The Chair of Telethon Kids Institute, the Hon Julie Bishop, has stepped down after five years to allow her to focus on her critical role as the United Nations Secretary General’s Special Envoy on Myanmar.
Announcing her decision ahead of the Institute’s 2024 Annual General Meeting, Ms Bishop said it had been an honour to lead Western Australia’s largest medical research institute and the only one dedicated to child and adolescent health.
“The work undertaken at Telethon Kids is having a real impact on kids’ health and the quality of their lives,” Ms Bishop said. “I am proud to have been able to contribute to the extraordinary efforts of the researchers through my role as Chair, particularly in advocacy and governance.
“The fundraising projects in which I have been involved are helping to launch the careers of many young researchers.”
Telethon Kids Executive Director, Professor Jonathan Carapetis, thanked Ms Bishop for her commitment and dedication to the Institute over the past five years.
“Ms Bishop has been a strong advocate for child health research not just in WA, but across Australia and internationally,” Professor Carapetis said.
“In particular, she has personally driven fundraising efforts to support many of our major research initiatives, and our early to mid-career researchers.
“Ms Bishop’s unwavering advocacy of women in science has seen her establish the Julie Bishop Early to Mid-Career Female Researcher Award, which provides recipients with her financial and mentoring support.
“This award was established in 2020 to support emerging women in science pursuing a child health research project of significance.”
Professor Carapetis said Ms Bishop had overseen a period of significant growth at the Institute and had helped to position Telethon Kids as one of Australia’s most successful medical research centres.
For many years prior to her appointment as Chair, Ms Bishop had been a strong supporter of the Institute as the local Member of Parliament and through her personal interest in medical research.
“On behalf of the Board of Directors and the Executive team at Telethon Kids, I would like to thank Ms Bishop for her support and wish her the very best.”
Professor Carapetis said a new Chair would be announced in the coming weeks.