Dr Sarah White was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Jean Hailes for Women’s Health in November 2022. Dr White previously headed Quit, Australia’s most comprehensive tobacco control program, for eight years. Prior to that role, Dr White was the director of communications and fundraising at the Royal Women’s Hospital (Melbourne) for five years, where she also provided executive oversight of the hospital’s research portfolio. From 2003 to 2010, she was the first director of communications of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research (now Ludwig Cancer), an international research institute based in New York. Dr White started her professional life with a PhD in paediatric genetics undertaken at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and spent several years conducting molecular research in breast cancer at University College London (UK).

Dr White is a member of Australia’s National Women’s Health Advisory Council, the Therapeutic Goods Administration’s Women’s Health Products Working Group, and a member of the Victorian Women’s Health Advisory Council. She is also an Honorary Research Fellow with the Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences at The University of Melbourne.

Dr White has extensive experience in advocacy, communications, consumer engagement, policy development, program management, research translation, government relations and media relations. She is applying this experience to further Jean Hailes for Women’s Health’s work to empower women to enjoy their best health and wellbeing at every life stage.