Moira Clay

Professor Moira Clay is one of Australia’s foremost experts in health and medical research strategy.  She is a transformational leader, with a flexible and balanced approach to the changing research agenda and a highly experienced facilitator. Moira has a reputation for professionalism and integrity and is known for her collaborative and inclusive approach.  She has developed an enduring and substantive network across the Australian health and medical research sector. 

  

Moira has extensive senior executive experience in research institutes in Victoria, NSW and WA - including 6 months as Acting Director of the Telethon Kids Institute. She was President of two peak bodies – the Australian Society for Medical Research (ASMR) (2003) and Australasian Research Management Society (ARMS) (2013), leading significant public, political and scientific advocacy initiatives. In 2018, she was nominated as a Fellow of ARMS, acknowledging her enduring and substantial contributions to research management, and her active philanthropic involvement was profiled in a TEDx Fremantle talk. 

  

In 2021, she was appointed Chair of the Advisory Board of the Menzies Institute (University of Tasmania). In September 2022, Moira was honoured for her distinguished service to research management by the Australasian Research Management Society (ARMS) and awarded the Janet Dibb-Leigh Award. The Janet Dibb-Leigh Award recognises those who make outstanding contributions to the research management sector throughout Australasia and Singapore. This annual award is reserved for individuals who are deemed by ARMS to be exceptional.

 

Moira holds a PhD in Biochemistry from Monash University (Baker Institute) and has an adjunct appointment as Professor through the University of Western Australia. In 2011, she completed the Eureka Institute International Certificate in Translational Medicine.  In 2021, she completed post-graduate training in transactional competence (Influence Ecology).