Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC)

The Metro South Hospital and Health Service (“Metro South Health”) operates a Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) which provides ethical and scientific review/clearance of research projects.

The Metro South Health HREC considers both the ethical and scientific validity of proposed research within Metro South Health. Under the National Health and Medical Resaerch Council (NHMRC) coordinated National Mutual Acceptance, the Metro South HREC can also review for research projects conducted in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia, Australian Capital Territory and South Australia.

The Metro South Health HREC aims to:

protect the mental and physical welfare, rights, dignity and safety of research participants
facilitate and promote high calibre ethical research through efficient and effective review processes
ensure that all clinical and ethical research is conducted responsibly.

The Metro South Health HREC is certified by the NHMRC (registration number EC00167).

It is constituted and functions in accordance with the NHMRC National Statement of Ethical Conduct in Human Research (2007) ('National Statement'). Please see the Ethical and Scientific Review of Human Research Procedure (PR2017-113) (PDF, 413.65 KB) and ECF2 Metro South Health HREC Terms of Reference.

Metro South Health has adopted the streamlined ethical clearance process for multi-centre research that helps to reduce unnecessary duplication of review of research.

Meeting dates

The Metro South Health HREC meets at 5.00 pm, once a month on the first Tuesday of the month (unless otherwise indicated). Researchers must submit all required forms and documents by 12.00 noon on a closing date listed here ECF3 - HREC application closing and meeting dates for 2020 (PDF, 62.03 KB)

2019 meetings are now closed.

Members

As per section 5.1.30 of the NHMRC National Statement, the membership of the Metro South Health HREC includes:

a chairperson, with suitable experience, whose other responsibilities will not impair the HREC's capacity to carry out its obligations under the National Statement
at least two lay people, one man and one woman, who have no affiliation with the institution and do not currently engage in medical, scientific, legal or academic work
at least one person with knowledge of, and current experience in, the professional care, counselling or treatment of people; for example, a nurse or allied health professional
at least one person who performs a pastoral care role in a community, for example, an Aboriginal elder, a minister of religion
at least one lawyer, where possible one who is not engaged to advise the institution
at least two people with current research experience that is relevant to research proposals to be considered at the meetings they attend - these two members may be selected, according to need, from an established pool of inducted members with relevant expertise

Our Metro South Health HREC members include:

Associate Professor Scott Campbell

Chairperson—Scott Campbell is a Senior Staff Specialist and Deputy Director in the Department of Nephrology, Princess Alexandra Hospital. He graduated in Medicine from the University of Queensland in 1986 with the University Medal. He completed his Specialist training in 1993 and has PhD in Transplantation Immunology. His primary clinical and research interest is in the area of Renal Transplantation. Other professional activities include: Metro South HREC, Member, January 2009 – current; Metro South HREC, Deputy Chair, June 2010 – current; National Renal Transplant Advisory Committee, Member, July 1999 – current; National Renal Transplant Advisory Committee, Chair, 2004 – 2013; Transplantation Society of Australia and New Zealand, Honorary Treasurer and Councillor, 2009 – 2013.

Ms Beverley Kurkowski

Category b—Bev Kurkowski BA. Dip Ed. Grad Cert Editing and Publishing has been a member of the Metro South Human Research Ethics Committee since 2009, when she semi-retired after a long career in schools, both public and private. She has also worked for two years as the co-ordinator of resource services for Montrose Access, a disability service organisation catering for children and young people who suffer from Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy and other neuro-muscular conditions. Bev values her time on the committee as a learning experience and have learned a great deal about research ethics as a result of her membership. She has also learned how brave and generous participants in research can be if their right to make decisions based on ethical principles of respect, justice and beneficence is appreciated. She sees her role on the committee as that of an ordinary person with an ordinary understanding and a range of experiences in hospital and medical settings as a spouse, daughter, sister and mother. When she reads a PICF, she tries to see the process of informed consent from the perspective of the participant.

Mr Bruce Monley

Category d—Bruce Monley has had a career in education and librarianship, having worked for the State Library of Queensland's public library services for 24 years. He has been active in the Buddhist community both as director of Brisbane's Langri Tangpa Centre and now working with Karuna Hospice's education program.

