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Ethics Committees
Ethics Committees
At Southern Cross University, any research involving humans, their data, or tissue, must receive ethics approval from an SCU Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) before commencement. This applies to research conducted by SCU staff, students, or visitors, and includes the use of university equipment, facilities, or premises.
SCU has a Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) and two Low-Risk Committees (LRC) to review human research, operating in accordance with the National Statement. This ensures ethical standards are upheld in all research activities.
To determine which Committee will review your application, refer to Assessing the Level of Risk in your Research on the Applications and Approvals page.
The Southern Cross University Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) is a registered HREC that reviews and approves high risk ethics applications.
The HREC meets monthly to review applications assessed as higher than low risk.
HREC Membership:
| Professor Liz Mackinlay | Category A - Chair |
| Dr Gordon McGurk | Category A - Chair |
| Dr Joanne Bradbury | Interim Deputy Chair |
| Ms Jafreen Khan | Category B - Community Member |
| Mr Rob Browne | Category B - Community Member |
| Dr Hedy Bryant | Category B - Community Member |
| Mr Julius Dias | Category B - Community Member |
| Ms Simone Balzer | Category C - Healthcare Professional |
| Dr Robert Lingard | Category D - Pastoral Care |
| Ms Dona Graham | Category E - Lawyer |
| Professor David Heilpern | Category E - Lawyer |
| Dr Joanne Bradbury | Category F - Research Expertise, Faculty of Health |
| Dr Kylie Day | Category F - Research Expertise, Gnibi College of Indigenous Australian Peoples |
| Assoc Prof Romy Lauche | Category F - Research Expertise, National Centre for Naturopathic Medicine |
| Associate Professor Gail Moloney | Category F - Research Expertise, Faculty of Health |
| Dr Rohan Price | Category F - Research Expertise, Faculty of Business Law and Arts |
| Dr Lisa Marlow | Secretary |
A Low-Risk Committee meets fortnightly to review applications assessed as low risk and aims for a two-week turnaround time for each application. The committee membership comprises staff representing all Faculties and Colleges at the University.
Low Risk Committee Membership:
| Blue Committee: | |
| Professor Liz Mackinlay | Chair HREC |
| Dr Annabelle Keene | Faculty of Health |
| Dr Marie-Chantale Pelletier | Faculty of Science and Engineering |
| Dr Liz Goode | SCU College |
| Professor Natalie Munro | Faculty of Health |
| Dr Mellie Green | Faculty of Education |
| Mr Lincoln Nettleton | Secretary |
| Gold Committee | |
| Professor Liz Mackinlay | HREC Chair |
| Ms Kate Giles | Faculty of Health |
| Dr Felicity Walker | Faculty of Health |
| Dr Carla Valerio | Faculty of Education |
| Dr Reza Ghanbarzadeh | Faculty of Science and Engineering |
| Ms Emily Rodger | Secretary |
Low Risk Committee Meeting Dates 2025
Please note: May and June are a peak period with exceptionally high demand. To avoid delays, we strongly recommend that you plan ahead and submit your application before or after this period.