Chair

Dr Teresa Anderson AM

Dr Teresa Anderson is the Chief Executive of Sydney Local Health District, one of the leading public health services in Australia.

Dr Anderson has more than 35 years of experience as a clinician and health service executive. She has a well-established reputation for implementing strategies to foster innovation and best practice, supporting collaboration and building partnerships, to provide excellent healthcare to almost 700,000 people living within Sydney Local Health District and the million people who come into the District each day to work, study and visit.

Dr Anderson is a Speech Pathologist, internationally recognised for her specialist knowledge and skills in the research, assessment and management of paediatric and adult dysphagia, early communication development, early childhood development and early intervention.

She continues to develop programs and services to support and improve the health and wellbeing of all people in the community.

Dr Anderson is a member of 7 Medical Research, Health and PHN boards and is an active member of the Sydney Health Partners Governing Council and Executive Management Group, one of the first four centres in Australia designated by NHMRC as an Advanced Health Research Translation Centre.

Executive Director

Adjunct Associate Professor Vicki Taylor

Adjunct Associate Professor Taylor has over 30 years’ experience as a clinician and health service executive leader. She has a well-established and recognised reputation as a leader who implements strategies to support and encourage best practice, true collaboration, fostering and strengthening partnerships that deliver innovative, evidence based health promotion, prevention, care and outcomes to the community.

She is passionate about ensuring timely, safe, quality, patient and family centred care and health outcomes in the most appropriate and efficient manner. She has a strong commitment to enabling increased scale and translation of health research.

As Chief Executive of Northern Sydney Local Health District, Professor Taylor played an integral role in, and led the redevelopment and reconfiguration of several major infrastructure projects, including Royal North Shore Hospital. During her six years in the role, she laid the foundations for optimal and sustainable outcomes for the local community, the people of NSW and beyond.

Professor Taylor serves on several boards, committees and organisations within the government, private, non-government, primary health, and university and research sectors.

She is focused on ensuring Sydney Research is the leading collaboration of health and medical research in Australia.

Deputy Director

Penelope (Penny) Schmidt

Penny has been Acting Deputy Director, Sydney Research since May 2021. Prior to this role, Penelope was the Executive Officer for Sydney Research. She has a background as a researcher in the area of paediatric brain cancer with the Kids Research Institute at Sydney Children's Hospital Network (Westmead).

Penelope has a deep passion for health and medical research. She is committed to exploring and strengthening research and innovation environments, opportunities and partnerships across through the partnership between Sydney Research and Sydney Local Health District. She maintains strong relationships with industry partners, and academics, clinicians and researchers across the District, University of Sydney, and medical research institutes.