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Board and committees

Board of directors

Kaylene Hubbard

Chair – BA, LLB, Grad Dip Comm, Registered Tax Agent, Affiliate CAANZ

Kaylene Hubbard

Arthritis Australia Board Member since March 2020 and Chair since November 2021.

Kaylene is a Partner in the Enterprise Tax team in KPMG's GWS office. Kaylene works with corporates, including ASX listed entities, private owners, family groups and their businesses across a wide range of industries to grow, create and protect value.

Her expertise includes developing appropriate business structures and funding arrangements, capital management, mergers and acquisitions, business restructures and assisting clients in their dealings with the Australian Taxation Office.

Kaylene has a particular interest and expertise in the not-for-profit and club sector, working with a number of high profile sporting clubs and charities and assisting a number of charities in compliance, strategy and tax related requirements. Kaylene has a Bachelor of Arts, a Bachelor of Laws, a Postgraduate Diploma in Commerce, is a Registered Tax Agent and an Affiliate of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Australia and New Zealand.

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Paul Ritchie

Deputy Chair, Treasurer – BCom, CA

Paul Ritchie

Arthritis Australia Board Member, Director and member of the Finance and Audit Committee since May 2021. Treasurer since November 2021.

Paul has over 15 years' experience as a Chartered Accountant, bringing a range of skills including financial management, risk & governance and strategic planning. Paul is currently the General Manager at AUSactive, the peak association supporting the active health and exercise industry in Australia. In his earlier career, Paul worked for leading accounting/consulting firms and delivered on high profile and complex projects in the context of turnaround/corporate restructuring.

Paul has a Bachelor of Commerce and is a Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia & New Zealand. 

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Dr David Liew

Medical Director – MBBS FRACP

Dr David Liew

David is a rheumatologist and clinical pharmacologist at the Austin Hospital in Melbourne, and also lead the Medicines Optimisation Service there. He is a member of the Drug Utilisation Subcommittee of the Australian Government Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee, and is also the International Adviser for Australia for the American College of Rheumatology.

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Simon Smith

Simon Smith

Consumer Director – MBA, FIML, RAF (Retd)

Simon Smith

Arthritis Australia Board Member, Director and Consumer Director since December 2022. Having been diagnosed with Ankolysing Spondyloarthritis and Psoriatic Arthritis in 2011 (and having a hip replacement in 2010), Simon has a deep personal as well as professional passion to make a difference. Simon's professional mission is to "Make the World a Better Place through Better, neuroscience-based Leadership", piloted through his role as CEO of Southern Cross Coaching & Development, which he founded in 2006. His professional expertise includes organisational Culture Change, Leadership and Team Development, and Executive Coaching for C-Suite Executives and leadership teams at all levels across Federal, State and Local governments, corporates, ASX and globally listed companies and profit-for-purpose organisations throughout Australia and Asia. Outside of work Simon enjoys spending time with his family, hiking and camping, travelling, SCUBA diving, and playing squash when his body allows! He is also an advocate for destigmatising mental health challenges, having himself recovered from deep depression nearly 20 years ago.

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Dr Ian Dover

Dr Ian Dover

Director – BSc, MEng, PhD, FAICD

Dr Ian Dover

Arthritis Australia Board Member, Director since November 2021 and member of the Finance and Audit Committee. Formerly an Arthritis Australia Board member between November 2010 to November 2013. Ian is an experienced Managing Director, Non-Executive Director and Chairman who has helped a portfolio of charities, start-ups, and a major university via his various board roles, including being Arthritis Queensland's Chair from 2009 to 2012 and again from February 2014 to February 2020. Following his early career as an engineer in global resources corporations, he spent 15 years in project management and business advisory specialising in strategy, operations management and business turnarounds for technology-intensive firms. He re-joined the resources sector as CSIRO's Minerals Director for Business Development and Commercialisation before helping establish the national METS Industry Growth Centre in 2015. In semi-retirement, he is assisting industry-driven research bids, collaboration of corporations with researchers to increase commercialisation rates, and the processing of Australia's critical minerals to supply global decarbonisation technologies.

