SSRI BOARD
The Institute’s executive team is supported by a strong board, comprising business and community leaders. SSRI’s board includes:
Dr. Galina Kaseko, Executive Director
Dr. Kaseko is a co-founder of the Institute. A medical doctor with training in immunology and pediatric oncology, she has more than two decades of experience as a biomedical researcher with a focus on cellular biology and immune system response.
Since arriving in Australia, Dr. Kaseko’s career has spanned academia and business. She held research and teaching roles at the University of New South Wales, was involved in the creation of several biotechnology firms, and has been an active consultant in both private and public sectors, advising on clinical trial protocols, biotechnology policy, and IP strategy.
A Gold Medal Graduate from the First Moscow State Medical University, Dr. Kaseko was awarded a special fellowship by Russia’s Health Minister to support her Doctoral studies. She was later personally selected by the President of the Russian Federation for a post-doctoral fellowship in the area of paediatric cancer. In addition to her medical qualifications, Dr. Kaseko holds a Masters degree in Corporate and Intellectual Property Law from The University of New South Wales and is an alumna of Harvard Business School’s General Management Program.
Dr. Tohsak Mahaworasilpa, Executive Director
Since the mid 1980s Dr. Mahaworasilpa’s research work in biophysics and biotechnology has resulted in an invention which earned him a world-wide patent in the early 1990s and also led him to research initiatives and collaborations with national (Australia) and international researchers from various research institutions, including the USA, Thailand, the United Kingdom, Germany, Israel, and Turkey. Also as a result of his research activities since the early 1990s, Dr. Mahaworasilpa has been one of the key persons, who has initiated, contributed to, helped establish, and founded a few Research Centres or Institutions both in Australia and Thailand.
Mr. Mervyn Leonard Millner
Mervyn Millner is a successful entrepreneur. Having begun his career in the pharmaceutical industry, he founded Argen in South Africa which has subsequently grown to be the world’s largest manufacturer of precious dental alloys. He later founded and led Merocell Pty Ltd, a Sydney based refiner and manufacturer of precious metals. Mr. Millner is now semi-retired, applying his broad base of experience from founding, building, and managing successful businesses to providing finance, strategic support and mentoring to early-stage, entrepreneurial ventures.
Mrs. Sue-Anne Sanig
Mrs. Sanig is the founder and Chairman of the Stephen Sanig Foundation. Mrs. Sanig was the mother of Stephen Sanig and established the foundation in August 2001 in the hope of reducing the terrible toll meningococcal disease takes on our community. Mrs. Sanig was instrumental in securing the Federal Government’s support for the introduction of a vaccination program targeted at children, which protects from some forms of meningococcal disease.
Mr. Michael Sanig, FRICS, FAIQS , Alternate Director
Michael Sanig was the father of Stephen Sanig and, together with his wife Sue-Anne, was instrumental in establishing the Institute. Mr. Sanig is a lawyer whose practice focuses on contract management and dispute resolution in the construction industry. He has over 20 years of experience in the construction industry, with roles in both the commercial and public sectors as well as private practice. In addition to legal qualifications he is a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and holds a diploma in Quantity Surveying. Mr. Sanig also serves as the Company Secretary of The Stephen Sanig Foundation and as Treasurer of The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (Australia).