Driving change

Anne Kelso on how she has led a transformation of Australia’s medical funder

Ask Anne Kelso, head of Australia’s National Health and Medical Research Council, what the council is for, and her answer comes in two parts. First, “We always say our mission statement is building a healthy Australia.” Then, she refers to a tri-yearly corporate plan, which commits the council to invest in research, to see that research translated into “better health outcomes”, and to “promote the highest standards of ethics and integrity in health and medical research”.

On the side, the council is also part of a multi-agency group that develops ethical frameworks for Australian medical research.