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Sonja Read

Sonja Read

Director – LLM; LLB; BSc

Sonja Read

Arthritis Australia Board Member, Director since December 2022. Sonja is Partner in the national health practice at MinterEllison. Her expertise is in public and private sector regulation of the health and research industries, public funding streams (Medicare and intergovernmental), privacy and the management of data and data breaches, medical research and ethics. Sonja holds a Masters of Laws from the University of Pennsylvania, specialising in health law, policy and bioethics; and a Bachelor of Science in the fields of Neurobiology and Psychology.

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Company Secretary

John Butt

Patron

Ms Sam Mostyn AC

Her Excellency the Honourable Ms Sam Mostyn AC

Governor-General

Ambassadors

Louise-pratt

Former Senator Louise Pratt

Former Senator Louise Pratt

Louise Pratt is a former Senator for Western Australia and Co-Chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Arthritis.

First elected to the Western Australian Legislative Council as the youngest woman ever to serve, Louise went on to represent Western Australia in the Australian Senate from 2008 until 2024. During her time in Parliament, she made significant contributions through her committee work, including as Chair of the Senate Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee.

Today, Louise is a non-executive director of the Water Corporation of Western Australia. She is widely recognised for her leadership in advancing Marriage Equality and for her passionate advocacy for people living with arthritis-an issue she also shares personal experience of.

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Emeritus Directors

ITA-BUTTROse

Ita Buttrose AC OBE

Dr Mona Marabani

Dr Mona Marabani

MBBS (Hons) FRACP

Dr Mona Marabani

A practising rheumatologist, Dr Mona Marabani was president of Arthritis Australia from 2006 to 2010. Dr Marabani has previously served the Australian Rheumatology Association as vice-president and councillor, the NSW Branch as Honorary Secretary and the NSW Advanced Trainee Selection Committee as Chair. She maintains an active interest in health education, equity and advocacy.

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Prof Patrick McNeil

MBBS (Hons) PhD FRACP GradDipHEd

Prof Patrick McNeil

Professor Patrick McNeil served as Chair of Arthritis Australia from 2010-2014. Patrick is currently Executive Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at Macquarie University.

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Executive

louise-hardy

Louise Hardy

Chief Executive Officer

Louise Hardy

Louise Hardy is the CEO of Arthritis Australia, and has served for four years as Director of Policy and Advocacy. Louise has over 15 years of health sector experience, spanning roles in regulation, operations, and policy and advocacy across government, membership organisations and charities. She is also Deputy Chair of the Consumers Health Forum of Australia. 

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Consumer Advisory Panel

This panel provides the Arthritis Australia Board with valuable consumer insights and experience.
Simon Smith

Simon Smith - Chair

Consumer Director – MBA, FIML, RAF (Retd)

Simon Smith - Chair

Arthritis Australia Board Member, Director and Consumer Director since December 2022. Having been diagnosed with Ankolysing Spondyloarthritis and Psoriatic Arthritis in 2011 (and having a hip replacement in 2010), Simon has a deep personal as well as professional passion to make a difference. Simon's professional mission is to "Make the World a Better Place through Better, neuroscience-based Leadership", piloted through his role as CEO of Southern Cross Coaching & Development, which he founded in 2006. His professional expertise includes organisational Culture Change, Leadership and Team Development, and Executive Coaching for C-Suite Executives and leadership teams at all levels across Federal, State and Local governments, corporates, ASX and globally listed companies and profit-for-purpose organisations throughout Australia and Asia. Outside of work Simon enjoys spending time with his family, hiking and camping, travelling, SCUBA diving, and playing squash when his body allows! He is also an advocate for destigmatising mental health challenges, having himself recovered from deep depression nearly 20 years ago. 

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Annique Daran

Annique Daran

Annique Daran was misdiagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis at the age of 12. It took 27 years to be correctly diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis at 39. She has journeyed through pain, medical trials, and endured eight major surgeries including full joint replacements and joint fusions. Annique spent over 13 years living abroad in Denmark and America, where she has experienced different medical care available for patients with arthritis. As a member of the Arthritis Australia Consumer Advisory Panel, she is eager to advocate for and improve the experiences of others living with this diagnosis.

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Sharyce Helyar

Sharyce Helyar

Diagnosed with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis at just four years old and Psoriatic Arthritis soon after, Sharyce has spent almost her entire life navigating the realities of arthritis and other chronic illness. Her experiences as a patient over the years have all lead to her dedication to advocacy, education, and ensuring that the voices of people living with arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions are heard.

