Welcoming Dr. Kylie O’Brien as Chief Scientific Officer
We are delighted to announce the appointment of Dr. Kylie O’Brien, PhD as Chief Scientific Officer for both Cann Compounding Group and Infinity Wellness Group.
Dr. O’Brien is one of Australia’s most respected leaders in integrative medicine, medicinal cannabis, and public health, with over 30 years of experience across clinical practice, academia, research, education, and regulatory policy.
In her dual role, Dr. O’Brien will lead research and development initiatives across both organisations, collaborating with our compounding, clinical, and innovation teams to evaluate formulation outcomes, and drive scientific projects across medicinal cannabis, longevity, and wellness medicine.
Her recent executive roles include:
Chief Scientific Officer, Cannim Group (2023–2024), where she led international R&D strategy and launched studies on medicinal cannabis and women’s health in collaboration with NICM.
Chief Scientific Officer, Health 104 (2025), where she helped develop the Medicinal Cannabis Index, an innovative digital platform for clinician decision-making.
Scientific Advisor, Mind Medicine Australia, where she led curriculum development and governance for psychedelic-assisted therapy education.
Chief Scientific Officer, Releaf Group Ltd (2020–2022), where she launched Project Twenty21 Australia, a real-world data study on cannabis treatment for chronic conditions.
Dr. O’Brien has played a critical role in shaping cannabis policy in Australia:
She was appointed by the Federal Minister for Health to the TGA's Advisory Committee for Complementary Medicines (2018–2021), where she provided expert guidance on safety, efficacy, and regulatory frameworks for complementary and cannabinoid therapies.
She developed the clinical and ethical pathway for doctors to become Authorised Prescribers of medicinal cannabis via Human Research Ethics Committees — a system still widely used today.
She led industry submissions to the TGA to reschedule cannabidiol (CBD), playing a key role in the eventual down-scheduling of low-dose CBD to Schedule 3 in 2020.
She has also supported policy consultations at both state and federal levels, including roundtables with the Prime Minister, Health Ministers, and the Victorian Parliament on medicinal cannabis and driving laws.
Other significant achievements include:
Authoring three books, including the highly regarded Medicinal Cannabis and CBD in Mental Healthcare and the upcoming Clinician’s Guide to Medicinal Cannabis for Women’s Health (Springer, 2025).
Creating Australia’s first RACGP Category 1 accredited cannabis education program for doctors and leading the development of the ICCM (International College of Cannabinoid Medicine).
Designing clinical trial protocols across Australia, the UK, and the US for conditions including PTSD, diabetes, chronic pelvic pain, and menopause.
An Adjunct Professor at Torrens University and Adjunct Fellow at NICM Health Research Institute (Western Sydney University), Dr. O’Brien is also the recipient of the 2023 NIIM Award for Achievement in Integrative Medicine.
Some of Dr. O’Brien’s most significant contributions include:
Establishing Australia’s first RACGP Category 1 accredited medicinal cannabis education courses for doctors.
Driving national medicinal cannabis policy reform, including leading a submission to deschedule CBD and consulting with state, federal, and international governments.
Designing and leading world-first clinical and observational studies, including those focused on chronic pain, PTSD, menopause, primary dysmenorrhea, and psychedelic medicine.
Publishing three authoritative books, including Medicinal Cannabis and CBD in Mental Healthcare and the upcoming A Clinician’s Guide to Medicinal Cannabis for Women’s Health (2025).
Developing R&D strategies, clinical trial protocols, and product frameworks for numerous medicinal cannabis companies in Australia and globally.
Dr. O’Brien’s achievements in research are extensive. She has authored over 80 peer-reviewed publications and played a key role in multiple world-first studies. She led the Australian arm of Project Twenty21, designed clinical trial protocols for studies on PTSD, diabetes, menopause, and chronic pelvic pain, and developed several observational studies in collaboration with NICM Health Research Institute. Her research spans cannabis, women’s health, complementary medicine, and integrative healthcare. She also helped launch the Lumir Mission Study — a global observational study collecting data on medicinal cannabis use under medical supervision.
Dr. O’Brien is also at the forefront of psychedelic medicine in Australia. In 2023, she was engaged by Mind Medicine Australia to restructure the Certificate in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies (CPAT), developing a formal curriculum and governance framework. She chairs the program’s Course Advisory Committee and has introduced quality assurance systems for ongoing curriculum review.
Additionally, she extended her regulatory expertise by leading the development of the Authorised Prescriber pathway for MDMA and psilocybin under the TGA’s framework, including policy creation and HREC training, following their down-scheduling in 2023. She has also contributed to international observational research on psilocybin and continues to support the integration of psychedelic-assisted therapy into evidence-based clinical practice.
Her appointment marks a major step forward in the scientific vision of both Cann Compounding and Infinity Wellness Group. We’re thrilled to welcome Dr. O’Brien to the team and look forward to the groundbreaking work ahead.