Professional Staff
| Deborah Blackmore - Institute ManagerAs Institute Manager Deborah manages a broad range of administrative processes that support the Institute, and its professional and academic staff to succeed. She is responsible for the operational health of the Institute, managing the financial, human resources, compliance and reporting, facilities, policies and processes, and planning. Deborah joined NICM Health Research Institute in 2022. |
 | Suzannah Bourchier - Clinical Trials ManagerSuzannah joined the Institute in 2005 with a background in traditional Chinese medicine and brings vast experience in research and clinical trials management. Her experience includes initial development, protocol and CRF design, ethics submissions, budget development and management, participant recruitment, trial coordination, database development, regulatory reporting and result dissemination. Suzannah currently manages the regulatory requirements for our clinical trials, providing guidance and support to clinical researchers and students to Good Clinical Practice (GCP) standards. |
 | Dr Gemma Deakin - Senior Research CoordinatorGemma supports researchers across multiple areas of clinical focus and broad platform capabilities to pursue funding opportunities and manage research undertaken at the Institute. Prior to joining the Institute, Gemma supervised undergraduate units at Western Sydney University and worked as a part of the Science Teaching and Research Technical Services team. Gemma completed her PhD titled “Interactions between bacteria and fungi in polymicrobial biofilms influence the viability and global transcriptome of the interacting organisms that can affect the pathogenic potential of these biofilms.”, in 2024. |
| Lillian Doumit - Research Administration OfficerIn this role Lillian supports the effective management of the Institute’s Higher Degree Research (HDR) and operational activities through provision of high-level administrative support. She holds a Bachelor of Design in Visual Communication, combining her creative skills with passion for efficient research administration. Prior to joining the Institute, Lillian worked at Western Sydney University’s Graduate Research School, where she gained extensive experience in research administration and support. She is passionate about streamlining processes and fostering a collaborative environment which ensures HDR candidates feel well supported during their research candidature. |
| Melanie Young - Executive Assistant and Project OfficerMelanie is an experienced administration professional with extensive expertise in both the corporate and education sectors. She joined Western Sydney University in 2008 after a decade at the University of Sydney. Before joining NICM, Melanie spent six years supporting the Dean and Deputy Dean of the School of Business at Western Sydney University. |
