Learn about our teams
Meet Our Teams
Our site teams include leading experts in Alzheimer’s research, clinical trials and patient care in Perth, Hobart, and Adelaide.
Select Team
Please select the team you’re interested in learning more about.
Perth
Curtin University
Curtin Medical Research Institute
Hobart
University of Tasmania
Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre
Adelaide
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital
CALHN Memory Trials Unit
Professor Roger Clarnette
Principal Investigator
Medical Director at the Australian Alzheimer's Research Foundation, Roger is a renowned geriatrician and one of Australia's most experienced clinical trialists in Alzheimer's. Roger is the principal overseer of the PIA Study clinical trial, providing clinical leadership and direction.
John Curtin Distinguished Professor John Mamo
Chief Investigator
John serves as Head of Neurovascular and Metabolic Diseases at Curtin University and with the Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Sciences. His team led the remarkable and award-winning discoveries that have enabled this Australian Government-funded trial to launch initially in Perth, Western Australia. John is now spearheading the expansion of the PIA Study to other Australian jurisdictions, with Hobart and Adelaide now secured. Additionally, John’s team are establishing industry partnerships that will be necessary to translate positive trial findings as quickly as possible to people living with Alzheimer’s.
Dr. Virginie Lam
Associate Investigator, Clinical Trial Manager
Dr. Virginie Lam is a Senior Research Fellow in the Neurovascular and Metabolic Diseases laboratory, led by Professor John Mamo at Curtin University and the Perron Institute of Neurological and Translational Science. Trained in clinical biochemistry, neuroscience, and cerebrovascular biology, Virginie currently researches the nutritional and pharmacotherapeutic regulation of neurovascular and cognitive functions in neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, and chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment. Virginie serves as the project lead for the PIA trial, managing the trial across multiple sites.
Caitlin Moralee
Clinical Trial Coordinator
Caitlin Moralee is the Clinical Trial Coordinator for the PIA study at Curtin Medical Research Institute. Caitlin specialises in managing and overseeing clinical research studies to ensure their successful execution and compliance with regulatory standards. With a robust background in clinical research and a keen eye for detail, she coordinates all aspects of trial operations, including participant recruitment, data collection, and coordination with research teams and stakeholders.
Professor Leon Flicker
Co-Investigator
A geriatrician, gerontologist and key opinion leader in ageing, Leon was honoured as an Officer of the Order of Australia for his contributions to geriatric medicine and dementia prevention and care. Leon has led multiple clinical trials with older people, including people with cognitive impairment. Through collaborative studies with fellow PIA study Chief Investigator Prof. John Mamo, Leon provided the first clinical preliminary evidence for the research hypothesis being tested through this trial.
Associate Professor Roslyn Francis
Co-Investigator
An academic Nuclear Medicine Physician, Roslyn is Head of Department at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital’s Nuclear Medicine and WA PET Service, and Associate Professor of Molecular Imaging at the University of Western Australia’s School of Medicine and Pharmacology. As a lead neuro-radiologist in the PIA Study trial, she is working alongside Associate Professor Michael Bynevelt to provide in vivo imaging services for trial participants to help determine the effects of Probucol on disease progression and cognitive function.
Associate Professor Michael Bynevelt
Co-Investigator
Michael is a Clinical Diagnostic Neuroradiologist in NIISwa (Neurological Interventional and Imaging Service WA) based at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, with strong involvement in research initiatives in brain tumour, paediatric and neurodegenerative disease. Michael is contributing his expertise in neuro-imaging techniques to the PIA Study trial. He is working alongside Associate Professor Roslyn Francis to provide in vivo imaging services for trial participants to help determine the effects of Probucol on disease progression and cognitive function.
Dr. Carolyn Orr
Co-Investigator
Dr. Carolyn Orr is a Neurology Consultant at Royal Perth Hospital and the Neurosciences Unit for Neurological and Translational Science. Carolyn specialises in providing services for patients with cognitive impairment or dementia under the age of 65. With cognitive and behavioural neurology in Alzheimer’s among her key areas of interest, Carolyn is providing clinical direction to the PIA Study trial.
Professor Gerald Watts
Co-Investigator
A clinician and internationally recognised clinical research academic in cardiovascular disease risk factors, aetiology and vascular pathologies, Gerald has significant clinical experience in the provision of Probucol in the context of cardiovascular disease risk. Gerald is providing clinical direction and leadership to the PIA Study clinical trial, to ensure the safety of the drug intervention tested.
