Membership of the National Hepatitis C Testing Policy Expert Reference Committee (ERC) 2025
The Expert Reference Committee (ERC) meets from time to time to review the National Hepatitis C Testing Policy and to consider what action might be necessary to improve quality, uptake and regulation of HCV testing in Australia. The ERC brings together all parties with an interest in HCV testing and provides a forum for discussion of policy matters raised by third parties in relation to HCV testing. It acts as a forum for identification of barriers and impediments to accessing HCV testing and provides a sounding board for the exploration of how these barriers and impediments might be removed. The ERC provides background information to jurisdictions and the Commonwealth, the Blood Borne Viruses and Sexually Transmissible Infections Standing Committee (BBVSS) of the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC), regulatory and other advisory bodies. The ERC provides a voice to raise issues relating to HCV testing with test providers, pathology companies and others. Members are requested to participate in the ERC on a voluntary basis. No sitting fees are provided.
Robert Batey
Senior Staff Specialist, NT Health
Clinic 34, Centre for Disease Control, Alice Springs Hospital NT
Chair
Ana Domazetovska
Microbiologist, NSW Health Pathology, Microbiology
Liverpool Hospital NSW
NSW Health Pathology representative
Jen Kok
Medical Virologist, Infectious Diseases Physician, Clinical Microbiologist
Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Laboratory Services, ICPMR, Westmead Hospital NSW
Public Health Laboratory Network (PHLN) representative
Wayne Dimech
Scientific and Business Relations Manager
National Serology Reference Laboratory (NRL)
NRL representative
Scott Bowden
Consultant and Former Head of Molecular Microbiology
Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory (VIDRL)
VIDRL representative
Juliette Holland
Microbiology Advisory Committee
The Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia (RCPA)
RCPA representative
Jessica Howell
Associate Professor, NHMRC Principal Research Fellow and Gastroenterologist
St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne VIC
GESA Liver Faculty Chair
Edmund Tse
Associate Professor, Senior Staff Specialist and Head of Hepatology
Royal Adelaide Hospital SA
GESA Liver Faculty representative
Jane Davies
Associate Professor, Infectious Diseases and General Medicine specialist physician
Royal Darwin Hospital NT; Menzies School of Research NT
ASID representative
Gregory Dore
Program Head, Viral Hepatitis Clinical Research Program
The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney
Kirby Institute representative
Jason Grebely
Professor, Viral Hepatitis Clinical Research Program
The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney
Kirby Institute representative
Alisa Pedrana
Deputy Discipline Head, Public Health
Burnet Institute, Melbourne VIC
Burnet Institute representative
Chrishanthi Rodrigues
Assistant Director
Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA)
TGA representative
Lise Lafferty
Senior Research Fellow
Centre for Social Research in Health (CSRH)
CSRH representative
Megan Campbell
Medical Advisor
National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO)
NACCHO representative
Kate Seear
Professor and Deputy Director, Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society (ARCSHS)
La Trobe University, Melbourne VIC
Member of Class (Medico-Legal Expert)
Susan Matthews
Co-Director & Discipline Lead, Point-of-Care Testing
Flinders University International Centre for Point-of-Care Testing, College of Medicine & Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide SA
Member of Class (Point-of-Care Testing Expert)
John Didlick
Policy Analyst
Hepatitis Australia
Hepatitis Australia representative
Ele Morrison
Director of Advocacy
Australian Injecting and Illicit Drug Users League (AIVL)
AIVL representative
Joseph Croke
Assistant Director, Blood Borne Viruses, Sexually Transmissible Infections, and Torres Strait Health Policy Section, Communicable Diseases Branch
Office of Health Protection, Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care
Department of Health and Aged Care representative
Morgan Claridge
Departmental Officer, Blood Borne Viruses, Sexually Transmissible Infections, and Torres Strait Health Policy Section, Communicable Diseases Branch
Office of Health Protection, Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care
Department of Health and Aged Care representative
Karin English
Public Health Physician
ACT Health Directorate
ACT BBVSS representative
Amelia Kennedy
Policy Officer, Program Support
Tasmanian Department of Health
TAS BBVSS representative
Jeff Stewart
Public Health Nurse
Flinders Medical Centre, Adelaide SA
SA Health BBVSS representative
Judith Bevan
Senior Policy and Planning Officer, Sexual Health and Blood-borne Virus Program
Department of Health WA
WA BBVSS representative
Bianca Prain
Manager, Hepatitis Programs Unit
NSW Ministry of Health
NSW BBVSS representative
Carla Gorton
Advanced Public Health Officer (Viral Hepatitis), BBV/STI Unit, Communicable Diseases Branch
Queensland Health
QLD BBVSS representative
Elizabeth Birbilis
Senior Policy Officer, Sexual Health and Viral Hepatitis
Department of Health and Human Services VIC
VIC BBVSS representative
Belinda Greenwood-Smith
Central Australian Coordinator, Public Health Physician
Public Health Unit (Centre for Disease Control) NT, Department of Health
NT BBVSS representative
Sonja Hill
Senior Project Officer
ASHM Health, Sydney NSW
ASHM secretariat