Professor Bruce Neal appointed Executive Director of The George Institute Australia
SYDNEY, AUG 29, Professor Bruce Neal has been appointed to the position of Executive Director, The George Institute Australia, effective September 1.
Professor Neal was a founding member of the Institute, together with Professor John Chalmers and Principal Directors Professor Stephen MacMahon and Professor Robyn Norton.
Professor MacMahon said that Professor Neal had made a huge contribution to the growth of the Institute across many areas including its clinical trials, cardiometabolic diseases research and food policy program.
“For the past two years, Bruce has been Deputy Executive Director of The George Institute Australia, working closely with the Executive team on the management of the Institute’s Australian operations.”
“In this position he has demonstrated great leadership skills that will support the continued growth and success of the Australian centre.”
“His significant personal research accomplishments in these areas have kept him in the Clarivate Analytics (previously Thomson Reuters) Highly Cited Researchers List for several years.”
“Beyond Australia, Bruce is also committed to building partnerships with our other regional centres in China, India and the UK which will be a major focus for our future growth plans.”
Former Executive Director of The George Institute Australia, Professor Vlado Perkovic was recently appointed as the Dean of Medicine at the University of NSW.
The Institute announced its ongoing research alliance with UNSW in 2017 and it is anticipated that Professor Neal’s appointment will further strengthen collaboration between the two organisations into the future.
Professor Neal said that he was honoured to accept the role at such a momentous time for the Institute.
“As we celebrate twenty years since the Institute was first established in Sydney, I’m proud of what we have been able to accomplish in terms of improving health outcomes for people in many countries.”
“But while around half of the world’s population have one or more long-term medical conditions such as diabetes, hypertension or depression, we still have much to do.”
“I’m looking forward to facing this challenge with the Institute’s many academic, government and NGO partners and collaborators.”
Media Enquiries
Tina Wall, Senior Media Advisor
The George Institute for Global Health, Sydney
P: +61 410 411 983 E: twall@georgeinstitute.org.au
About Professor Bruce Neal
Bruce Neal is Professor of Medicine at UNSW Sydney, Executive Director of The George Institute Australia and Professor of Clinical Epidemiology at Imperial College London. Bruce completed his medical training at Bristol University in the UK in 1990 and worked four years in clinical posts. Prior to taking up his position at the Institute in 1999 he trained in epidemiology at the Clinical Trials Research Unit in Auckland, where he completed his PhD in Medicine. Bruce has research expertise in the management of high blood pressure and diabetes and has played lead roles in multiple large-scale clinical trials, most recently of SGLT2 inhibition.
He also has a longstanding interest in the environmental determinants of chronic disease and the potential for changes in the food supply to deliver large, cost-effective and equitable health gains. He has particular expertise is in the field of salt reduction where he leads an ongoing large-scale trial assessing the effects of salt substitution on stroke. He launched the popular FoodSwitch smartphone application to empower healthier consumer food choices, available in Australia and seven overseas jurisdictions. His food policy work seeks to change the way that food is manufactured, retailed and consumed using business and policy levers.
