SPHERE welcomes new Executive Director, Professor Julie-Anne White

We are excited to announce the appointment of Professor Julie-Anne White as SPHERE’s new Executive Director.

Professor White brings exceptional expertise across research translation, clinical trials, genomics, policy reform, commercialisation and health system innovation. She joins SPHERE from Queensland Health, where she served as Executive Director, Office of Research and Innovation, leading major statewide and Federal initiatives that strengthened research excellence and accelerated innovation across the health system.

In this role, Professor White oversaw an extensive community of researchers across the State, including regional and rural practitioners.  During her tenure the Office and scope expanded exponentially to make it an exemplar of health translation in the ecosystem. Her extensive leadership experience and commitment to evidence-informed practice will guide SPHERE into its next phase of growth and strategic impact.

“SPHERE has remarkable strengths across its partners, clinicians, researchers and consumers. My goal is to build on these strengths so that SPHERE is recognised as a leading Research Translation Centre. There is important work ahead as we harness our strong foundations and momentum to achieve even greater impact,” Professor White said.

“A key priority will be deepening our understanding of our partners’ needs and clearly demonstrating the value SPHERE delivers to them and to the communities we serve. I am genuinely excited about what we can achieve together.”

With her strong background in state and federal research strategy, collaborative innovation and health system reform, Professor White is poised to lead SPHERE into a new era of ambition, partnership and tangible health impact.

“SPHERE is uniquely placed to accelerate translation from research into practice. I look forward to working with our partners to ensure that the extraordinary work already happening across the network continues to grow, connect and make a measurable difference.”

SPHERE Council Chair, Professor Cheryl Jones, welcomed the appointment, noting that Professor White’s leadership comes at a pivotal time as SPHERE strengthens its impact across the health and research system.

“On behalf of the SPHERE Council, I am delighted to welcome Professor Julie-Anne White to the role of Executive Director. Julie-Anne brings deep experience in research translation, health system reform and partnership building, along with a collaborative leadership style that strongly aligns with SPHERE’s values. I am confident she will steer SPHERE into an exciting next phase, strengthening our partnerships and amplifying the impact of research on patient care and community health,” she said.

SPHERE would also like to acknowledge and sincerely thank Professor Robert Gorkin for his leadership as Interim Executive Director over the past six months. Throughout this transitional period, Rob provided stability, clarity and strong strategic direction, ensuring SPHERE’s momentum and collaborative partnerships continued seamlessly during the recruitment process. His contribution has positioned SPHERE strongly for the future, and we look forward to continuing our association with him through his affiliation with Western Sydney University.