Our Team
Rachel Smith
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Rachel holds an MSc in Animal Welfare Science, Ethics and Law from the University of Winchester, where she completed her dissertation on Freedom of Information legislation and animal research. She has worked globally across the animal welfare, conservation and community sectors, including roles with NGOs and government.
Robyn Kirby
PRIMATE CAMPAIGN CONSULTANT
Robyn holds a Diploma of Communications from Griffith University and brings more than 35 years of administrative experience across the legal and medical sectors. A passionate advocate for animal welfare, she has played a key role in the fight against animal experimentation in Australia spanning decades.
Dr Dana Kolsky
MARKETING OFFICER
Dana is a veterinary surgeon who is driven by a deep commitment to animal welfare. With degrees in Communications and Film and Television. she combines her scientific and communications expertise to advance animal-free science, working to improve outcomes for animals on a broader scale than individual patients.
Dr Elena Schaller
RESEARCH AND ADVOCACY OFFICER
Elena is a hospital pharmacist by background, and transitioned to the not-for-profit sector to pursue her passion for animal advocacy. She is committed to advancing scientific progress through animal-free research, and applies her expertise to drive ethical and evidence-based change.
Natalie Lock
Research and Advocacy Officer
Natalie holds a Master of Bioethics and is passionate about advocating for non-animal methods and the replacement of animals in science. She brings experience in ethical analysis across medical research and public health, having worked with Peter Singer, contributing to Bold Reasoning on Substack as a writer and researcher.
Rebecca Harraghy
Fundraising and Outreach Officer
Rebecca holds a Diploma of Applied Science in Animal Technology and has worked in veterinary nursing and both human and animal focused not-for-profits. Her extensive volunteer work with wildlife sanctuaries and rescue organisations has reinforced her commitment to ending the use of animals in research.
Aslam Abdus-samad
Operations and Supporter Engagement Officer
Aslam has a background in operations and administration across arts organisations and community-focused NGOs. Drawing on extensive experience supporting creative teams, he brings a practical, people-centred approach to operations and supporter engagement. He is currently completing a Master of Dance at the Victorian College of the Arts.
Dr Natalie Anderson
Regulatory science officer
Natalie holds a PhD in Public Health, a Master’s in Child Health Research and a Bachelor of Science in Human Biology. An experienced medical researcher, she has presented on animal-free science at leading scientific forums and serves on the editorial board of the Alternatives to Laboratory Animals journal. She is passionate about advancing human-relevant, non-animal research methods.
Committee
Belinda Oppenheimer
PRESIDENT
Belinda is a practicing veterinarian with advanced qualifications in unusual pet medicine, including species commonly used in research. She joined AFSA in 2020 after witnessing the use of greyhounds in veterinary teaching, an experience that inspired her commitment to advancing animal-free science. Belinda also acts as an advisor to AFSA in exotic animal medicine.
David Boyd
SECRETARY
David specialises in corporate governance, risk management, and policy development across government, corporate, entrepreneurial, and not-for-profit sectors. An Executive MBA graduate and recipient of the 2016 Colin Brain Governance Prize for Business Ethics, he brings his expertise to advancing effective governance within animal welfare organisations.
Corey Thompson
TREASURER
Corey has over 10 years’ experience volunteering with NFP’s, including community campaigns and animal welfare initiatives. He has committee experience with Lamb Care Australia, qualifications in bookkeeping, and training in animal welfare and ethics. Corey brings skills in governance, administration, and grassroots advocacy to his work supporting animal protection.
Gary Wright
ORDINARY MEMBER
Gary is a law graduate passionate about advancing justice for animals and the environment. With decades of involvement in animal and environmental advocacy, he is particularly interested in the potential of new technologies to improve pharmaceutical development while reducing reliance on animals.
Georgia Blomberg
ORDINARY MEMBER
Georgia has 30 years’ experience in not-for-profit membership organisations across professional services, project management, and member engagement. A lifelong advocate for animals and the environment, she brings a collaborative approach to building positive change, supported by qualifications in computing science and project management.
