Associate Professor Jessica Howell MBBS(Hons) FRACP PhD MSc(Epi) PGDip(PH) FGESA is a gastroenterologist/ hepatologist, NHMRC Principal Research Fellow and Head of the Hepatitis B and Liver Cancer research group in the Department of Gastroenterology, St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne/ University of Melbourne and Burnet Institute. She is also Chair, Gastroenterology Society of Australia (GESA) Liver Faculty (2023-2026). She combines clinical, basic science and public health expertise in translational research projects in liver cancer and viral hepatitis, focused on marginalized populations. She currently leads several multi-centre studies in rapid point-of-care diagnostics in viral hepatitis, biomarker development in liver cancer, health systems research and international health programs for viral hepatitis in low resource settings. She is a technical advisor to the World Health Organisation.