IHREC was formed to meet the growing demand from private and government sector researchers for ethical review, as our older sister organisation, the Aotearoa Research Ethics Committee (AREC, formerly the New Zealand Ethics Committee), as a volunteer prob-bono service cannot cope with the number of applications it receives.

Founded by Hannah Neale and Lindsey Te Ata o Tū MacDonald, who together bring 30 years of experience in ethics review and ethics review processes, IHREC continues AREC's commitment to providing a review process that supports applicants, but is a not-for-profit company that can pay market rates to experienced research ethics reviewers and chairs, to ensure fast and comprehensive review of your application.

 

IHREC maintains quality standards through:

• An Advisory Board that oversees all documentation and provides quarterly audits of randomly selected reviews

• An application has been submitted to Health Research Council Ethics Committee to review non-HDEC research

• Following the key statements of Human Research Ethics standards in New Zealand including Te Ara Tika, the NEAC standards, and the Royal Society's Code of conduct

 

IHREC's Advisory Board comprises individuals with immense knowledge of the regulatory and ethical issues of research review.​

• Dr Gordon McGurk. Gordon has a long history in research and in Government. His areas of experience are particularly in the areas of clinical trial governance, research ethics, research integrity and research governance, in which he provides advice in a professional capacity. He has chaired Human Research Ethics Committees in Brisbane for over 9 years and is a qualified lawyer with interests in health law, privacy and human rights law. He is also chair of an Australian Standards sub-committee on biosafety.

• Associate Professor Monique Jonas. Monique has just spent 6 years as the Chair of the Health Research Council Ethics Committee, after time with the National Ethics Advisory Committee, and the National Health Committee. A bioethicist at the University of Auckland, she has recently published On the Ethics of Advising with Oxford University Press.

• Professor Emeritus Elaine Rush, MNZM, PhD has been involved in health and education for all her working career. In 2014 she was appointed as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to health and in 2019 was appointed Professor Emeritus in recognition of long and distinguished service to the University through outstanding research and teaching. Elaine recently finished two terms on the Health Research Council and the Council's ethics committee.

• Ruth Lucas is a clinical research professional with over 20 years of experience in the clinical trials industry. Beginning her career in the UK, Ruth conducted trials across all phases before relocating to New Zealand in 2006. Throughout her career, Ruth has worked with CROs, pharmaceutical companies, and healthcare organizations, with a strong focus on quality improvement and professional development. She has trained and mentored research professionals, worked as an independent contractor on investigator-led and industry-sponsored studies, served as Research Manager for a large oncology public site and been on the founding leadership team of a NZ start-up CRO. Currently Ruth is consulting in NZ as a clinical research professional, providing support for research sites and international companies looking to place studies in NZ, and the current Chair of New Zealand Association for Clinical Research (NZACRes).​​