People
The Lowy Institute has a core of highly credentialed research staff and nonresident fellows. It also draws on external partners and invites leading international figures to participate in the Institute's activities.
Experts
Australian foreign policy; US politics and foreign policy; Asia and the Pacific; Global institutions
Australian foreign policy; geopolitics in the Pacific; Papua New Guinea; Solomon Islands; Fiji; conflict analysis and fragile states
Development finance; foreign aid; human development
Macroeconomics; structural transformation; energy transition; Southeast Asia; economic development
Pacific Islands aid and development; development finance; sovereign debt; China’s foreign assistance and overseas lending
Australian foreign policy and politics; Australia’s intelligence services; international relations in Asia
Dr Connor Graham is a Research Fellow in the Pacific Islands Program at the Lowy Institute. His research spans Pacific public health, climate change, regional security, resource governance, and geopolitics, with a particular focus on Australia's role as a development and security partner in the region.
Prior to joining the Lowy Institute, Connor spent two years in Suva, Fiji, supporting public health research at Fiji National University as part of the Australian Volunteers Program. He completed his PhD at the University of Sydney in 2021.
Terrorism and violent extremism; digital technology; disinformation; authoritarianism; national security; emergency management and countering violent extremism; crisis and natural disasters; radicalisation; counter-terrorism; policy; Middle East; US national security
Australian foreign policy; Indo-Pacific security; China and Taiwan; North Korea; Pakistan
China’s political system and the workings and structure of the communist party; China’s foreign relations, with an emphasis on ties with Japan, the two Koreas, and Southeast Asia; Australia’s relations with Asia
Climate change; national security; PNG governance and politics; the Autonomous Region of Bougainville; international relations across the Pacific region
Digitalisation; digital economy; economic development and empowerment; innovation and technology; social welfare
Insurgent dynamics and legitimacy
International economic policy; Asia-Pacific economies; macroeconomics; economic development; aid and development finance; globalisation; geoeconomics
Australian foreign and defence policy; China’s military forces; US defence and foreign policy; drones and other military technology; trends in global democracy
Russia-Ukraine war; military history and strategy; advanced technologies
Sarah Thompson is a Research Associate in the Pacific Islands Program at the Lowy Institute, where she supports research and the Australia–Papua New Guinea Network.
Prior to joining the Lowy Institute, Sarah worked as a Research Assistant at the Humanitarian Advisory Group. She holds a Master of International Development Practice from Monash University, where her research focused on intercultural competency in Pacific climate diplomacy. She continues to work on political and development challenges across the Pacific, with a particular focus on climate change, regional mobility, and human security.
Macroeconomic policy; economic reform; the role of financial institutions in economic development; Myanmar; Indo-Pacific
Australian defence policy; military capability
International economics; trade and supply chains; geoeconomics and economic security; growth and development; macroeconomics; critical minerals and technology competition
Nonresident Fellows
Korean Peninsula; US-China relations; Indo-Pacific security
Bill Bishop an entrepreneur and former media executive with more than a decade’s experience living in and working in the PRC. He writes the Sinocism Newsletter, a daily publication about China, that is read by thousands of paid subscribers around the world. He also cohosts the weekly Sharp China podcast. Since leaving Beijing in 2015 Bill has lived in Washington DC. In the late 1990s he co-founded MarketWatch.com and before that got a BA from Middlebury College and an MA from Johns Hopkins SAIS. Bill first lived in Beijing in the Spring of 1989, then the Fall of 1991 to the Summer of 1993, then 2005-2015.
Political and strategic developments in East Asia; transnational security issues; intelligence; Australian national security and defence
Australian economic policy; monetary policy; international economics; banking
Indonesian foreign policy; Indonesian democratization; ASEAN and regional political and security issues
Japan's foreign policy; Australia-Japan relations; Japanese foreign aid
International security; defence and security; Chinese defence policy
International economic policy, economic and financial development, productivity growth, social policy and evaluation
Regional economic integration; Australia's economic relations with East Asia; international financial flows and the global financial architecture; financial sector development in East Asia
Rob Jauncey is a Nonresident Fellow at the Lowy Institute, with a background in Pacific and international development issues.
As the inaugural chief investment officer of the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific from 2019 to 2023, Rob built a A$1.5 billion portfolio of sovereign and private sector investments across the region. Prior to that, Rob spent almost 20 years with the multilateral banks. As the Asian Development Bank regional director based in Suva from 2014 to 2018, Rob ensured ADB became Fiji’s largest external financier and secured the first Green Climate Fund grant for the Pacific. Coordinating the World Bank’s engagement across a range of Pacific countries from 2009 to 2014, Rob mobilised a significant increase in financing for Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu, as well as the first bank funding for Kiribati, RMI and Tuvalu. From 2000 to 2009, Rob worked at the World Bank in Washington DC coordinating engagement with the Western Balkan countries and as an advisor to the Managing Director.
Rob started his career in AusAID in 1990, managing programs in PNG and the Pacific, as First Secretary at the Australian embassy in Lao PDR, and in a variety of corporate policy roles.
Pacific Islands development and security, resource management, human security and resilience.
Matthew Newman is the 2025 Michael and Deborah Thawley Scholar in International Security at the Lowy Institute and Center for Strategic and International Studies. His research will focus on the utility of geopolitical risk advisory to enhance Australian private sector resilience and preparedness. During his time in the United States, Matthew will explore the evolution and expansion of geopolitical services and how they can be replicated in an Australian setting.
