Prof Liz Ward is a speech pathologist and the Director of the Centre for Functioning and Health (CFAHR) within Queensland Health, and a Conjoint Professor with the University of Queensland, Australia. Liz is an international leader in the field of head and neck cancer research. She supports a large program of embedded clinical research and has a particular interest in improving models of care and services.

Charissa Zaga is a Senior Speech Pathologist and Acute Stream Leader in the Department of Speech Pathology at Austin Health, and a Post-Doctoral Researcher in the Implementation Science Unit at the Institute of Breathing and Sleep. Charissa is a Fellow in the Melbourne Academic Centre for Health’s Health Service Research Future Leaders Fellowship Program 2024-2026. Charissa has a Bachelor of Speech Pathology and Master of Public Health and was awarded her PhD at the University of Melbourne in 2024 for her thesis entitled "Communication in critically ill patients with an artificial airway". Charissa has been awarded a number of research funding grants. Charissa holds several leadership roles including Treasurer of the Global Tracheostomy Collaborative (GTC) and co-convenor of the Victorian Critical Care and Tracheostomy Interest Group. Charissa’s research interests include early facilitation of communication and swallowing rehabilitation in critically ill patients, examining the impact of multi-disciplinary interventions and implementation science.