Dr. Shane Galgey MB BCh BAO NUI MRCP MRCS is an Irish trained physician in Gastroenterology, Hepatology, General Internal Medicine, with subspecialty training in HDU and Emergency Medicine.

He is currently works in Academic Project Operations in the divisions of Critical Care and Respiratory Medicine as a Project Manager/CRA. He also works as a Medical Monitor and provides Safety and Medical Advisory for Academic Project Operations Trials in TGI.

He is a keen researcher across TGI’s many therapeutic areas. He has an interest in Health Systems Research, Thought Leadership, Process Implementation Improvement, and Social Entrepreneurship. He recently has contributed to the Institute’s response to COVID-19 and is the Lead Investigator in a report exploring how to optimise clinical trials in the face of change to achieve maximum outputs.

Shane also holds a Conjoint Lecturer Position at UNSW School of Medicine.

Shani completed her bachelor’s in Medical Biotechnology and holds a Master’s degree in Public health from Amity University, India. In addition, Shani completed a course in Clinical Trial Fundamentals facilitated by Monash University, Australia and Project Management Fundamentals  by Australian Institute of Management.

Prior to joining George Institute, she worked as a Junior research fellow at the International Clinical Epidemiological Network (INCLEN) New Delhi on multiple epidemiological studies and was involved in project designing and database management. Presently, she is involved in the operations and management of academic randomised clinical trials like Long Covid ,PACE in COPD and works closely with the trial steering committees, regulatory authorities, ethics committees and clinical sites across India to conduct trials ethically and efficiently.

Sharon is a Senior Project Manager in Academic Project Operations at The George Institute for Global Health Australia. She is a Registered Nurse (Bachelor of Nursing) with clinical experience in general medicine and intensive care. In 2011, Sharon joined the Critical Care Program and has been involved in many academic-based studies; drawing on her previous experience as a Registered Nurse and an Intensive Care Research Coordinator to conduct clinical research that will benefit critically ill patients.

Sharon has extensive knowledge and experience in managing all aspects of multi-centre clinical trials, including protocol and case report form development, data management, ethics and regulatory requirements, investigational product, source data verification, data analysis, finance, risk management and people management. Whilst working in research for almost 20 years, Sharon has managed and coordinated projects in the following areas of critical care medicine: fluid resuscitation, COVID-19, blood glucose control, kidney failure, nutrition, severe trauma, traumatic brain injury, antibiotic use, temperature management and sepsis.

Sindhu is the Head of Data Management. Following completion of her Master’s degree in Clinical Data Management from the University of Sydney, she has fulfilled a variety of data and systems orientated roles across the research, hospital, pathology, medical device, biotechnology and health charity sectors.

Her expertise includes clinical data management, software implementation, project management, business analysis, gap analysis, process re-engineering, risk management, change management, systems validation, systems integration, privacy and data governance.

One of her key achievements at The George Institute has been leading the development and implementation of the SPoT database which has substantially improved the tracking and reporting of key Institute research activity such as funding, projects and publications.

Dr Sonali Gnanenthiran is a clinician-researcher (cardiologist), with experience spanning basic science to clinical trials. Her research interests include cardiovascular disease prevention, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, blood clotting, and cardiovascular ageing.

She graduated with Honours Class I from the University of NSW in Medicine and obtained fellowships from the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, and Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand. She completed her PhD at the University of Sydney, supported by a Heart Foundation/NHMRC scholarship. She is a cardiovascular researcher at the George Institute for Global Health, supported by the John Chalmers and Heart Foundation Fellowships. Additionally, she has honed her leadership in cardiovascular research through involvement in several trials (e.g., LOTUS, NEXTGEN-BP, Shop-to-Stop Hypertension, CO-OPERATE & PAX), which underscore her ability to drive impactful research. She is a member of the Australian Hypertension Taskforce Working Group, which aims to improve blood pressure control rates in Australia. 

Dr Gnanenthiran is a practising cardiologist at Concord Repatriation General Hospital and a senior lecturer at the University of NSW. She has more than 43 publications, 40 national/international conference presentations, and secured >$13.5 million in research funding including from top funding agencies (MRFF, Heart Foundation, NHMRC). Her key achievements include being awarded the 2023 American Heart Association [AHA] Karl Link Investigator Award for Thrombosis, 2023 CLIMB Research Scholars Award, 2020 & 2022 AHA Paul Dudley White International Scholar Awards, and the 2021 Scientific Medal of the Thrombosis and Haemostasis Society of Australia and New Zealand.

