Professor Cass AO is the Director of Menzies School of Health Research (Menzies). Headquartered in Darwin, Menzies employs over 330 staff across Australia and the Asia Pacific region. Since opening its doors in 1985, Menzies core commitment has been to improving Indigenous health and wellbeing and addressing the highest priority health problems of communities across northern Australia and our region.

Having trained as a kidney specialist at Sydney University and Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Prof Cass has pursued a research career with particular interest in the prevention and management of chronic disease and Indigenous health. His research has focused on developing, implementing and evaluating effective strategies to improve health outcomes.  Prof Cass has a comprehensive understanding of health service delivery needs of Indigenous Australians. As a clinician, he has worked in a hands-on capacity providing care to patients and family members in urban, rural and remote settings. Prof Cass has been instrumental in leading the conduct of national and international clinical trials; conducting research to improve access to services and to improve provision of care to patients with low health literacy, who speak a different language and have different understandings of health and illness. 

In 2020, Prof Cass was made an Officer (AO) of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to medical research, particularly to the prevention and management of chronic kidney disease, to improved Indigenous clinical care and health outcomes, and as a mentor. 

Prof Cass has published more than 250 peer-reviewed papers and seminal reports for governments and NGOs. He was President of the Australia and New Zealand Society of Nephrology (2014-16), a founding Director of the Australian Clinical Trials Alliance (2012-17), and member of the Board of Top End Area Health Service (2015-17). He is Chair of the Advisory Board for the Australian Kidney Trials Network (AKTN), Chair of the National Advisory Committee for the ANZ Dialysis and Transplant Registry, and Deputy Chair of the NT Clinical Senate and a Council Member for the Central Australia Academic Health Science Network (CAAHSN).