Kathryn North AC Named AMRAB Chair to Guide Australia’s Medical Research Future Fund
Professor Kathryn North AC, the Director of Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) since 2013, has been appointed the new Chair of the Australian Medical Research Advisory Board (AMRAB). The announcement by Federal Health Minister Mark Butler places North at the helm of a board responsible for setting priorities for the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF), which oversees approximately $650 million in annual disbursements to Australian health and medical research.
AMRAB’s role is to shape how MRFF funds are allocated across a wide range of health and medical fields, aligning scientific opportunities with national health priorities. The appointment signals a strengthened link between government policy and the translational impact of medical research, with North drawing on decades of clinical and research leadership to guide strategic investments that can improve patient outcomes across Australia.