Alongside her advocacy work, Sharyce holds a Bachelor of Health Studies and is currently undertaking a Masters of Magnetic Resonance Technology, providing her with valuable insight into healthcare from both professional and consumer perspectives.

Sharyce is particularly passionate about raising awareness about juvenile arthritis, challenging misconceptions that arthritis is solely an "older person's condition” and sharing the realities of living with arthritis from a young age

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Harpreet Kaur

Harpreet Kaur

Harpreet Kaur

Harpreet has lived with rheumatoid arthritis since 1997 and is passionate about raising the profile of arthritis treatments and education around managing the illness. She has worked in marketing, fundraising, sponsorship, and grant management roles where evidence-based research has been the main driver of funding for programs and in organisations. Harpreet is a strong advocate for equality and hopes by sharing her story to increase opportunities for arthritis sufferers in all walks of life.

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Kevyn Morris

Kevyn Morris

Kevyn Morris

Kevyn is a retired furniture maker, artist and an experienced businessman who was originally diagnosed with Mild Cognitive Impairment in 2015, but was diagnosed with osteoarthritis decades prior. Now living in Wodonga, Victoria, he has always been an active health advocate, having helped established a men's Indigenous health group in Northern Queensland in the past. He has always tried to just continue to work but as he got older it got too hard. That's why he decided to join Arthritis Australia, to see if he could help others. Kevyn is an experienced consumer representative with appointments including Dementia Australia's Advisory Committee Diversity & Inclusion, Older Persons Advocacy Network, Murray Arts (Albury Wodonga), Dental Health Services Victoria Consumer Advisory Committee, Dental Health Services Vic Reconciliation Committee & Vic Health Population Health Committee. He is also a member of Physical Disability Australia and Elder Abuse Action Australia.

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Jeanette Pritchard

Jeanette Pritchard

Jeanette has 30 years’ experience funding and developing health and medical technologies. She completed her doctorate in medical diagnostics in 1999, and has since spent time in small biotech companies and led a number of multi-sector medical technology programs. Jeanette is currently the CEO of the Passe & Williams Foundation, which funds surgeons and scientists working in the ear, nose & throat medical specialty, and in 2025 was appointed to two MRFF-NHMRC joint committees, including the Consumer Advisory Group. Jeanette was diagnosed with seronegative RA in 2019 and is keen to share her lived experience, and knowledge of health and medical research, clinical translation and relevant funding models, to help make the journey easier for others with similar conditions. 

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Athanassios (Thanos) Lionsatos

Athanassios (Thanos) Lionsatos

Thanos Lionsatos is a Health Consumer Consultant, consumer advocate and experienced commercial leader with more than 35 years of experience in customer experience, service design and organisational improvement.

Drawing on both professional expertise and lived experience, he is passionate about ensuring consumer voices are heard, valued and translated into meaningful improvements in healthcare services and systems. 

His work focuses on person-centred care, communication, accessibility, co-design and the human experience of healthcare.

Thanos contributes to healthcare improvement initiatives through consumer engagement, service design, advisory committees and quality improvement activities, helping bridge the gap between consumer perspectives and organisational decision-making. 

He also has a strong interest in health research, evidence-informed practice and the role research organisations play in advancing better outcomes for consumers and communities.

Through his involvement with organisations including Health Consumers Queensland and Arthritis Australia, Thanos is committed to strengthening consumer partnerships and ensuring lived experience informs healthcare policy, service delivery, research and system reform.

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Angela Brown

Angela Brown

Dr Angela Brown is an Associate Professor, Academic Lead and Program Director at Adelaide University. She is a registered nurse and midwife with more than 30 years of experience across clinical practice, education, research, leadership, and governance. Angela has a strong commitment to improving health outcomes through evidence-informed practice, consumer engagement, and advocacy. She has lived experience of rheumatoid arthritis and has contributed to health research and service improvement initiatives as both a consumer and researcher. Her work spans women's health, cultural safety, health equity, and healthcare quality and safety. Angela currently serves on a number of national committees and boards and is passionate about ensuring consumer voices inform healthcare policy, research, education, and service delivery. Through her role on Arthritis Australia's Consumer Advisory Panel, she looks forward to supporting meaningful change for people living with arthritis across Australia.

