Today I announce the appointment of Professor Mimi Tang as the inaugural Chair of the ASEAN-Australia Centre Advisory Board.
The ASEAN-Australia Centre was launched in November 2024, as part of the Albanese Government's ongoing work to deepen engagement with Southeast Asia and support the implementation of Invested: Australia's Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040.
The Centre's programs and activities will strengthen Australia's partnership with ASEAN and increase business, cultural and community connections. Professor Tang is an internationally recognised immunologist allergist and is a leading expert in food oral immunotherapy. She is Head of the Allergy Immunology Research Group and Director of the Allergy Translation Centre at Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Professorial Fellow at the University of Melbourne Department of Paediatrics and Consultant Immunologist Allergist at Melbourne's Royal Children's Hospital.
Professor Tang is also CEO and Scientific Founder of Prota Therapeutics, a biotech startup that is developing a novel treatment for peanut allergy. Her pioneering research has transformed the way food allergies are managed in children.
Professor Tang's ties to Southeast Asia are strong. She was born in Singapore and spent her early childhood in Malaysia before moving to Australia in primary school. She credits her family's move to Australia to her father's involvement as a Malaysian participant of the original Colombo Plan.
Professor Tang's personal and professional ties to Southeast Asia, combined with her research and business expertise will enable her to make a strong contribution to the ASEAN-Australia Centre.
