The Cochrane Collaboration is an independent, not-for-profit research network of over 40,000 people across 130 countries.

For over 30 years, we’ve produced and shared high quality, trusted health evidence for people, organisations and governments around the globe.

Cochrane Australia is one of 50 geographic Cochrane centres worldwide.

Our team provides training and support to 3,000+ local Cochrane contributors around the country, including researchers, editors, authors and methodologists. We also undertake research, consultancy, advocate for evidence-informed health policies and practices, and foster local engagement with the global Cochrane network.

We:

  • run regular online and in-person workshops on conducting systematic reviews, using GRADE, and understanding the latest evidence synthesis tools and methods.

  • offer extensive evidence services for commissioned systematic reviews and other evidence syntheses

  • develop and implement research synthesis methods and promoting research into the science of systematic reviews

  • advocate for evidence-informed health care and the uptake of synthesised research evidence in policy

  • translate research into policy and practice, summarise evidence and produce guidance for policy makers

  • undertake research and explore effective ways to inform healthcare decisions through the uptake of evidence

  • holding symposia, conferences and other events to promote learning, discussion and the exchange of ideas.


Cochrane Australia is also home to the Australian Living Evidence Collaboration (ALEC) – a world-first collaboration that is bringing together experts in evidence synthesis, guideline development and digital technologies to build a next generation system for delivering reliable, accessible, up-to-date evidence in health. ALEC’s mission is to ensure that patients, clinicians and policymakers have access to reliable, up-to-date evidence to inform health care decisions. You can find out more about ALEC and living guidelines by visiting Australian Living Evidence Collaboration website. 

Cochrane Australia is based within Monash University’s School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine.

We are funded by the Australian Government through the National Health and Medical Research Council.  

Cochrane evidence is recognised as the international gold standard for health information – because (among other things) we don’t accept commercial sponsorship and our scientific methods are renowned for their rigour. We publish our findings in the form of ‘systematic reviews’. This means that instead of cherry-picking findings from one or two studies, we systematically assess all of the relevant and available studies on a specific health question or topic - with an eye to how each study is conducted and funded. All our reviews are published online in the Cochrane Library.

The Australian Government funds a national subscription to the Cochrane Library, and in turn, Australians download more Cochrane reviews each year than any other country globally.

Cochrane Australia team members

  • Dr Steve McDonald

    Dr Steve McDonald | Co-Director

  • Professor Sally Green | Co-Director

  • Dr Sue Brennan | Senior Research Fellow

  • Max Murano | Research Fellow

  • Professor Tari Turner | Professor (Research)

  • Professor Julian Elliott | Senior Research Fellow

  • Heath White | Research Fellow

  • Dr Matthew Page | Senior Research Fellow

  • Carly Fry | Business Manager

  • Shauna Hurley | Communications