Professor Robyn Ward (AM) is an academic leader, cancer researcher and clinician who has made significant contributions to health policy and practice in Australia, as well as to the higher education sector. Since 2018 she has served as Pro-Vice Chancellor Medicine and Health, and Executive Dean, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney. Previous career roles included Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research) at the University of Queensland, as well as senior academic roles at UNSW Sydney.
Since 2009, Prof Ward has served as the Chair of the Commonwealth’s Medical Services Advisory Committee, advising the Commonwealth Health minister on the circumstances under which public funding should be provided for medical services, technologies and procedures. She is the longest-serving member of the Australian Commonwealth’s Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (2000-2019), where her expertise in oncology and cancer biology helped evaluate the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of subsidising drugs, as well as developing policies regarding the best use of medicines in Australia. Over her research career, she has published over 270 original manuscripts that have been cited over 20,000 times by peers.
Among other roles, Prof Ward serves on the Council and Executive of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences, and on the board of Red Cross LifeBlood Australia and Telstra Health. She is the Australian Commonwealth representative for the Health Technology Assessment International (HTAi) group, and program director of eviQ for the NSW Cancer Institute. In 2013 Prof Ward was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for significant service to medical research and patient care in the field of oncology.