The Sleep Health Foundation is delighted to announce the appointment of Professor Edwina Cornish AO as its inaugural Ambassador. Edwina has extensive experience at the interface between government, research, industry and the higher education sector, and has held numerous board positions. She is currently a member of the Board of CSIRO and the Council of La Trobe University.
Edwina obtained her PhD for research undertaken in the Biochemistry and Microbiology departments of the University of Melbourne. After working as a post-doctoral fellow in the Botany School of the University of Melbourne she joined the newly established plant biotechnology company Calgene Pacific (later named Florigene). She spent 11 years with the company in various leadership roles including Research Director and Managing Director.
In 2000 Edwina moved to the University of Adelaide as Deputy Vice Chancellor Research and in 2004 she was appointed to the same role at Monash University. In 2012 Edwina was appointed Monash's inaugural Provost and Senior Vice-President a position she held until her retirement in 2016.
She has been awarded an Honorary Doctor of Science (honoris causa) by The University of Melbourne (2018) and an Honorary Doctor of Laws (honoris causa) from Monash University (2019).
On her appointment Edwina said, "There is no doubt about the huge impact of lack of sleep on individuals and industry. Anything we can do to draw attention to that and improve the impact of lack of sleep will improve productivity and general wellbeing."
Sleep Health Foundation Chair, Professor Shantha Rajaratnam said, "Professor Edwina Cornish has an outstanding track record in leadership and public service and a commitment to delivering impact in the community. She will provide input to the strategic direction of the Foundation and facilitate our networking and partnership opportunities."
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