Dr. Bernard John Amos
AO, MB, BS, FRACP, FRACMA, FCHSE

Bernard Amos was Director- General of the NSW Health Department from 1989 until his retirement in 1993. Before this he was Chief Executive Officer of the Western Sydney Area Health Service and Westmead Hospital - from 1977 - 1989. He is a medical graduate of the University of Sydney and a Physician by training.

He is best known as the planner and the first Chief Executive of Westmead Hospital, Sydney's first purpose built teaching hospital for almost 100 years. He has been a constant advocate for the movement of health resources to under-resourced and socio-economically deprived locations, improving quality and productivity in health care and reviewing Commonwealth/State financial relationships in health.

His distinguished career in health of over thirty five years has included contributions to undergraduate and postgraduate medical education, nursing and management education in the health care system and considerable involvement in the planning and management of health care in the Middle East and in China.

His career has also included the Presidency of the NSW Medical Board from 1983-89 and the Chair of the Australian Health Ministers Advisory Council (AHMAC), from 1991-93. Since retirement he has worked as a Health Services Consultant throughout Australasia and has remained active in Medical discipline and governance through the NSW Medical Board.

He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 1988 and an Officer (AO) in 1994.

Associate Prof. Steven Boyages
PhD, DDU, MB, BS, FRACP, FAFPHM

Steven Boyages is currently the CEO for Western Sydney Area Health Service. He is an active clinician researcher in many fields, including thyroidology, diabetes mellitus and pituitary disorders.

He has had a long involvement in basic and epidemiological thyroidology in particular iodine deficiency disorders. His major area of interest is the effects of thyroid hormone action on the developing brain. He was actively involved in the Australia China Technical Cooperation Project on IDD from 1985 to 1991, and is currently a member of the Coordinating Committee of the Tibet IDD Elimination Project.

Dr. Gary Ma
PhD, DIC, ARCS

Gary Ma is the Principal Scientist at the ICPMR, Westmead Hospital, NSW Australia and also appointed as a Principal Scientific Consultant to the National Reference Laboratory in the People's Republic of China.

Dr Ma graduated in Biochemistry in London (1972) and furthered his study (MSc) in Biochemistry at St. Andrews University, and later received his PhD (1976) at Imperial College, University of London.

Dr Ma has broad experience in IDD fieldwork in China, Indonesia and Vietnam. His main focus is in laboratory design and utilising routine diagnostic methodologies as tools for monitoring IDD status of communities. Dr Ma has experience in laboratory management and Laboratory accreditation.

Dr. Mu Li
MD, PhD, MHSM

Mu Li is a consultant and project coordinator of Tibet IDD Elimination Project at the ICPMR, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, NSW Australia.

Dr Li is a medical graduate from China. Her major interest is in dietary iodine related thyroid disorders.

Dr Li has been involved in IDD basic research and clinical investigations for many years. She has also completed her Master in Health Service Management, and has experience in project design, management and evaluation.

Kay Waite

Kay Waite joined the Department of Endocrinology, Westmead Hospital, in 1979 working with Professor C J Eastman on the investigation of thyroid hormone binding receptors.

Kay was first involved in the study of IDD in Sarawak, Malaysia. This lead to later involvement in setting up IDD monitoring in China with the development of Thyroid Stimulating Hormone blood spot assay for monitoring iodine replacement.

In 2000, Kay implemented the use of the OHASHI method of urinary iodine measurement for use in epidemiological studies of Australian iodine status.

Kay is presently involved in the urinary iodine training program, as well as iodine measurement for Tasmanian iodine status population studies. Other interests include research into genetic basis for various endocrine disease states.

Tony Yan
MSc

Tony Yan joined ICPMR at Westmead Hospital in 1981 and is a senior hospital scientist in the Endocrinology Laboratory. He is responsible for the laboratory's routine function, as well as the implementation of new tests and instrumentations.

The close association of the laboratory and the IDD program has seen Tony involved in the establishment of urinary iodine measurement methodology and its use for routine analysis of specimens from external and internal sources.

Tony has played an important role in the the preparation of quality control materials for the IDD program, and has also been participating in the technical training of visiting scientists from China and Tibet.