Expert Panel

Hon. Visiting Fellow, Pharmacology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Adelaide Senior Consultant, Cooperative Research Centre for Water Quality and Treatment Vice President, Conservation Council of SE Region and ACT.

Professor Ian Falconer is the former Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic), and researcher in the Department of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology of the University of Adelaide. Prior to this, he was Dean of the Faculty of the Sciences at the University of New England, Armidale, and Professor of Biochemistry in the Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Nutrition.

His main research field at present is the health effects of cyanobacterial (blue-green algal) toxins in drinking water, including the chemical nature of the toxins, the biological consequences of poisoning, effective water purification methods for toxin removal, long-term health impacts of toxin consumption, and most recently the cancer promoting properties of these toxins. As a Subprogram Manager of Program 1 of the CRC WQT, Prof Falconer will be continuing his research on cancer promotion by blue-green algal toxins in drinking water, and also participating in epidemiological studies of cyanobacteria in drinking water supplies.

Director of the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health

Tony McMichael is Professor and Director of the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health at the Australian National University. He was previously Professor of Epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. He originally graduated in medicine from Adelaide University.

His epidemiological research interests have spanned occupational diseases; diet, nutrition and disease; and, in particular, environmental influences on health. During 1993-2001 he chaired the assessment of health impacts for the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and played a corresponding role in the recently-completed international Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Project. He has been a frequent advisor to WHO, the UN Environment Program, and the World Bank. He co-chairs the newly-developed international research network on Global Environmental Change and Health, under the umbrella of the International Council of Science (ICSU).

In addition to his many published research papers he has authored several books, most recently “Human Frontiers, Environments and Disease: Past Patterns, Uncertain Futures” (Cambridge University Press, 2001) and (as senior editor) “Climate Change and Human Health: Risks and Responses” (WHO/UNEP/WMO, 2003).

Adjunct Professor at the University of Queensland

Ian Law is a Chemical Engineer with a Masters Degree in Public Health Engineering from the University of Cape Town in South Africa and is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Queensland.

He was, until March 2003, CH2M HILL’s Technology Director for South East Asia, Australia, and New Zealand and has since started his own operation and trades as IBL Solutions. He has more than 25 years of experience in advanced wastewater and reuse projects in Southern Africa, S E Asia and Australia.

He has published widely on the application of advanced reuse systems and the need to apply the concept of Total Water Management to all future water resource planning and is actively promoting this concept in Australia.

Discipline Head - Community Studies
School of Education and Community Studies
Deputy Director, Healthpact Research Centre for Health Promotion and Wellbeing University of Canberra

Dr Katja Mikhailovich is the Deputy Director of the Healthpact Research Centre for Health Promotion and Wellbeing established at the University of Canberra in 2005. She is also the Discipline Head of the Community Studies Program in the School of Education and Community Studies. In her role as senior lecturer she works with pre-service teachers and community service practitioners. For the past 10 years she has worked as an educator and consultant with research experience focussing upon marginalised and disadvantaged populations. She has a particular interest in the evaluation of community based health and community development programs and in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health and Wellbeing. Prior to her academic position she worked for 10 years in the community health and welfare sector and maintains a commitment to community health development.