Dr Paul Spurling

Category b—Dr Paul Spurling holds the degrees of B.Sc (Hons), M.Sc and Ph.D in Physics from the University of Queensland; he has a post graduate Diploma in Information Systems from QUT in Brisbane. Dr Spurling has worked for the University of Queensland as a tutor and researcher in Physics at the University of Queensland. He has worked in a number of Government and corporate centres as an I.T. consultant. The installations Dr Spurling has supported as an I.T. consultant include electricity, health and environmental science. Dr Spurling’s Ph.D in Physics researched the theme of magnetic storms in the Ionosphere, his mathematical training included statistics and his physics training is relevant to aspects of medical science. He is married to Florence Spurling and their son is a doctor at the Indigenous Health Unit in Inala.

Ms (Aunty) Betty McGrady

Category d

Ms Jaye Buswell

Category b—Ms Buswell holds a B.Sc, major in Statistics from the University of Queensland. She works as a data analyst for a leading Australian analytics consultancy. Jaye has a keen interest in cycling and music and taking part in the community based aspects of them. As a lay member on the HREC committee, she sees her role as taking a broader perspective of the applications while her statistics knowledge acts as a basis for more technical understanding of applications.

Mr John Bennett

Category e

Dr Trevor Jordan

Category b—Dr Trevor Jordan is a Public Assessor on the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal, a community member of the Performance and Professional Standards Panel of the Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Authority and President of Jigsaw Queensland. He has had over twenty years’ experience in teaching and researching applied and professional ethics in a wide range of fields, including public sector ethics, criminal justice ethics, health care ethics, human services and social work ethics. He has a special interest is ethics and adoption.

Ms Susan Gardiner

Category e—Susan Gardiner LL.B (Hons), LL.M (Hons) has had a notable career as a Queensland Lawyer, Mediator and Tribunal Member. She has been a Barrister of the Supreme Court of Queensland and of the High Court of Australia since 1984. She is a highly experienced Mediator and Conciliator, and trainer in these fields. Susan was a Deputy Registrar of the Family Court of Australia from 1986 to 1999, and held the roles of National Director of Mediation and Regional Appeals Registrar during this period. She returned to the Bar in 1999 to undertake a practice in Dispute Resolution. In 2000 Susan became an inaugural Deputy President of the Guardianship and Administration Tribunal and was President of the Children Services Tribunal (a position she concurrently held with her appointment as Deputy President of the Guardianship and Administration Tribunal). Susan was then appointed as President of the Queensland Guardianship and Administration Tribunal in 2006. She led that Tribunal into its merger with the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal on its creation in 2009. Susan was appointed as a member of the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal in 2009, a position she continues to hold. Susan’s tribunal work includes making decisions about impaired decision-making capacity, authorising restrictive practices and special health matters for both adults and children and approving clinical research for adults. She has broad experience in the fields of medico-legal administration, practice and regulation.

Ms Cara Joyce (CJ) Cabilan

Category c—CJ works as a Clinical Research Nurse in the Department of Emergency Medicine, Princess Alexandra Hospital, and Mater’s Nursing Research Centre. Prior to embarking a full-time research position CJ was a registered nurse in a general-surgical department that also provides care for patients undergoing colorectal, breast, upper GI and hepatobiliary surgery. Her research interests include systematic reviews, evidence translation, evidence-based nursing, nursing education, patient and staff safety, and outcomes of colorectal cancer treatment on physical activity, functional status, and quality of life.

Dr Mary Boyde

Category c—Mary Boyde, RN, BN, MN, MEd, PhD, MANC, works as a Nurse Researcher in Cardiology and Nurse Educator for the Nursing Practice Development Unit, Princess Alexandra Hospital. Mary;s past experience in cardiovascular nursing and education has led to an interest in patient education. Mary’s PhD research focused on developing effective patient education strategies for people with chronic heart failure. As a Nurse Educator Mary contributes to the professional development of nursing staff within the areas of cardiology and patient education. Mary's research continues to focus on investigating and developing effective patient education strategies.

Dr Jennifer Jones

Category c—Jennifer is the Coordinator of the Metro South Clinical Ethics Service, member of the Metro South Clinical Ethics Committee and member of the Metro South Human Research Ethics Committee. She brings a broad range of knowlege and experience to these roles. Her work within the service is primarily educational and advisory. She facilitates monthly forums on the often challenging 'non-clinical' aspects of providing best practice outcomes but is also called upon to offer ethical expertise in complex clinical cases/situations. Her academic qualifications include a Doctor of Philosophy (Applied Ethics), Bachelor of Arts (Hons 1), Cert of Education, Cert of Nursing. Jenny was awarded the Queensland University of Technology's University Medal for her undergraduate studies and a QUT Outstanding Doctoral Thesis Award for her doctoral studies.

