Dr Ella Smalley

Dr Ella Smalley is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow whose research focuses on the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying pulmonary fibrosis. Her work investigates macrophage-epithelial cell interactions, genetic contributions to lung disease and development of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived models to study disease pathogenesis.

Ella is committed to supporting early-career researchers, fostering collaborative scientific communities and promoting wellbeing in academia. Her work integrates discovery science with a strong commitment to advocacy, mentorship and creating positive change in the research sector.

Professor James McMahon

Professor James McMahon is the Chief Research and Innovation Officer at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and an Infectious Diseases physician at the Royal Melbourne and Alfred Hospitals.

He is the current President for Australasian Society for HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Sexual Health Medicine, ASHM. His research interests include clinical trials focused on HIV Cure and antiretroviral therapy and strategies to improve immunity to COVID-19 in immunocompromised hosts.

Dr Ranjana Srivastava OAM

Dr Ranjana Srivastava OAM, is an oncologist, Fulbright scholar and award-winning writer. She is the recipient of the Medal of the Order of Australia for her contribution to the field of doctor-patient communication and a 2004 Australian-American Fulbright Award to gain an ethics fellowship at the University of Chicago's MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics.

In 2020, Ranjana received a second prestigious Fulbright award and the John F Kennedy Merit Award to obtain a Master in Public Administration at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government.

Educated in India, the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia, Ranjana graduated from Monash University with a first-class honours degree and has been awarded several awards in medicine.

She has since worked in the public hospital system of Victoria and specialises in geriatric oncology, the holistic care of elderly patients with cancer. She has a keen interest in serving patients from culturally and linguistically diverse communities, who are often disadvantaged and vulnerable.

Ranjana is an award-winning writer for The Guardian newspaper, where she writes on the intersection of medicine, ethics and humanity. She is the winner of the 2025 Kennedy Award for Outstanding Columnist, the winner of an international award for writing with context and clarity and a two-time finalist for the Walkley Award for Excellence in Journalism.

In 2014 Ranjana was recognised by Monash University as the Distinguished Alumni of the Year and later appointed a Professor of Practice in the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences. Ranjana was included in Westpac's 100 Influential Women of 2015.

She has published multiple books, including:

• Tell Me the Truth: Conversations with My Patients about Life and Death, which was shortlisted for the New South Wales Premier's Literary Award
• Dying for a Chat: The Communication Breakdown between Doctors and Patients won the Human Rights Literature Prize.
• Her two books on navigating cancer; A Cancer Companion and After Cancer: A Guide to Living Well
• What It Takes To Be A Doctor: An Insider's Guide, finalist in the Australian Career Book Awards.
• A Better Death: Conversations about the Art of Living and Dying Well
• Every Word Matters: Writing to Engage the Public.