The board

Adjunct Associate Professor Christine Giles, Master of Public Policy, FAICD

Chairperson of the Board of the Cancer Institute NSW

Adj Associate Professor Giles is a public policy specialist, with more than 25 years of experience and achievement in health policy and health systems with the Commonwealth and several States, focussing on improving health outcomes for all Australians.

Ms Giles brings 15 years of experience in cancer control having served as Head of Policy and Strategy at the National Breast and Ovarian Cancer Centre and Executive Director at Cancer Australia where she led numerous major cancer policy initiatives and programs and represented the organisations at national and international cancer forums. 

Ms Giles has held several Board positions across the public and not-for profit sectors, most recently as Deputy Chair, Sydney Local Health District. She was also the Chair of the Research and Education Committee where she oversaw the development and renewal of the District’s Research Plan. 

Ms Giles holds an appointment as Adj Associate Professor, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney University and is an Associate of the Menzies Centre for Health Policy and Economics, Sydney University. Ms Giles also has a Master of Public Policy, Faculty of Economics and Government, University of Sydney.

Dr Costa Boyages MBBS, BArts LLB, GDLP, FRACGP, DCH, GAICD

Dr Costa Boyages is a rural GP in the Shoalhaven and a visiting Palliative Care medical officer at David Berry Hospital on the South Coast in Berry, where he manages terminal disease for many people with cancer. Before pursuing a career in rural medicine, he trained in international relations and law working as an Australian diplomat and international lawyer.

Dr Boyages has a keen interest in advancing rural cancer outcomes with extensive Board level experience at the Australian Medical Association, Medical Board of Australia, the Rural Doctors Network and Medical Indemnity Group of Australia. He remains active in training and education as a supervisor for rural general practice trainees as well as an academic tutor for medical students with the University of Wollongong.

His governance experience also includes being a Councillor with the local Primary Health Network, COORDINARE, and as a Medical Officer reservist with the Australian Army.

Professor Christine Clarke PhD

Professor Clarke is Emeritus Professor, University of Sydney and Distinguished Scientist, The Westmead Institute for Medical Research. Professor Clarke has been internationally recognized for research on hormone action in normal breast and breast cancer, and held continuous major national grant support since 1991. She has been awarded the National Breast Cancer Foundation Pink Circle Award; the National Breast Cancer Foundation Patron’s Award for Excellence in Breast Cancer Research; and received recognition as NHMRC High Achiever in Health and Medical Research.

Her translational contributions included the establishment of the Australian Breast Cancer Tissue Bank, now a major national and international resource for breast cancer research; and founding membership of the Kathleen Cuningham Consortium for Research into Familial Breast Cancer.

Professor Clarke has contributed to numerous scientific or health-related organisations including major roles on peer-review committees, and to national and state peak bodies, including through membership of the Boards of the National Breast Cancer Foundation and the Cancer Council NSW, and of the NHMRC principal committee, the Health Advisory Committee.

She has contributed to research advocacy through executive office in the Australian Society for Medical Research, and to national strategic development, through membership of the Commonwealth Cancer Strategies Group, and National Breast Cancer Centre and National Breast Cancer Foundation working parties.

Ms Lillian Leigh LLM, LLB, BSc(Psych)(Hons), GAICD

Ms Lillian Leigh is a lawyer with extensive experience serving a broad range of socially and economically disadvantaged people within regional and metropolitan NSW. She has represented consumer voices at government and not-for-profit forums for over 15 years, including in the health sector since 2015.

Ms Leigh is currently a member of the Australian Health Ethics Committee of the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC); the board of the Thoracic Oncology Group of Australasia; the Advisory Council of Cancer Australia; the Consumer and Community Advisory Group of the NHMRC, and the Executive Committee of Cancer Voices NSW. She also sits on the patient advisory boards of Rare Cancers Australia and the Australian Clinical Trials Alliance.

Associate Professor Peter Malouf PhD

Associate Professor Peter Malouf is a Wulli Wulli/Wakka Wakka man who has substantial experience in the government, not-for profit, and university sectors in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, with a focus on public health and tropical medicine. Peter was crucial in spearheading the COVID-19 response with the New South Wales Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations, and he was a member of the Commonwealth Department of Health Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Group on COVID-19.

He is currently the Director of Indigenous Health Education at the University of New South Wales, leading curriculum design and implementation of Indigenous Health teaching and learning. His previous executive roles have included Executive Director, Operations at the Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council for NSW, Chief Executive Officer of the Townsville Aboriginal & Islander Health Service, and General Manager, Organisational Development at Kalwun Development Corporation, an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community controlled organisation delivering access to health, family, and community support services.

Peter holds a PhD in Public Health and Tropical Medicine, and is an Adjunct Associate Professor, Public Health & Tropical Medicine, James Cook University.

Peter has a strong association and connection with Aboriginal communities and local Elders and is passionate about driving improved health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. 

The Hon Jillian Skinner

The Hon Jillian Skinner retired from NSW Parliament in 2017 after 23 years in office; six years as NSW Minister for Health and 14 years as Shadow Health Minister. She was also the first stand-alone Minister for Medical Research in NSW. In those roles, Mrs Skinner created a devolved structure for NSW Health, focussing on local decision making, boosting the clinical workforce, investing in infrastructure, and increasing hospital services. Committed to engagement across the community, she launched an Integrated Health Care strategy in 2014. She was noted for her commitment to health and medical research, and also championed social policy programs, most notably a strategy to eliminate the transmission of HIV.

Following retirement, Mrs Skinner has continued her involvement in health-related activities, including membership of the Board of the Children’s Cancer Institute; the Cancer Australia Advisory Council; the CSIRO Health and Biosecurity Advisory Group; Deputy Chair of the NSW Justice Health and Forensic Mental Health Network Board; and Independent Chair of the Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association. 

Mrs Skinner has been awarded three honorary doctorates, from Macquarie University, Sydney University and the University of NSW in recognition of her contribution to health care and health policy in NSW.

Michael Still MBA

Mr Michael Still has enjoyed a 30 year career in investment banking, corporate finance, equity investment and infrastructure in Australia and globally. He has led infrastructure and property companies, and projects of many types. These have included large-scale urban renewal and Public Private Partnerships for social infrastructures, as well as major economic infrastructures. Mr Still has advised governments, offshore corporates and investment funds on strategic matters and ownership and financing issues across many industries and asset types. He is a former Chair of the Board of the South Eastern Sydney Local Health District and a former member of the NSW Government’s Medical Devices Fund Expert Group. 

Mr Still is Chair of the Randwick Health and Innovation Precinct. He is also a Director of the Silver Chain Group, providers of health and community care services. In December 2023, he was appointed Chancellor of the University of Wollongong.

Emeritus Prof Les White AM MB BS, FRACP, MHA, AFACHSM, DSc, DUniv

Professor Les White was the inaugural NSW Chief Paediatrician from 2010 to 2016. He was previously Executive Director of Sydney Children's Hospital (1995–2010), following a clinical and academic career, with emphasis on childhood cancer.

Other positions have included President of Children’s Hospitals Australasia (1999–2004) and the John Beveridge Professor of Paediatrics (2005–2010).

Professor White has over 140 publications and a range of abstracts, awards, grants and invited presentations in his CV. He has served on 18 not-for-profit boards (currently serves on 5) and other organisations, relating to children’s health or medical research.

He was awarded a Doctorate of Science for research contributions related to childhood cancer and holds a Master of Health Administration. In 2007, he was made a Member of the Order of Australia for service to medicine, medical administration and the community in the field of paediatrics. Professor White was awarded a Doctorate of the University (UNSW) Honoris Causa in 2019.