John Curtin Distinguished Professor Christopher Reid
Co-Investigator
Chris is a cardiovascular disease researcher at Curtin University and the Curtin Medical Research Institute. With significant experience as a clinical trialist, and through his involvement with the Western Australian Health Translation Network Clinical Trials Unit, Chris is providing governance support to the PIA Study trial.
Associate Professor Ryusuke Takechi
Co-Investigator
A/Prof Takechi is the Innovation Research Fellow of the WA Department of Health and is the Domain Lead for Neurodegeneration and Chronic Pain Research at Curtin Medical Research Institute. Relevant to PIA project, A/Prof Takechi has pioneered the concept of repositioning Probucol for Alzheimer’s disease and has extensive experience and knowledge in the biochemistry and physiology of Alzheimer’s aetiology and potential treatments.
Emeritus Professor Satvinder Dhaliwal
Co-Investigator
Emeritus Professor Dhaliwal has worked as a Statistician for the past 30 years and has accumulated extensive experience, both nationally and internationally, on the practical application of Statistics/Biostatistics in a wide variety of situations. Prof Dhaliwal’s research interest includes the application of Biostatistics in the fields of Public Health Research and Clinical Research. He specialises in the development of Clinical Prediction Models in Medical Research.
Professor Jane Alty
Principle to Principal
A/Professor Jane Alty is an Associate Professor of Neurology at the University of Tasmania and a Neurologist at the Royal Hobart Hospital. She is also Co-Director of the ISLAND Clinic, a ‘one-stop’ clinic that provides an interdisciplinary assessment and diagnosis for Tasmanian residents. She is a lead investigator on the ISLAND Project, a 10-year public health initiative to reduce dementia risk, comprising ~14,000 participants. Her research also investigates Artificial Intelligence methods to detect the preclinical stages of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, funded through the NHMRC. She qualified from the University of Cambridge and completed general medicine and neurology training in the north of England. Jane undertook a movement disorders fellowship at Monash Medical Centre and was awarded an MD by the University of York for research evaluating computer technologies in neurodegenerative disorders. Her research contributed to a new spin out company, ClearSkyMedical Diagnostics, that produces precision tools for clinical trials.
Distinguished Professor James Vickers
Co-Investigator
James Vickers is a Distinguished Professor at the University of Tasmania and Director of the Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre. James is a neuroscientist and has research interests in Alzheimer’s disease, neuron injury, brain plasticity and dementia risk reduction.
Dr. David Dunbabin
Co-Investigator
Dr. David Dunbabin is a consultant geriatrician with special interest in Dementia and movement disorders. Extensive experience in clinical management and trials in Stroke and Dementia. Clinical Senior Lecturer and researcher at the University of Tasmania.
Professor Anna King
Co-Investigator
Prof Anna King is a neuroscientist with research interests that lie in understanding, detecting and treating the adverse neuronal changes that result in the clinical symptoms of neurodegenerative disease. Prof King is currently Associate Director (research) at the Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre at the University of Tasmania where she leads a team of researchers, technical staff and students. She received training in molecular biology and biochemistry at Durham University (UK) and the Heart Research Institute (Australia), before completing her PhD in neuropathology of ALS at the University of Tasmania in 2008. She is a past NHMRC boosting dementia research leadership fellow, funded to investigate blood biomarkers of neurodegenerative disease and has held Bill Gole MND and Dementia Australia fellowships.
Dr Damian Brauchli
Co-Investigator
Dr Damian Brauchli is a dual trained radiologist and nuclear medicine specialist. After completing medical training at the University of Tasmania, Damian relocated to the mainland for additional training. He completed a year of research at the Royal Brisbane and Womens’ Hospital before training in radiology and completing a fellowship in nuclear medicine. His main area of research interest is molecular imaging in prostate cancer and dementia.
Ms Jennifer Rayner
Clinical Trial Manager
Jennifer Rayner is the Clinical Trial Manager for the PIA study at the Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre in Tasmania. In addition, Jen manages the ISLAND Clinic - a multidisciplinary clinic providing diagnostic services for the assessment of dementia. Her educational background includes a Bachelor of Science from the University of Tasmania, comprised of a double major in psychology, as well as post graduate qualifications in medical diagnostics (medical laboratory science) and allied health (mammography). Jen has a rich background spanning over two decades in clinical research, diagnostic services, quality assurance and project management and is thrilled to be part of the PIA team.