People
AHTA is made up of a multidisciplinary team with staff expertise in areas of health technology assessment (HTA), health economics, ethics, research synthesis, methodological research, guideline development, and research information technology management.
Professor Tracy Merlin, Director
Professor Tracy Merlin
AHTA Director
Tracy Merlin is the first Professor of Health Technology Assessment in Australia, having worked in HTA for over 25 years.
As the Director and co-founder of AHTA, Tracy leads a large and experienced team of researchers undertaking nationally significant applied research and evaluation activities. Tracy is a methodologist and clinical epidemiologist. In addition to publishing methodological work, she has written systematic literature reviews, clinical practice guidelines and health technology assessment reports. She has been an active contributor to HTAi and INAHTA. She Chaired INAHTA from 2020-2023 and was on the Board for 8 years. She Chaired the HTA Glossary English Editorial Board for 10 years, on behalf of HTAi and INAHTA. Professor Merlin also Heads the School of Public Health at the University of Adelaide.
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Leadership Team
David Tamblyn
AHTA Manager
David Tamblyn has worked in the field of health technology assessment for over 10 years, and has experience evaluating pharmaceuticals, devices and medical services. He has been involved in HTA evaluations for both reimbursement and regulatory purposes, and in the development of national guidelines to inform the assessment of pharmaceuticals and medical services.
Skye Newton
Team Leader, Medical HTA
Skye Newton is a clinical epidemiologist who has 18 years' experience performing and providing guidance and quality assurance for evaluations for the Medical Services Advisory Committee (MSAC). Skye has strong expertise in the evaluation of investigative tests, in particular, genetic tests.
Arlene Vogan
Acting Team Leader, Health Economics
Arlene Vogan is a senior health economist at Adelaide Health Technology Assessment (AHTA) and has worked in the field of HTA for 10 years. She is responsible for the production or evaluation of economic evaluations of medical services, pharmaceuticals and co-dependent technologies for the Medical Services Advisory Committee and/or the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee.
Camille Schubert
Team Leader, Health Economics
Camille Schubert supervises the health economic modelling and analyses conducted at AHTA for the Medical Services Advisory Committee and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee. She also conducts trial-based health economic research and analysis for grant-funded clinical research projects conducted at the University. Camille's areas of interest are; health economic policy associated with funded of health technologies, co-dependent health technologies and health economic implications associated with genetic testing.
Vivian (Zhaohui) Liufu
Team Leader, Pharmaceuticals
Vivian (Zhaohui) Liufu has worked in the field of health technology assessment for 14 years. She is responsible for critical appraisal and evaluation of pharmaceuticals and co-dependent technologies for the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) and/or Medical Services Advisory Committee (MSAC). She also has experience in clinical medicine, systematic reviews, and evaluation of medical services.
Benjamin Ellery
Team Leader, Medical Devices
Benjamin Ellery leads a team of evaluators who undertake evaluation of medical devices for regulatory purposes, under the auspices of the Australian Government Department's Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). Ben has an academic background and professional interest in public health and all aspects of health technology assessment (HTA), with 20 years of experience studying and working in these fields. Over the years, Ben has undertaken work on several hundred HTA projects, which have included the evaluation of medical services, medical devices, public health and health programs, health policy, and environmental aspects of public health.
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Administration
- Lashan Clifton - Senior Administration Officer
- Sharelle Falzon - Administration Officer
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Ethicist
- Dr Drew Carter - Research Fellow (Ethics)
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Pharmaceutical evaluators
- Dr Vivian Liufu - Team Leader, Pharmaceutical Evaluation
- Dr Olivia Choi - HTA Analyst
- Christopher Deane - Senior PBS Strategy Analyst
- Claude Farah - Senior HTA Analyst
- Dr Bron Lett - Senior HTA Analyst
- Kashish Bararia - HTA Analyst
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Healthcare & medical device evaluators
- Skye Newton - Team Leader, Medical HTA
- Benjamin Ellery - Team Leader, Medical Devices
- Hiruni Dasanayaka - HTA Analyst
- Dr Sarah Hancock - Senior HTA Analyst
- Dr Hayley Hill - Senior HTA Analyst
- Sharon Kessels - Senior HTA Analyst
- Dr Mah Laka - Research Associate (HTA)
- Joanne Milverton - Senior HTA Analyst
- Dr Judy Morona - Senior HTA Analyst
- Klara Salinger - HTA Analyst
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Health economists
- Arlene Vogan - Acting Team Leader, Health Economist
- Isaiah Luc - Health Economist
- Dr Ruchi Mittal - Senior Health Economist
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Students
- Dr Vahab Baghbanian - PhD candidate
- Yuan Gao - PhD candidate
- Isaiah Luc - PhD candidate
- Camille Schubert - PhD candidate
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Affiliates and consultants
- Associate Professor John Moss - Health Economics Consultant
- Dr Hossein Haji Ali Afzali - Health Economics Consultant
- Dr Jacqueline Street - Consumer Engagement Consultant
- Dr Amy Salter - Statistical Consultant
- Dr Joshua Inglis - Clinical Consultant
- Dr Benjamin Reddi - Clinical Consultant
- Ms Camille Schubert - Grant funded Researcher / Health Economics Consultant