Executive Team

Professor Michael J Solomon – Head – MB BCH (Hons), BAO, MSc, DMedSc, DMed

Prof Michael Solomon is the Founder and Head of the Surgical Outcomes Research Centre (SOuRCe). He is an internationally renowned colorectal surgeon and Academic Head of the Department of Colorectal Surgery at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney. He is a Professor of Surgical Research at The University of Sydney and is a past President of the Colorectal Surgical Society of Australia & New Zealand (CSSANZ), Chairman of the RACS/CSSANZ Training Board in Colorectal Surgery. and Inaugural Chair of the RPA Institute of Academic Surgery (IAS).

Prof Solomon has extensive experience in clinical surgical research and has published over 450 papers, 22 book chapters and one book. Professor Solomon has supervised 70 higher degree students and been awarded for his own career research the highest research doctorate degree from the National University of Ireland (DMed: Minimally Invasive Colorectal Surgery) and from The University of Sydney (DMedSc: Pelvic Exenteration). He has a Masters in Clinical Epidemiology (MSc) from the University of Toronto and has focused his career on evidence based surgery and clinical trials, now concentrating on mentoring young academic surgeons.

For clinical research, Prof Solomon has been awarded the Ruthven Blackburn Medal for Outstanding Clinical Researcher by The University of Sydney through the Sydney Medical School, the RPA Foundation Research Medal and Prize for Excellence and Outstanding Achievements in Medical Research, the John Goligher Medal from the Royal Society of Medicine, the Abraham Colles Medal from the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland and the Henry Windsor Medal from Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, as well as delivering 18 named international orations.

Associate Professor Daniel Steffens – Director – BPhty (Hons), PhD

A/Prof Daniel Steffens is the Director of the Surgical Outcomes Research Centre (SOuRCe). At SOuRCe, A/Prof Steffens manages and supervises a large research team working in over 250 research projects across several surgical specialties. Some of the current flagship surgical programs include the Advanced Gastrointestinal Surgical Program (Pelvic Exenteration, Cytoreductive Surgery and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy, Retroperitoneal Sarcoma and Upper Gastrointestinal), Surgical Robotics Program, Orthopaedic and the Vascular Surgical Research Programs.

A/Prof Steffens is a Clinical Associate Professor at The University of Sydney, where he contributes to teaching postgraduate students in research methods. A/Prof Steffens is currently supervising several higher degree students and is actively involved in The University of Sydney MD Program.

A/Prof Steffens’ research skills and interest includes conducting clinical trials, systematic reviews, measuring risk factors and exploring prognosis and prevention strategies for health-related conditions. A/Prof Steffens is has an interest in preoperative decision-making tools and patient optimisation before surgery. He is the principal investigator of the NHMRC-funded PRIORITY Trial, and the MRFF-funded PRIORITY-CONNECT 2 Trial. He is also the founder of the Global (P)rehabilitation Initiative.

Doctor Kate McBride – Director – MHealthServiceManagement PhD

Dr Kate McBride is the inaugural Director of the Institute of Academic Surgery at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and the Director of the Surgical Program and Academia for Sydney Local Health District. With over 17 years of experience, she is a skilled hospital administrator with a passion for surgical services and the implementation of initiatives that support the effective integration of clinical, academic and business activities to enhance service delivery and patient outcomes.

Dr McBride has a PhD (Medicine) from The University of Sydney and a Masters in Health Service Management, and has worked in a range of senior management positions within Sydney Local Health District, along with being a Youth Ambassador for Development with AusAID for two years based in Nairobi, Kenya. Kate recently joined the Heart Research Institute as a Board Director in 2022.

Dr McBride’s research interests focus on the surgical outcomes of people with comorbid serious mental illness and the implementation of complex surgical programs within the public sector. Kate also has an interest and experience with using large datasets of routinely collected coded data for research purposes.