RCPA Examiner
in Genetics.
Prof Christodoulou’s current research interests include the biology of Rett syndrome and related disorders, the molecular
pathogenesis of mitochondrial respiratory chain disorders and the development of new therapies for phenylketonuria (PKU).
He has published over 100 peer reviewed papers and is regularly called upon for lectures on a range of genetics subjects.
Graeme Crampton
Graeme is a Chartered Accountant with farming & agribusiness interests in Northern NSW. He recently retired from PwC
after 29 years as a Tax partner including terms on the Management Executive & Board of Partners.
He has extensive professional & commercial experience particularly in buying & selling businesses. Other interests are property & investment. He also enjoys tennis, fishing & travel.
Edwina Gilbert
After completing an Arts/Law degree at Sydney University, Edwina commenced working as a solicitor at Deacons Lawyers. In 2003 she joined her family business, which operates two car dealerships – Phil Gilbert Homebush Bay and Truscotts Toyota and Hyundai and she is presently the General Manager. Edwina enjoys working in a diverse business, facing the daily challenge of managing people and improving operations. Edwina has enjoyed working with charities previously including Operation Spider assisting ill teenagers at Royal Prince Alfred and the Young Cure Cancer Australia charity committee. In her spare time Edwina loves cooking, long walks, golf (occasionally) and horse riding when time permits.
Ross Grant
BSc(Hons) MCom(Hons) MBA
Ross Grant is Chairman of Grant Samuel Group, an independent investment banking firm which he established in 1988. Ross
Grant was previously an Executive Director of Macquarie Bank Limited having joined Hill Samuel Australia Limited (the predecessor
of Macquarie Bank Limited) in 1975. Ross Grant holds degrees in Mathematics (B.Sc (Hons) - Otago University), Economics
(M.Com - Canterbury University) and Business Administration (MBA - University of NSW).
Douglas Lingard
MB ChB FRANZCR
Doug is a Radiologist & Nuclear Physician who has been active in both public and private medicine in Australia for over
30 years. He is a cofounder of the largest Diagnostic Imaging practice in Australia, Pittwater Radiology & Medical Imaging
Australasia Ltd.
He and his wife Margie are the parents of two children with mitochondrial disease.
Sean Murray
Sean Murray is presently an Engagement Manager with global business technology solution provider Professional Advantage
Pty Ltd.
Sean’s background includes software development, business consulting and general management. His career now focuses on organisational
change and project/programme management. Sean has lived and worked in Australia, the UK and the US with broad industry experience
in both private and government sectors.
Sean holds a degree in Computer Science and Pure Mathematics (BSc) from Sydney University.
Alister Robinson
BComm
Alister is presently an executive with the boutique funds management company Clime Investment Management Ltd.
Alister’s career as a banker spans over 40 years and has encompassed most aspects of banking in New Zealand, Hong Kong and
Australia. He was a senior executive with Lloyds Bank and ABN Amro in Sydney and has resided in Sydney for 25 years. This
experience included a considerable period in Private Banking with Lloyds Bank.
He is Managing Director of Wickliffe Bay Consultants and Coordinator of the University of Otago Alumni in NSW. In 2009 he was awarded the University Medal for services to the University.
Carolyn Sue
MBBS, PhD, FRACP
Dr Carolyn Sue has been trained as a neurologist as well as a research scientist. She has been running Australia’s largest
specialised clinic dedicated to the diagnosis, assessment and treatment of adult patients with mitochondrial disease since
1994. In 2003, she set-up Australia’s first exercise laboratory dedicated to the treatment of mitochondrial muscle disease
and showed that aerobic exercise training improved muscle performance in Australian patients with mitochondrial disease.
It was her vision, combined with the actions of Dr Doug Lingard, which led to the establishment of the Australian Mitochondrial
Disease Foundation (AMDF) in 2009.
Dr Sue is currently appointed as Professor at the University of Sydney, the Director of the Department of Neurogenetics at Royal North Shore Hospital and the Director of the National Centre for Adult Stem Cell Research (Sydney Node). She completed her post-doctoral studies at Columbia University in New York, and returned to Australia in 2000 to establish her own research team, currently located at the Kolling Institute of Medical Research, at Royal North Shore Hospital. She has a major interest in understanding the disease processes involved in mitochondrial disorders, with an emphasis on developing new treatment options for affected patients. She is also using stem cells as a cellular model to investigate mitochondrial disease.
David Thorburn
BSc(Hons) PhD FHGSA
Associate Professor David Thorburn received his PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Sydney in 1987 before completing
a Fulbright Fellowship with Prof. Ernie Beutler at Scripps Clinic, La Jolla (San Diego), California. David returned to Australia
in 1990, and is currently an NHMRC Principal Research Fellow at the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, located in the
Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne. He holds honorary appointments in the Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne
and with Genetic Health Services Victoria. David is the current President of the Human Genetics Society of Australasia and
a former member of the Scientific Advisory Board for the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation (USA).
David’s Mitochondrial Research Laboratory is primarily involved in research but also acts as the Australasian referral centre for diagnosis of mitochondrial disease in children. His lab has diagnosed more than 400 patients with mitochondrial disease and published over 100 scientific journal articles and reviews. David’s research focuses on the genetic basis of mitochondrial energy generation diseases. He has had a particular interest in understanding how mitochondrial DNA mutations are passed on from mothers to their children, and translating this knowledge into approaches for genetic counselling, prenatal diagnosis and prevention. He also studies the roles of nuclear genes, which are inherited from both parents. His lab has identified several novel “disease” genes using a range of gene mapping and molecular cell biology approaches. Recently, his lab has developed two mouse models of mitochondrial disease, which are being used to study the precise disease mechanisms and to trial treatment strategies.
John Christodoulou
Graeme Crampton
Edwina Gilbert
Ross Grant
Doug Lingard
Sean Murray
Alister Robinson
Carolyn Sue
David Thorburn