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Dionne Lynch

Dionne Lynch

Dionne lives in Bendigo, Victoria and was diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis fifteen years ago after years of unexplained back pain. Dionne found it very isolating and difficult to find services and support in regional Victoria so she approached Ankylosing Spondylitis Victoria (AS Victoria) for support and quickly became a board member and writes articles for their national newsletters.

After attending meetings in Melbourne, Dionne approached Young Women’s Arthritis Support Group (YWASG) to manage regular catch ups in Bendigo to make connections and share experiences relating to a range of arthritis conditions She is passionate about ensuring arthritis patients from regional areas get the same access to health and support as their metropolitan peers.

Dionne has a Masters in Business Administration and recently returned to university to complete studies in animal health. She is the secretary for the Bendigo – Maubisse Friendship Committee.

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Ashley Johnson

Ashley Johnson

Ashley was diagnosed with Enteropathic Arthritis and Crohn's Disease at 16 during her final year of school, and was later diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis, alongside experiencing rheumatoid arthritis flares. She studied a Bachelor of Tourism Management, has run her own floristry business, and is now preparing to study jewellery and metalsmithing full time. She is passionate about being defined by more than her diagnoses, and advocates for stronger support systems to help young people with arthritis thrive in education and social settings.

Ashley is an active volunteer, supporting children with arthritis through programs such as Camp Footloose and Camp Twinkletoes, and previously ran a support group with Crohn’s & Colitis Australia. She is deeply committed to raising awareness of arthritis through both community involvement and social media, highlighting its day-to-day variability, educating others on how to better support those living with the condition, and challenging the misconception that arthritis only affects older people.

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Selena Bunt

Selena Bunt

Selena was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) in 2017 at the age of 37, in the prime of her life, when her daughter was 3 years old.  Just prior to diagnosis, Selena was of peak fitness, attending body attack classes and running, but now enjoys deep water aqua aerobics.  Selena was also at the pinnacle of her career travelling the world as a Director of a Global Consulting Firm, and predominately supporting local Australian manufacturing sites. Selena has qualifications in Chemical (Process) Engineering and Psychology, and a career in Continuous Improvement spanning more than 25 years. Selena has a keen interest in the research underway to find a cure for RA; she hopes there may soon be early interception treatment available for those diagnosed with RA  to  maintain their fitness, careers, social lives and actively participate in whatever they choose to do."

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Louis Mercorelli

Louis Mercorelli

Dr Louis Mercorelli has lived in Sydney for 27 years and has been living with rheumatoid arthritis for 26 years. His personal experience navigating a chronic autoimmune condition has given him a deep appreciation of the importance of timely diagnosis, effective treatments, and ongoing support for people living with arthritis. As a member of Arthritis Australia CAP, Louis is committed to ensuring the consumer voice is represented in research, advocacy, policy development, and digital health initiatives.

Louis has a background in academic research, data science, statistical modelling, quantitative finance, and business consulting. He currently works in artificial intelligence, helping organisations develop secure, locally hosted AI agents that protect sensitive data while delivering advanced analytical capabilities.

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Melinda Newnham

Melinda Newnham

Melinda is a passionate advocate for people in the community living with autoimmune conditions. 

When she was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis in 2013 she found there was a real lack of Australian information. 

It was then that she created the Facebook group Australian Psoriatic Arthritis Warriors. 
Because we don’t just have it, we fight it!

The page has grown to thousands of members, which is both unfortunate and also wonderful that we’ve found support and lived experience. 

Melinda is a nurse with a diploma in mental health, and work in aged care as a Care Manager. 
She has 3 adult children and 3 granddaughters all under 2. 

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Katy Jones

Katy Jones

Katy Jones dedicated 19 years to public service while earning a Master of Policy and Applied Social Research, and undertaking an as-yet incomplete PhD. Her career was ended prematurely when Ankylosing Spondylitis and Fibromyalgia necessitated her retirement on medical grounds at the age of 45.

Katy lives with her husband and son in Canberra. Since leaving the workforce, Katy has embraced her role as a stay-at-home mum, and volunteers as a member of the board for Arthritis, Pain Support and Emerge ACT. She has recently become a participant in the NDIS and hopes that the support she receives will improve her daily function so that she be able complete her PhD.

