QIMR Berghofer is pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Brandon Wainwright AM as its new Director and CEO, commencing on Monday 07 September 2026.
Professor Wainwright is an internationally recognised geneticist and highly experienced research leader whose career has spanned biomedical discovery, translation, and leadership across the Australian medical research sector.
He is currently a Professor at The University of Queensland and Co-Director of the Children’s Brain Cancer Centre, where he leads research focused on understanding the genetic pathways underlying medulloblastoma (a type of brain tumour that occurs predominantly in children) and other cancers.
Professor Wainwright has made significant contributions to the understanding of the genetic pathway that causes most human cancers, including pioneering research that helped establish the role of the Hedgehog signalling pathway in cancer. He is skilled in molecular genetics, where he is using genetic approaches to dig
through DNA and find the genes that cause disease.
He completed his undergraduate and postgraduate studies at The University of Adelaide before undertaking postdoctoral research at Imperial College London (St Mary’s Hospital). He returned to Australia in 1990 to join UQ and subsequently held several senior leadership positions, including leading UQ’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience until 2019.
“Professor Wainwright brings an exceptional combination of scientific achievement, research leadership and deep knowledge of Australia’s medical research sector,” QIMR Berghofer Council Chair Professor Arun Sharma AM said.
“The Council is delighted to welcome him to QIMR Berghofer and looks forward to working with him as the Institute enters its next chapter.”
Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Tim Nicholls said the Queensland Government was looking forward to supporting the Institute’s continued success as Professor Wainwright begins his tenure as Director and CEO of QIMR Berghofer.
“We welcome the opportunity to see Professor Wainwright make an impactful and lasting contribution to the Institute and the broader sector, that strengthens partnerships, advances discovery, and delivers meaningful benefits for Queenslanders,” Minister Nicholls said.
Professor Wainwright said he was honoured to have the opportunity to lead QIMR Berghofer.
“It is a great privilege to be joining QIMR Berghofer, an Institute with an extraordinary history and reputation for research that improves human health,” Professor Wainwright said.
“I look forward to working with its talented researchers, staff and students, and with the Institute’s many partners, donors and supporters, to build on those strengths and shape the next phase of its impact.”
Professor Sharma also acknowledged Professor Grant A. Ramm for his leadership as Interim Director and CEO since the beginning of the year.