Our Scientific and Medical Advisory Committee

Our Scientific and Medical Advisory Committee comprises some of Australia’s best and brightest leaders, researchers, academics and clinicians. Their role is to help guide the strategy to urgently disrupt the impact of childhood dementia on children and families. 

Members bring to Childhood Dementia Initiative extensive expertise across the research pipeline. This ranges from exploratory research to understand disease, to therapy development and clinical trials, right through to clinical implementation and health system policy. Read more below about the remarkable experts on this committee who are dedicated to accelerating solutions for children with dementia. 




Tiffany Boughtwood BSc MBA

Managing Director of Australian Genomics, an Australian Government initiative supporting genomic research and its translation into clinical practice.

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John Christodoulou AM MB BS PhD FRACP FFSc(RCPA) FRCPA FHGSA FAHMS

Professor and Chair of Genomic Medicine at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute and the University of Melbourne.

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Anthony Cook photo

Anthony Cook PhD

Associate Professor at University of Tasmania and head of the Stem Cell Models Group at the Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre.

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Michelle Farrar MBBS FRACP PhD

Professor in Paediatric Neurology, Sydney Children's Hospital and the University of NSW, Sydney.

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Kim Hemsley PhD

Professor at Flinders University and head of the Childhood Dementia Research Group at Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute.

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Dr Alexandra Johnson

Alexandra Johnson MBBS, MMed, FRACP

Alex is a child neurologist at Sydney Children’s Hospital (SCH) and consults at private rooms.

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Maina Kava, MD, DCH, DNB, FCPS, FRACP

Maina is a paediatrician and paediatric neurologist at Perth Children’s Hospital (PCH) Western Australia and a clinical Associate Professor with the University of Western Australia.

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Leszek Lisowski PhD MBA

Associate Professor and Head of the Translational Vectorology Unit at Children’s Medical Research Institute (CMRI) and the University of Sydney.

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Peter R Schofield AO FAHMS PhD DSc

Professor of Medicine at the University of NSW, Sydney, and a neuroscientist who has held multiple senior leadership roles in health and medical research.

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Nicholas J.C. Smith MBBS(Hon) DCH FRACP PhD(Cantab)

Consultant Neurologist and the Department Head, Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology, at the Women’s and Children’s Health Network, South Australia.

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Anthony White

Anthony White, PhD

Associate Professor Anthony White is Senior Group Leader, Cellular and Molecular Neurodegeneration, Mental Health and Neuroscience, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute.

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