Tess is an experienced research ethics and integrity specialist with qualifications in business law, health science, and audit and compliance. She co-leads the Research Ethics and Innovation Stream for the Australasian Association of Bioethics and Health Law (AABHL), is an Associate of the Governance Institute of Australia (AGIA), and holds professional memberships with the Australian Institute of Company Directors (MAICD), the Australasian Research Management Society (ARMS), and the Association of Regulatory and Clinical Scientists (ARCS).
Tess joined UniSA from Bellberry Limited, a national not-for-profit that hosts independent human and animal research ethics committees. Bellberry oversees over 40% of Australia’s CTN-listed... Read more
About me
Tess is an experienced research ethics and integrity specialist with qualifications in business law, health science, and audit and compliance. She co-leads the Research Ethics and Innovation Stream for the Australasian Association of Bioethics and Health Law (AABHL), is an Associate of the Governance Institute of Australia (AGIA), and holds professional memberships with the Australian Institute of Company Directors (MAICD), the Australasian Research Management Society (ARMS), and the Association of Regulatory and Clinical Scientists (ARCS).
Tess joined UniSA from Bellberry Limited, a national not-for-profit that hosts independent human and animal research ethics committees. Bellberry oversees over 40% of Australia’s CTN-listed clinical trials and is regarded as the national gold standard for research ethics, with a 20-day turnaround from submission to decision. Bellberry works across all phases of pre-clinical, clinical, and device trials and supports research in public health networks, private, academic, and government settings.
At Bellberry, Tess contributed to the leadership of the national external audit and monitoring function and supported the organisation’s successful accreditation by the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs (AAHRPP); the first Australian organisation to receive this global recognition. This positioned Bellberry as the ethics reviewer of choice for US funded clinical trials conducted in Australia and established the organisation as a recognised leader in research ethics on an international scale.
Her portfolio included delivery of educational conferences to support the professional development of Bellberry directors, independent committee members, staff, and invited participants from the Australian and New Zealand research community. Events addressed current and emerging sector and scientific topics to foster a culture of knowledge and excellence. Tess also supported Bellberry’s strategic expansion from 8 to 12 HRECs, ensuring readiness to deliver early phase clinical trial review across Australian Public Health Networks.
Tess has robust experience in managing research integrity matters across the full lifecycle, including complex, high-profile, and multi-institutional investigations. In her current role, she provides leadership and operational oversight of research ethics and compliance functions, including human ethics, animal ethics, biosafety, and research integrity.
Tess is also an experienced board member and company secretary, currently serving the board of the Children’s Tumour Foundation, Australia’s peak advocacy body for people affected by Neurofibromatosis (NF).
About me
Graduate Certificate in Business Law The University of Adelaide
Graduate Diploma in Business Law The University of Adelaide
Bachelor of Health Sciences (Major: Psychology) The University of Adelaide