Advisory Panel
AFSA occasionally seeks advice from experts in various disciplines. The following people do not have any decision-making power on our strategies and activities, but have contributed valuable advice from their specific areas of expertise, for which we are very appreciative.
Dr Brett Lidbury
B.Sc, B.Sc (Hons) (Newcastle), PhD (ANU), FFSc (RCPA)
Brett Lidbury is an Associate Professor in epidemiology and public health, with a research focus on infectious disease, systems biology, and animal alternatives. He has established an animal alternatives support unit at the Australian National University and advises its Animal Ethics Committee on the use of non-animal methods.
Dr Andrew Menache
BSc (zoology), BSc(Hons), BVSc, MRCVS
CEO of Antidote Europe, André Menache is a zoologist and a veterinary surgeon. He has a particular interest in medical law and was instrumental in amending the Declaration of Helsinki.
Dr Menache’s scientific opposition to animal experimentation led him to uncover serious methodological shortcomings in human experimentation (“clinical trials”), about which he has published several papers.
Prof Andrew Knight
BSc (Vet Biol), BVMS, CertAW, DipECAWBM (AWSEL), PhD, MRCVS, pfhea
Andrew Knight is a Veterinary Professor of Animal Welfare, internationally recognised for his work in animal welfare, ethics, and alternatives to animal experimentation. He has published extensively on animal welfare and animal use in research and education, including his books The Costs and Benefits of Animal Experiments and the Routledge Handbook of Animal Welfare. As a veterinary student, Andrew challenged the use of animals in training and helped establish more humane surgical education alternatives.
Glenys Oogjes
BBSc.
Glenys Oogjes is one of Australia’s most experienced and respected animal advocates, with her work in the field spanning three decades. She is the Chief Executive of Animals Australia and represents animal advocacy groups on the new Australian Animal Welfare Advisory Committee, which provides animal welfare advice to the Federal and State Agriculture Ministers.
Prof. Anne Keogh
MBBS MD FRACP
Anne Keogh is Professor of Medicine at the University of NSW, Senior Cardiologist in Cardiac Transplantation at St Vincent’s Hospital, and a leader in heart and lung transplantation research. She is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, past President of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation, and founder of the Pulmonary Hypertension Society of Australia and New Zealand.
Dr Ashwin Kumaria
mbbs bsc akc fzs mrcs frsa
Ashwin is a Registrar Neurosurgeon at the Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK. He is a Member of the Royal College of Surgeons of England and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. His surgical and academic interests include traumatic brain injury, cerebral aneurysms and brain tumours. He has published extensively on in vitro models and high fidelity simulation as alternatives to animal experimentation.
Dr Hugo Morandini
Hugo is a medical and neuroscience researcher with a background in psychology, neuroscience, and clinical research. Opposed to the use of animals in laboratory research since his medical studies, he is passionate about advancing alternatives to animal experimentation through education, innovation, and better science.
Dr. Ila Tewari Jasra
Dr Ila Tewari Jasra is a stem cell scientist specialising in human induced pluripotent stem cells, organoid technologies, regenerative medicine, and human-relevant models for drug discovery. She is the Senior Scientific Leader (Organoid Platform) at the University of Calgery. Through her work with AFSA, Dr Jasra supports the advancement and adoption of New Approach Methodologies to improve science while reducing reliance on animal testing.
Vacancies
Opportunities to join AFSA as a paid employee or volunteer role will be updated on this page.
AFSA is seeking a dedicated individual with specialist knowledge of primate use in biomedical research to join our advisory panel.
The adviser will provide expert opinion to AFSA on primate use in biomedical research and be a trusted authority to guide AFSA’s primate experimentation campaign.If you have a background in primate research for medical purposes, primatology or veterinary science, combined with a commitment to the replacement of primates in research, we would very much welcome your contribution.
This role can be conducted remotely from anywhere in the world and will require a time commitment of approximately 6 hours per month.
Please submit a one-page expression of interest outlining your background and reasons for applying to info@animalfreesci.org.au
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