Sophia Zoungas is Professional Research Fellow at The George Institute and Head of Clinical Research and Diabetes Research Program  within the School of Public Health, Monash University.  She holds an National Heart Foundation CDA Fellowship and is a practising endocrinologist with clinical appointments at the RPAH Medical Centre, NSW and the Southern Health Care Network, Victoria.  Sophia’s research focuses on the management of Type 2 diabetes and its complications. Sophia is the international coordinator of the ADVANCE-ON study, a global long-term post-trial follow up study of the ADVANCE cohort that seeks to examine the legacy effects of intensive glucose control and routine blood pressure lowering in people with type 2 diabetes.

Srini Akkaraju, based in the US, is the Founder and Managing General Partner of Samsara BioCapital, a biotech investment firm. He is currently Director of vTv Therapeutics, Syros Pharmaceuticals, Mineralys Therapeutics, Scholar Rock and Alumis Inc.

Srini has served as a Director on many biotech boards. He was formerly a General Partner of Sonfinnova Venturers, Managing Director of New Leaf Venture Partners, Founding Managing Director at Panorama Capital and Partner with JP Morgan Partners.

Srini joined the Board in February 2016 and is Chair of George Health Enterprises.

Stacey Jankelowitz is a staff specialist neurologist and clinical neurophysiologist at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. Stacey was recently awarded an NHMRC TRIP fellowship. She implemented NHMRC guidelines for secondary prevention of stroke as her TRIP project. She is currently participating in a study to implement changes in care for patients with intracranial haemorrhage.

Her research interests include stroke, implementation science and neurophysiological testing of the central and peripheral nervous system in stroke and motor function.

Stacey has worked in the clinical research industry for over 20 years. A nurse by profession, Stacey began her clinical research career in central laboratory operations moving into a global role managing operations across Asia Pacific and South America.  She then moved into a Project Management role at a Phase 1 unit before joining the CRO industry where she gained substantial experience in project managing Healthy Volunteer and patient population early phase studies in multiple therapeutic areas.  

Stacie is a PhD student at UNSW and works in the Injury Division at The George Institute for Global Health. Stacie has been educating communities and advocating for better health outcomes in vulnerable groups since 2000, specifically in child injury prevention. She holds a Master of Public Health and is dedicated reducing unintentional childhood injury due to road trauma.

Stephen is one of the two founders of The George Institute for Global Health and an architect of its global expansion.  He was joint Principal Director (CEO) of The George until 2023 when he stood down after 25 years in the role.  He continues to hold an appointment as Founding Director.

He also holds professorial appointments in medicine at UNSW Sydney and Imperial College of London. Prior to these appointments, he held positions as professor of medicine at the University of Sydney and the University of Oxford.  Stephen is an international authority on the causes, prevention, and treatment of cardiovascular diseases and has a special interest in the treatment of chronic and complex conditions in resource-poor settings, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region.

Stephen was the architect of the Institute’s commercial program (George Health Enterprises) established to develop health-related services and products for the global market.  He was instrumental in raising capital for these developments, as well as the sale of a major commercial asset.

In addition to his Institute and university appointments, Stephen has held several external appointments as an advisor to major charities and life science companies worldwide.  He was chair of the International Scientific Board of the UK BioBank throughout the early stages of its design and implementation.

Stephen has received numerous awards and prizes for his achievements and contributions to medical sciences and social entrepreneurship.  He was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in the 2017 Queen's Birthday Honours List.

Dr Zien Zhou is an NSW Cardiovascular Elite Postdoctoral Researcher. He obtained his MD degree from Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine (China) in 2011 and his PhD degree from UNSW Sydney in 2022 (UNSW Scientia Scholarship awardee). Before joining The George Institute, Dr Zhou worked as a radiologist in China for eight years. 

His research focuses on brain imaging analysis in stroke, brain-heart interaction, cerebral small vessel disease, and optimal antithrombotic treatment for cardioembolic stroke prevention. He is now leading a pilot trial funded by NSW Health to explore the value of brain images in atrial fibrillation management.