The role of this Committee is to review applications for basic science or clinical research funding into Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. It then presents its recommendations to the Committee of Management, after which a final decision on successful applications is reached.

The Scientific Advisory Committee comprises members who are actively involved in gastroenterological research, and in particular, inflammatory bowel disease research. Previous members of the Scientific Advisory Committee include Professor Greg Whelan from St. Vincent’s Hospital, Professor Francis Dudley from The Alfred Hospital and Dr Miles Sparrow from the Alfred Hospital.

Current members include Associate Professor Tony Catto-Smith from The Royal Children’s Hospital, Dr Emily Wright from The Alfred Hospital, both of whom are on the Committee of Management, and Dr Greg Moore from the Monash Medical Centre.

All members of the Scientific Advisory Committee are honorary members.

Professor Tony Catto-Smith

Professor Tony Catto-Smith joined the Committee of Management and The Gutsy Group’s Scientific Committee in 2007. He is now the Director of Gastroenterology, Nutrition and Liver Transplantation for Children’s Health Queensland.

Tony qualified in medicine at St Bartholomew’s Hospital, London. He undertook training in paediatrics in the UK, then Melbourne and Perth, before gaining experience in indigenous medicine in Port Hedland (WA). Tony then undertook further training over three years in Paediatric Gastroenterology in Calgary, Canada, as a Fellow of the Canadian Association of Ileitis and Colitis. His main clinical interests are in inflammatory bowel disease, bowel motility disorders and gastro-oesophageal reflux disease. Tony is the author of over 100 peer-reviewed scientific papers and has active clinical and research interests.

Dr Emily Wright

Dr Emily Wright joined the Committee of Management and the Scientific Advisory Committee in 2017. She graduated from Monash University with first class honours in 2006 and was admitted as a Fellow to the Royal Australian College of Physicians in 2013.

After finishing gastroenterology training in Melbourne, Emily was awarded an NHMRC post-graduate scholarship and completed a PhD through the University of Melbourne examining the clinical and microbiological features of post-operative Crohn’s disease. She was awarded the prestigious Dean’s Award for Excellence in a PhD thesis in 2017. Emily underwent further training at The Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary, Canada learning intestinal ultrasound, and has now developed this service at St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne for use in the assessment of patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

Emily now works as part of the inflammatory bowel disease unit at St Vincent’s Hospital while also working in Private Practice at East Melbourne Gastroenterology and Mornington Endoscopy. Emily continues to be actively involved in medical research with interests including the clinical management of inflammatory bowel disease, the gastrointestinal microbiome, novel microbial therapies and intestinal ultrasound.

Dr Greg Moore

Dr Greg Moore joined the Scientific Advisory Committee in 2009. He completed his undergraduate training at Monash University, then undertook Gastroenterology training at Monash Medical Centre. Greg completed a PhD in immunology and novel therapeutics for inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) at St.Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne and the University of Melbourne.

He returned to Monash Medical Centre in 2007 to establish an IBD Unit which has a dedicated clinic and clinical trials programme. Greg is also a Senior Lecturer in the Monash University Department of Medicine with an ongoing interest in IBD immunology.