Professor Rick Jackson

Category f—Professor Richard Jackson is a Professor of Medicine at Griffith University, Director of Neuroendocrine Research at Logan hospital as well as Consultant Endocrinologist/General Physician at Logan Hospital. Prof Jackson has a long and distinguished clinical and research career holding multiple appointments on academic boards and subcommittees. He is currently a Principal Investigator in a number of clinical trials of newer pharmaceutical agents in type 2 diabetes.

Dr Adam La Caze

Category f—Dr Adam La Caze is a Lecturer in the School of Pharmacy at The University of Queensland. Prior joining the School, Dr La Caze worked as a pharmacist in a range of settings including hospital, community and research. Dr La Caze's primary area of research is philosophy of science. His research focuses on philosophical approaches to the questions that arise in medicine and healthcare, including the appropriate interpretation and application of clinical research. Dr La Caze is also a member of a group of researchers in the School of Pharmacy that work to better understand the reasons why patients choose to take or not take prescribed medicines.

Ms Florence Spurling

Category d—Florence Spurling is a graduate in Literature (B.A. Hons 1, University Medal) from the University of Queensland; she has a graduate diploma in theology from the United Theological College in Sydney and twelve months training in counselling psychology from QUT in Brisbane. Florence worked in the Religion and Ethics Unit of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation for 31 years. During that time she produced hundreds of Encounter features for ABC Radio National on themes as diverse as religion and science, politics and literature, Indigenous health and culture, mental health, sexual abuse in the Church and child sexual abuse. She has made a number of mental health features which have attracted the respect of health professionals in Australia and overseas, including a feature-documentary about schizophrenia which was broadcast in March 2012. Throughout her career, Florence Spurling also produced programs about palliative care, disability and the spiritual issues relating to illness and death. She has won several United Nations, Human Rights and New York Radio Festival Awards for her Encounter programs. In 2005 she was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society for the Arts (Australia and New Zealand Chapter). Florence Spurling retired from the ABC in March 2013 and her final on staff program was an Encounter about the Murri Clinic which cares for Indigenous mothers and babies, located at the Mater Hospital in Brisbane. Florence continues to produce programs for ABC Radio National as a contractor, including a July 2013 Encounter program about the pastoral care work of the Churches during and after the Bundaberg floods in Queensland. Her family are almost entirely medical. She is married to Dr Paul Spurling.

Dr Marianne Wyder

Category f—Dr Marianne Wyder is a social worker with a background in sociology. Over the past 20 years she has worked in various research and clinical positions in the Government, Non-Government and University sector. Her research experience spans the health sector and includes expert knowledge on mental health issues, capacity building, inequality, involuntary treatment, family breakdown, gender, drug and/or alcohol abuse and suicidal behaviours. She is currently employed as a Senior Research Fellow in Metro South Addiction and Mental Health services where her role involves conducting and facilitating practice based research, service evaluations, as well as supporting clinicians to undertake practice based research projects.

Associate Professor David McEwan

Category d—A/Prof David McEwan is both an Academic Dean/Lecturer at Nazarene Theological College Brisbane and is also a Pastor at Logan Community Church of the Nazarene. In 2006 A/Prof McEwan was awarded a University of Queensland PhD, specialising in Theology, Pastoral Theology. Previously, he obtained a Master of Divinity from Nazarene Theological Seminary. A/Prof McEwan has significant theological expertise and experience, having taught both undergraduate and post-graduate coursework in Theology and Pastoral Theology. He teaches across the Globe, in both first and third world countries including South America and Vietnam. He has a large published academic portfolio and has given many Plenary Addresses and Conference presentations.

Mr Burhan Khan

Category f—Mr Burhan Khan is currently a Visiting Scholar/Research Assistant within the University of Queensland/Translational Research Institute; working under Dr Ian Frazer. Prior to 2017 Burhan worked in the United States of America; at a number of medical/academic organisations. His appointments included a two year stint with the National Institutes of Health where as a Technical Research Fellow Burhan worked on Innate immune response to viral (HSV-1, LACV, Zika) infections of the central nervous system. At the University of Montana Burhan worked on pharmacogenetics in American Indian populations and from 2006 to 2007 Burhan was a Clinical Research Associate at the Children’s Hospital of Chicago.

As a Visiting Scholar, Burhan is currently undertaking a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) through the University of Queensland School of Medicine and Ochsner Clinical School, New Orleans.