Matthew is currently a Surface Warfare Officer in the Royal Australian Navy, and his career has included operational postings to HMA Ships Newcastle, Maitland and Ballarat as well as roles in Navy Headquarters in Canberra. In 2023, Matthew was awarded a General Sir John Monash Scholarship and completed postgraduate study in international relations and public policy at both the London School of Economics and University of Oxford.
He has written extensively on international affairs, exploring topics such as the uptake of climate security in the Australian and United States militaries, sub-national actors in Australia's diplomatic order, and the geopolitical implications of the conclave.
Pacific and PNG; international development assistance; international health challenges; global issues impacting on indigenous peoples
National Security, Defence Policy, Military Strategy, Military Operations, Force Design, Maritime Security, International Maritime Law, specifically Law of the Sea and the Law of Naval Warfare.
Jane Perlez is a former longtime foreign correspondent for The New York Times. She was Beijing bureau chief and correspondent for The New York Times from 2012 to 2019. Before that she served in Pakistan, Indonesia, Poland, Austria and East Africa. She was part of the reporting team that won the Pulitzer in 2009 for reporting on Afghanistan and Pakistan. From 1998 to 2001, she was Chief Diplomatic Correspondent based in Washington, DC.
Ms. Perlez is now producing and hosting the award winning podcast Face-Off: US vs China. She is a fellow at Harvard Kennedy School where the podcast is based. Her colleague, Rana Mitter, distinguished historian of modern China, joins Ms Perlez in every episode. Soon to enter its third season, the podcast aims to deliver informative and interesting discussion for a non-specialist audience. She has made two other podcasts on China and the US.
Ms. Perlez graduated from Sydney University BA (Hons). She first visited China in 1967 during the Cultural Revolution on a trip organized by the National Union of Australian University Students.
International politics; US foreign policy; European Union; globalisation; Southeast Asia
Dr. Ely Ratner is a principal at The Marathon Initiative and a senior adviser at Clarion Strategies. He most recently served as US assistant secretary of defence for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs from 2021–25.
US foreign policy and grand strategy; President Donald Trump's worldview; Europe; Asian security
Operations staff
Amy Dobbin is the Chief Operating Officer at the Lowy Institute. She leads the finance and operational functions at the Institute including business development, events, media and communications, and is company secretary.
Amy was previously a senior policy adviser to Australian Prime Minster Malcolm Turnbull, responsible for legal, technology, media and telecommunications policy. She has also worked as a commercial lawyer at global law firm Allens Linklaters, and as an executive with a UK venture firm and an Australian technology company. In 2020, Amy was appointed as an Australian Youth Ambassador for Development by the Australian Government and completed a posting with UNICEF in Ghana as a legal adviser. She graduated in arts and law from the University of Sydney, and studied at London Business School, where she received a Master of Business Administration.
Elysa Graham is Events and Media Manager at the Lowy Institute, where she plays a key role in bringing the Institute's ideas to life through its events program and media activities. Her work encompasses the delivery of major public lectures, award dinners, roundtables, and strategic dialogues with distinguished figures across government, academia, and public affairs.
Prior to joining the Lowy Institute in 2023, Elysa held events coordination and administration roles across the hospitality and professional conference sectors, where she developed strong experience in event logistics, client liaison, and delivery in fast-paced, high-volume environments. She holds a Bachelor of International Relations and a Bachelor of Arts in Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies from the Australian National University.
Andrew Griffits is Head of Media and Communications at the Lowy Institute, where he leads the Institute's media engagement and communications strategy, helping to amplify its research and scholars’ perspectives on global affairs to Australian and international audiences.
Prior to joining the Lowy Institute in 2023, Andrew worked as a consultant, delivering communications and corporate affairs services to clients across a range of sectors. He was previously Manager of Media and Communications at the Judith Neilson Institute for Journalism and Ideas, and a public relations adviser at Jardine Lloyd Thompson.
He started his career at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in Sydney, where he worked as a reporter and producer for television, radio and digital news.
Andrew holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Communications from the University of Newcastle.
Maree Luke is Chief of Staff at the Lowy Institute, where she serves as a strategic and operational partner to the Executive Director, Executive Leadership Team, and the Board, supporting organisational priorities, governance, company secretariat functions, and the Institute's high-level external engagement program.
Maree brings more than a decade of experience as a senior Chief of Staff and executive partner across technology and international organisations in the Asia Pacific region. Prior to joining the Lowy Institute, she held Chief of Staff roles with UiPath and served as Executive Business Partner to senior leaders at Twilio and Salesforce, where she partnered with regional presidents and executive vice presidents across large, fast-paced Asia Pacific organisations. Earlier in her career, she supported the Chief Operating Officer of the AFC Asian Cup Australia 2015. Maree has a proven record of translating strategic priorities into operational outcomes, leading cross-functional initiatives, and supporting executive leadership through periods of growth and change.
Rachel Stanley is Head of Events at the Lowy Institute, where she leads the delivery of the Institute's events program, including major public lectures, award dinners, roundtables, and strategic dialogues with international partners.
Prior to her current role, Rachel served as Executive and Office Coordinator at the Judith Neilson Institute for Journalism and Ideas, and held executive assistant and marketing roles across the media and property sectors in Sydney. She brings extensive experience in event delivery, office operations, stakeholder coordination, and organisational administration across both the not-for-profit and commercial sectors.
Emily Zatschler is Head of Partnerships at the Lowy Institute, where she leads the Institute's corporate and government membership program, supporting the development of partnerships that underpin the Institute's research and engagement mission.
Prior to joining the Lowy Institute, Emily worked in government as an Assistant Adviser in the Office of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, and at Sony Music Entertainment. Emily brings extensive experience in government relations, stakeholder engagement, operations and executive support.
