Bringing People Together to Advance Eating Disorder Research

Gemma has been leading innovative research in the field of eating disorders and related issues since 2011 and is a Professor leading a program of eating disorders focused research in Australia. She is a strong advocate for multidisciplinary research to address complex issues and has a background in medical science and psychology. She is a registered clinical psychologist and a nationally credentialed eating disorder clinician. Gemma believes that the best way to make much needed breakthroughs in eating disorder prevention and treatment is to have all key voices involved and that is how the Consortium for Research in Eating Disorders Limited was established. She is honoured to be the Founding Director and Member of the consortium with her research, clinical and leadership expertise.

Since retiring in 2018 after 30 years as a financial advisor, Bruce has continued to leverage his financial knowledge and experience and work as a volunteer with a number of charities in Australia. They include; CCNB, a charity that provides assistance in aged care, Ripple Learning Ltd, a new social enterprise that provides funding for youth mental health and, more recently, the Consortium for Research in Eating Disorders Limited. Bruce is an active Rotarian with the Rotary Club of Sydney Cove. Bruce is keen to pass on the many insights and lessons he learned over his 30-year career as a financial advisor to increase people's understanding of financial matters and help them make wise financial decisions.

Chris has recently retired from being a full-time practicing lawyer in Adelaide, Australia. His main fields of legal practice included Family Law and wills and estate work. He has previously provided legal advice to local organisations on a pro bono basis. He has also been involved with the schools that his children attended, and more recently at the school that his grandchildren attend. He is willing and able to help the Consortium for Research in Eating Disorders Limited by sharing his legal knowledge.

Peter conducted and managed biomedical, preclinical and clinical research, at universities in Australia and the USA, and in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. This was followed by roles managing research integrity, ethics and compliance at Flinders University and the University of South Australia. He currently works as a Team Leader with Bellberry Limited, a not-for-profit organisation providing human research ethics services across Australia. In 2024, Bellberry was the recipient of the national Telstra Best of Business award in the category of Championing Health. Peter is excited to be involved with the Consortium for Research in Eating Disorders Limited, and to help promote research to better support and treat people living with eating disorders.

Alex Hu is an experienced full-stack developer with a strong background in corporate roles as a senior developer and solution architect at Infosys and Sensis. He later transitioned to startups in China, contributing as a founding member to innovative ventures. Recently, in Australia, Alex has focused on leveraging technology to address mental health challenges, particularly in the area of eating disorders. His expertise spans technical leadership, problem-solving, and delivering impactful solutions across industries.

Peter is a Chartered Accountant in Australia with more than 30 years experience. While studying, Peter gained his experience in small accounting firms. He then went on to work for “Big 6” firms (now Big 4 firms) then built his own practice. Peter's clients include sole traders and salaried employees through to high-net-worth individuals and large private groups. His areas of interest include taxation, structuring, asset protection, wealth creation and intergenerational wealth transfer. Peter is a registered tax agent and has a Bachelor of Business majoring in Accounting and a Master of Taxation Law.

Callum is an experienced fundraising professional specialising in grants, trusts and foundations. Driven by a passion for building philanthropic support for world-class, high-impact research, Callum has held key positions across the arts and tertiary education sectors in Australia and the United States. Originally from New Zealand, he holds a PhD in Historical Musicology from Columbia University. He is excited to support the Consortium for Research in Eating Disorders Limited in promoting and facilitating global research into eating disorders and looks forward to working with researchers, clinicians, philanthropists and lived experience advocates seeking to understand and address the international impact of these conditions.