Having experienced joint pain since she was ten years old, Katy understands firsthand the profound impact chronic pain can have on an individual's social, emotional, psychological and physical wellbeing.

Ms Jones is a passionate advocate for increasing visibility and support for women with chronic conditions, particularly arthritis in young women.

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Sara Soliman

Sara Soliman

Sara is a pharmacist, business owner, and mum living with ankylosing spondylitis. She was diagnosed while at university after a long period of being misdiagnosed with several back issues and hip bursitis. Since then, she has learned to navigate the challenges of fatigue and chronic pain while continuing to build her career, raise a family, and live a full life.

Her personal and professional experiences give me a unique perspective on living with arthritis and navigating the healthcare system. She is passionate about ensuring the voices of people with arthritis are heard and represented.

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Adam McLeod

Adam McLeod

Adam brings a dual perspective to the Consumer Advisory Panel as a seasoned digital health professional and a consumer living with arthritis. Diagnosed with Seronegative Rheumatoid Arthritis in 2022, he intimately understands the everyday complexities of navigating a chronic condition. Professionally, Adam has an extensive background in the Australian healthcare sector; having begun his career as a Registered Nurse, he moved into executive leadership and currently serves as the General Manager of SiSU Health Group. Holding a Master of Health Informatics, he is passionate about bridging the gap between clinical data, digital health, and real-world consumer outcomes to ensure the consumer voice drives better care. Adam has published approximately 40 research articles and holds adjunct positions at Macquarie and Monash Universities.

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Scientific Advisory Panel

This panel provides the Arthritis Australia Board with medical expertise.

Dr David Liew - Chair

MBBS FRACP

Dr David Liew - Chair

David is a rheumatologist and clinical pharmacologist at the Austin Hospital in Melbourne, and also lead the Medicines Optimisation Service there. He is a member of the Drug Utilisation Subcommittee of the Australian Government Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee, and is also the International Adviser for Australia for the American College of Rheumatology. 

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Prof Kim Bennell

Prof Kim Bennell

BAppSci(physio), PhD

Prof Kim Bennell

Kim Bennell is an academic physiotherapist, a Redmond Barry Distinguished Professor, Dame Kate Campbell Fellow and NHMRC Investigator Fellow in the Department of Physiotherapy at the University of Melbourne. She leads the Centre for Health, Exercise and Sports Medicine. She is also a fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences. Her research focuses on non-drug, non-surgical management of hip and knee osteoarthritis as well as ways to address evidence-practice gaps around uptake of pain management and lifestyle interventions by clinicians and patients. She has a special interest in telehealth interventions. 

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Ms Linda Bradbury

Ms Linda Bradbury

Nurse Practitioner (Rheumatology)

Ms Linda Bradbury

Ms Bradbury completed her nurse training in London and specialised in rheumatology in 1998. In 2005, she moved to Brisbane working within the rheumatology department at the Princess Alexandra Hospital and coordinated several research programs at the Queensland University of Technology. She has over 40 publications. In 2019, she commenced as a Nurse Practitioner (Rheumatology) at the Gold Coast University Hospital.

She completed MSc Advanced Health Care Practice in 2006, Nurse Practitioner Masters in 2012, became endorsed as the first Australian Rheumatology NP in May 2013 and is the current chair of the Rheumatology Health Professionals Special Interest Group of the ARA.

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Prof David Hunter

Prof David Hunter

MBBS FRACS MSc PhD

Prof David Hunter

Professor Hunter is a rheumatology clinician researcher whose main research focus is clinical and translational research in osteoarthritis (OA). He is the Florance and Cope Chair of Rheumatology and Professor of Medicine at University of Sydney and Royal North Shore Hospital. He is ranked as the leading expert in the world on osteoarthritis on expertscape.com and is the section editor for UpToDate osteoarthritis. He holds a medical degree and Master of Sports Medicine from the University of New South Wales, a fellowship in Rheumatology at the Royal Australian College of Physicians and earned a Masters of Medical Science (Clinical Epidemiology) from the University of Newcastle and received his PhD from the University of Sydney in 2001. He is an editor for leading international journals in his field, has authored books on osteoarthritis and has over 500 publications in peer reviewed journals.

