21 July 2010

Two new directors have been appointed to the NPS Board. Dr Winston Liauw has replaced Shane Carney as the other prescriber/researcher class director, while Dr Andrew Knight commences on 3 August as the GP class director, replacing Dr Shiong Tan.

Dr Winston Liauw joined the NPS Board on 18 June. He is a practising medical oncologist and clinical pharmacologist with a master's degree in pharmaceutical development. He has been heavily involved in research ethics and regulation and is deputy chair of the Shared Scientific Assessment Scheme Core Committee and the Cancer Institute NSW Human Research Ethics Committee (clinical trials).

“Research is a key component of NPS’s work and an important contribution to the broader health sector. Dr Liauw’s extensive experience in clinical and pharmacological research will be greatly valued as we expand our role in this area,” NPS Chair Dr Janette Randall said.

His interests span clinical trials, cancer research, the pharmacology of alternative medicines, and surgical and locoregional therapies for cancer as well as medical education, e-health, supportive care and pharmacogenetics.

Dr Andrew Knight is a full-time GP working in Katoomba in the Blue Mountains. He has worked in the Australian General Practice Training Program as a medical educator and as director of training for the RACGP and WentWest, and continues to train GP registrars within his practice. 

“Dr Knight brings to the NPS Board a wealth of clinical experience from 20 years as a GP, as well as first-hand experience of the current environment prescribers are working in,” Dr Randall said.

“As a clinical senior lecturer in general practice in the western clinical school of the University of Sydney and chair of the expert reference panel on Access for the Australian Primary Care collaborative, Dr Knight leads by example and is dedicated to primary care in Australia.”

“As well as welcoming these two new directors, I would like to extend a huge thank you to both Dr Shiong Tan and Shane Carney for their dedication and expert guidance while serving on the NPS Board,” Dr Randall said.

Independent, evidence-based and not-for-profit, NPS enables better decisions about medicines and medical tests. We are funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing.