Cath is a senior leader in policy, strategy and advocacy across science, technology and health. She moved into a career in policy and advocacy after more than 15 years as a biomedical researcher. Cath was awarded her PhD in biochemistry from the University of Queensland in 2005 before heading to Columbia University in New York City. She then returned to Australia to the Burnet Institute in Melbourne where her research in infectious diseases piqued her interest in broader policy issues affecting health and research. Combined with her passion for advocacy, in 2015 she joined the Association of Australian Medical Research Institutes (AAMRI), the peak body for medical research institutes, to contribute to the advancement of health and medical research by enabling a positive policy environment. In 2021, she was the Interim CEO at the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences – a challenging and exciting time for health and medical research sector as the country (and world) was navigating the COVID19 pandemic. Since then, Cath has continued to lead a range of strategic policy work across science, technology, engineering and health, both nationally and internationally.  She is passionate about advancing equality, diversity and inclusion, and strives to apply this lens in all her work. Cath lives in Melbourne and enjoys spending her downtime cycling, cooking and chatting to friends over a long black.