Ms Nicolla Lewin

Category c—Nicolla has extensive clinical/research nursing experience. She is currently Clinical Nurse Consultant within the Clinical Research Facility (CRF), on the Princess Alexandra Hospital (PAH) grounds. In this position Nicolla is responsible for the overall leadership and management of the CRF under the direction of Metro South Research.

Previously, Nicolla worked as a Clinical Nurse in a number of different settings. From late 2015 until early 2017 Nicolla worked within the PAH’s Oncology Daycare, managing a number of workplace items including the facilitation of the implementation of hospital wide electronic medical records and operation as a Clinical Research nurse on a large, randomized controlled trial.

Prior to these appointments, Nicolla worked, for some years, in the United Kingdom; as a Senior Chemotherapy Nurse and earlier, a Senior Nurse Educator at University College London hospitals. During this period, Nicolla also worked as a Clinical Skills Facilitator at London Southbank University.

Ms Lisette Brock

Category c—Lisette is a Clinical Nurse Consultant with Metro South Research, specialising in the digital research program - PowerTrials. She has clinical research and emergency nursing experience, across the last 10 years. Her previous roles have included clinical nursing in private and public emergency departments, specialising in trauma nursing, clinical research within the emergency setting, and research coordination for projects with Queensland Ambulance Service, Queensland University of Technology, Australian Catholic University and CSIRO. Lisette has also volunteered her nursing time abroad, mainly in Tanzania, within the emergency, paediatric and infection control fields.

Lisette is also a current student at QUT, completing her Masters in Health Management, with a major in Disaster Management.

Dr Bena Cartmill

Category f—Since 2002 Dr Bena Cartmill has been appointed to the position of Advanced Speech Pathologist, Cancer Care/Oncology, at the Princess Alexandra Hospital. During this period she has also been both a Health Research Fellow and a Senior Lecturer (Level B) in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland.

In conjunction with her various positions, Bena has been conferred with a number of Awards and Honours including the 2017 Winner - Metro South Hospital and Health Service Board Chair’s Award in “Shaping Our Future - Innovative solutions for demand management” for ScreenIT and the 2016 Best Paper Allied Health at Australia and New Zealand Head and Neck Cancer Society ASM/International Federation Head Neck Oncologic Societies World Tour, Auckland New Zealand.

Dr Aideen McInerney-Leo

Category f—Dr Aideen McInerney-Leo studied Human Genetics as an undergraduate at the University College London and her Masters in Genetic Counselling at the University of Manchester. Following graduation Aideen moved to Maryland in the USA to a position at the National Institutes of Health where she remained for the following eight years. During this time she was associate director of the genetic counselling masters’ program at Johns Hopkins University, clinical genetic counsellor and researcher counsellor. Aideen moved to Australia in 2006 where she accepted a position as a prenatal genetic counsellor. In 2011 she returned to clinical research at the University of Queensland Diamantina Institute and subsequently completed her PhD on the analysis of whole exome sequencing for genetic testing and gene identification. Dr McInerney-Leo currently works at the Translational Genomics branch of IHBI, QUT focusing on genomics education, genomics research and facilitating the integration of genomics into healthcare.

Dr Danette Langbecker

Category f—Dr Danette Langbecker is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Online Health (COH) at the University of Queensland. With a background in public health, Danette completed a PhD at QUT in 2011, developing and testing a patient-focused resource to encourage communication between health professionals and patients and families affected by brain tumours. Danette’s research encompasses psycho-oncology and health services research, with a focus on the use of technologies to deliver care for persons affected by chronic disease. Danette is currently investigating the implementation of telehealth to deliver allied health services to children in schools, forensic mental health assessments for youth in the criminal justice system, and geriatric assessments for persons with dementia living in rural and remote areas, among other area.

Dr Ayesha Shah

Category f—Dr Ayesha Shah is a junior academic Gastroenterologist. After completing her MBBS at Mumbai University she completed basic physician training and advanced training in Gastroenterology and Hepatology Queensland. She also completed a 2-year Fellowship in Motility/Inflammatory Bowel disorders and is now a Consultant at the Department of Gastroenterology & Hepatology at the Princess Alexandra Hospital. Her research interests are focussed on the interrelationship between gastrointestinal function and gut microbiome. In parallel to her clinical responsibilities she is a PhD candidate at the University of Queensland.

Last updated 5 December 2019

Last reviewed 17 May 2018

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