Professor Kate Hoy

#WomenLead at International Women's Day 2021

“I support the #WomenLead campaign because there is a dire global need for a new type of leadership. Compassionate, empathic, strong, smart, authentic leadership can change the world. To achieve this, we must see diversity in our leaders, not only across gender but across all life experiences.”

Professor Kate Hoy is Head of Interventional Neuropsychology and Deputy Director of the Epworth Centre for Innovation in Mental Health (ECIMH), a Monash University and Epworth HealthCare clinical research centre.

With more than 15 years’ experience in clinical brain stimulation research, she runs a substantive program focused on developing novel biological treatments for cognitive disorders. She is currently conducting a number of world first clinical trials aimed at improving cognition in Alzheimer's, as well preventing dementia in people with mild cognitive impairment.

Kate’s team is also conducting research looking at cognitive impairment in schizophrenia, anxiety disorders and Huntington's disease, as well as investigating ways in which to optimise the efficacy of prefrontal brain stimulation techniques.  She has received over $19.3M in funding (including as a CI on a $12M NHMRC clinical trial network) and has published 120 scientific journal articles.

Kate is internationally recognised as a leading brain stimulation researcher. She is on the editorial board of Cortex, has given more than 50 invited presentations on cognition and brain stimulation, is the immediate past President of the Australasian Brain Stimulation Society, and founder of Women in Brain Stim. She is also co-founder of the medtech start up Resonance Therapuetics (RTx).

Ms Shefali Joshi

#EachForEqual at International Women's Day 2020

“I want all forms of discrimination & abuse against women to end. Raised in India, we did not get equal opportunities but Monash offered me a program, where I felt nurtured & supported as a woman. It helped me find my voice. Now, I am able to add value by speaking fearlessly about issues important to me, my team & the world #EachforEqual #WithMonash”

Shefali Joshi worked in various marketing positions over a period of six years at Monash, culminating in the role of Senior Marketing Optimisation Analyst in the Marketing Infrastructure area as part of the University’s professional staff.

She started her career as a graduate software engineer with the ANZ bank. Over the years, Shefali diversified into digital marketing, data analysis, and digital strategy and optimisation before joining Monash.

A day in her work life usually involves solving problems and generating actionable insights related to marketing optimisation (user journeys, channels, campaigns, competitors, processes) to help inform data-driven decision making for a variety of stakeholders. This also involves providing SEO training and workshops, establishing measurement frameworks and strategies that drive improved customer experience, return on relationships, brand reputation, and return on investment (ROI).

Participating in the Women’s Mentoring program in her early years at Monash delivered a boost in self-confidence and self-esteem that saw her career accelerate. An experience she later returned when she mentored two young women via the staff mentoring program in 2021, an incredible opportunity Shefali highly recommends to all staff.