Professor Kathryn North AC

BSc (Med), MBBS, MD, DMedSc, FRACP, FAHMS, Director of the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI), David Danks Professor of Child Health Research, University of Melbourne.

Winner of the Lifetime Achievement Medal

Professor Kathryn North AC is a clinician-scientist, trained as a paediatrician, neurologist and geneticist. At MCRI, Kathryn leads a diverse team of over 1800 researchers with a dedicated focus to improve the health and wellbeing of children and their families.

Kathryn led Australian Genomics (2016-2025) and is Vice Chair of the Global Alliance for Genomics and Health (2014-), a collaborative network across over 100 countries, focussed on the responsible sharing of clinical and genomic data. In 2019 she was awarded Companion (AC) of the Order of Australia, in recognition of her eminent service to genomic medicine and medical research.

Kathryn is a member of the Scientific Advisory Boards of Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health (UK), the Singapore National Precision Medicine Program and Toronto Sick Kids Research Institute. In October 2025, she was appointed Chair of the Australian Medical Research Advisory Board (AMRAB).