Professor Alan Cass AO
Director
Qualifications:
PhD, University of Sydney, 2003; Graduate Diploma in Clinical Epidemiology, Newcastle University, 2000; Fellow, Royal Australasian College of Physicians, 1998; Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery, University of Sydney, 1989; Bachelor of Arts, University of Sydney, 1989.
Approved level of HDR supervision at Charles Darwin University:
Principal Supervisor for PhD
Location:
Darwin - Royal Darwin Hospital campus
Biography:
Professor Cass AO is the Director of Menzies School of Health Research (Menzies). Headquartered in Darwin, Menzies employs over 330 staff across Australia and the Asia Pacific region. Since opening its doors in 1985, Menzies core commitment has been undertaking research in partnership with communities, health services and policy-makers to improve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and addressing the highest priority health problems of communities across northern Australia and our region.
Having trained as a kidney specialist at Sydney University, Prof Cass has pursued a research career with a focus on the prevention and management of chronic disease; addressing the social and systems determinants of health; and improving access to essential health care for people living with kidney and related chronic diseases. Prof Cass has been instrumental in leading the conduct of national and international clinical trials; conducting research to improve the provision of care to patients with low health literacy, who speak a different language and have different understandings of health and illness.
In 2021, Prof Cass was made an Officer (AO) of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to medical research, particularly to the prevention and management of chronic kidney disease, to improved Indigenous clinical care and health outcomes, and as a mentor. In 2022, he was awarded the Priscilla Kincaid Smith Medal, Kidney Health Australia’s highest accolade to an Australian citizen or resident for outstanding clinical and scientific achievement in research into the treatment of kidney diseases. He is Deputy Chair of the NT Clinical Senate and a Council Member for the Central Australia Academic Health Science Network (CAAHSN).
Prof Cass has published more than 350 peer-reviewed papers and seminal reports for governments and NGOs. He was President of the Australia and New Zealand Society of Nephrology (2014-16), a founding Director of the Australian Clinical Trials Alliance (2012-17), Board Director for Top End Area Health Service (2015-17) and Chair of the National Advisory Committee for the Australia and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant Registry (2019-22). He is Deputy Chair of the NT Clinical Senate and a Council Member for the Central Australia Academic Health Science Network (CAAHSN).
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Research Themes
- A trial of the polypill compared to usual care among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people at high CVS risk
- ACTIVE dialysis: a clinical trial of intensive dialysis
- Australasian Kidney Trials Network
- Central Australian Renal Study Technical Report Update
- Centre of Excellence for Indigenous primary care intervention research in chronic disease
- Improving communication between clinicians and Indigenous kidney patients through the development and evaluation of new educational resources
- Improving health outcomes for Aboriginal Australians with chronic disease through strategies to reduce systems barriers to necessary care
- 'Making Sense and Informing Action': Renal Research Knowledge Translation and Exchange with Aboriginal People, Policy Makers and Service Providers
- Progression of kidney damage in Indigenous Australians
- Steroids in immunoGlobulin A nephropathy: assessment of long term outcomes
- Systematic review of effective chronic kidney disease programs
- The Diabetes Renal Project: better outcomes for patients with diabetes and chronic kidney disease
- The PRESERVE trial: prevention of serious adverse events following angiography
- The SHARP-ER study: extended follow-up of the SHARP study cohort
- Cass, A., Feyer, A.M., Brown, A., Snelling, P., & Howard, K. (2011). Central Australia Renal Study. Canberra: Department of Health and Ageing.
- Baigent, C., Landray, M.J., Reith, C., Emberson, J., Wheeler, D.C., Tomson, C., Wanner, C., Krane, V., Cass, A., et al. (2011).The effects of lowering LDL cholesterol with simvastatin plus ezetimibe in patients with chronic kidney disease (Study of Heart and Renal Protection): A randomised placebo-controlled trial. The Lancet, 377(9784), 2181-2192.
- Cass, A., Chadban, S., Gallagher, M., Howard, K., Jones, A., McDonald, S., et al. (2010). The economic impact of end-stage kidney disease in Australia: Projections to 2020. Victoria: Kidney Health Australia.
- Bellomo, R., Cass, A., Cole, L., Finfer, S., Gallagher, M., Lo, S., et al. (2009). Intensity of continuous renal replacement therapy (RRT) in critically ill patients. The New England Journal of Medicine, 361 (17), 1627-38.
- Cass, A., Chadban, S., Gallagher, M., Howard, K., Kneipp, E., McDonald, S., et al. (2007). Queensland Statewide Renal Health Services Plan, 2008–1. Brisbane: Queensland Government.
- White, S.L., Chadban, S.J., Jan, S., Chapman, J.R., & Cass, A. (2008). How can we achieve global equity in provision of renal replacement therapy? Bulletin of the World Health Organisation, 86(3), 229-37.
- Anderson, K., Devitt, J., Cunningham, J., Preece, C., & Cass, A. (2008). "All they said was my kidneys were dead": Indigenous Australian patients' understanding of their chronic kidney disease. Medical Journal of Australia, 189(9), 499-503.
- Howard, K., Salkeld, G., White, S., Chadban, S., Craig, J., McDonald, S., Perkovic, V., & Cass, A. (2006). Cost-effectiveness of early detection and intervention to prevent the progression of chronic kidney disease in Australia. Victoria: Kidney Health Australia.
- Cass, A., Cunningham, J., Snelling, P., Wang, Z., & Hoy, W. (2004). Exploring the pathways leading from disadvantage to ESKD for Indigenous Australians. Social Science and Medicine, 58(4), 767-85.
- Cass, A., Lowell, A., Christie, M., Snelling, P.L., Flack, M., Marrnganyin, B., et al. (2002). Sharing the true stories: improving communication between Aboriginal patients and healthcare workers. Medical Journal of Australia, 176(10), 466-70.
