ASTRA 2025

Sally Castle

Invited Speaker, Liver Foundation

Sally Castle is Chief Executive Officer of the Liver Foundation, Australia’s national patient advocacy organisation dedicated to improving liver health through advocacy, education, and evidence-based patient support. She is an experienced strategist with more than two decades of senior leadership across medical research institutes, health charities, and national peak bodies, with a career distinguished by her ability to align organisational growth with measurable health and social outcomes. Her previous roles at the Centenary Institute and Hunter Medical Research Institute provided a strong foundation in governance, stakeholder engagement, and research translation.

Since her appointment in 2022, Ms Castle has led the Foundation through a transformative period of growth, positioning it as a trusted voice for people living with liver disease and liver cancer. She has overseen the expansion of patient-focused education and support programs, co-designed with lived experience communities, to improve early diagnosis, treatment literacy, and access to care. Under her leadership, the Foundation has developed accredited clinical education for general practitioners and nurses, enhancing the capacity of primary care to detect and manage liver conditions earlier. She also helped to establish the Dr Arnold Smith Clinical Research Scholarship in paediatric liver disease, reflecting a commitment to research that directly benefits patients and their families.

Ms Castle’s leadership is guided by an unwavering focus on inclusion, collaboration, and impact. She has strengthened partnerships between clinicians, researchers, patients, and policymakers to ensure that patient perspectives drive national liver health priorities. A core part of her work is advancing equity for populations disproportionately affected by liver disease, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, culturally and linguistically diverse communities, and those facing socioeconomic barriers.

With extensive experience in governance and health policy, Ms Castle contributes to advisory and steering committees across the health and research sectors. She works closely with academic institutions to support translational research and workforce development, ensuring the patient voice remains central to innovation. Through her leadership, The Liver Foundation continues to evolve as a powerful patient advocacy organisation—building community awareness, driving research partnerships, and improving outcomes for all Australians affected by liver disease.