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Prof Mark Morgan

Prof Mark Morgan

BM, BCh, MA, PhD, MRCGP, FRACGP

Prof Mark Morgan

Mark is Professor of General Practice at Bond University in the Gold Coast, Australia. After training in UK, Professor Morgan has more than 20 years' Australian experience working in rural, regional, and urban general practice. He is chair of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) Expert Committee for Quality Care where he advises on healthcare policy and the development of guidelines. He was a member of the steering committee for the National Strategic Action Plan for Arthritis. He has leadership role within the National Covid-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce, and he is a member of the National Preventative Health Strategy, Health Care Homes Implementation Advisory Group and the Australian Strategic and Technical Advisory Group on Antimicrobial Resistance (ASTAG). Professor Morgan's research has focused on systems approaches to the improving care of long-term medical conditions.

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Prof Tasha Stanton

Prof Tasha Stanton

Professor Tasha Stanton leads the Persistent Pain Research Group at the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) and is co-Director of IIMPACT in Health at Adelaide University. She is a clinical pain neuroscientist, with original training as a physiotherapist. Her research focusses on pain – why do we have it and why doesn’t it go away? She holds expertise in knee osteoarthritis, pain science education, perceptual science, and novel technologies like virtual and mediate reality. Her research group works also closely with consumers to identify real-world problems and devise new solutions to revamp treatment of pain.

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Prof Chris Maher AM

Prof Chris Maher AM

BM, BCh, MA, PhD, MRCGP, FRACGP

Prof Chris Maher AM

Prof Chris Maher is the Director of the Institute for Musculoskeletal Health and a professor of the School of Public Health at the University of Sydney. Chris has degrees in physiotherapy and exercise science, a PhD and a higher doctorate. His research aims to improve health care and outcomes for people with low back pain and has been published in leading journals such as NEJM, JAMA and Lancet. He has received several awards for his research and in 2024 was awarded an Order of Australia (AM) for contributions as a researcher, clinician and mentor.

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A/Prof Jane Munro

A/Prof Jane Munro

Paediatric Rheumatologist, Head of Rheumatology Unit, Dept of General Medicine, Royal Children's Hospital, Murdoch Children's Research Institute

 
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Dr Brooke Conley

Dr Brooke Conley

Dr Brooke Conley is a proud Ngiyampaa woman, Physiotherapist, and Vice-Chancellor’s Indigenous Senior Research Fellow at RMIT University. She has research expertise in musculoskeletal conditions, with a particular focus on improving outcomes and care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

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Assoc Prof Mihir D Wechalekar

Assoc Prof Mihir D Wechalekar

Chair – MBBS, MD, FRACP, PhD

Assoc Prof Mihir D Wechalekar

Associate Professor Mihir Wechalekar, MBBS, MD, FRACP, PhD is a full-time academic rheumatologist in the Southern Adelaide Local Health Network. 2015 onwards, Dr Wechalekar leads the synovial tissue biobank at Flinders Medical Centre, the only such facility in Australia, and one of the very few world-wide. Dr Wechalekar is the co-chair of the synovial tissue SIG of OMERACT and was awarded the Flinders University Vice-Chancellor's Early Career Researcher Award (2017) and in 2024 the NZ-Australian Rheumatology Association's mid-career research award. His interests are synovial tissue biology, particularly in rheumatoid arthritis. Dr Wechalekar has held several grants- International, NHMRC, and Industry collaborative research grants- with work focused on translational research, and published >70 papers, with >3000 citations and H-Index of 28.

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Prof Peter Choong

Prof Peter Choong

Professor Peter Choong AO is an orthopaedic oncology surgeon, healthcare innovator and translational leader with more than three decades of experience spanning surgery, research, medical leadership and healthcare enterprise.

Formerly Head of the Department of Surgery at the University of Melbourne and Associate Dean (Innovation & Enterprise), he is recognised internationally for his contributions to musculoskeletal oncology, surgical innovation, regenerative medicine, MedTech translation and healthcare leadership. In 2022, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for distinguished service to orthopaedic medicine, research, tertiary education and professional leadership.  

Professor Choong has led major national and international collaborations across surgery, engineering, AI, immersive technologies and translational medicine, including initiatives in 3D printing, robotics, regenerative medicine and virtual reality surgical education. He has secured more than $61 million in competitive research funding and authored more than 700 scholarly works with global collaborations spanning medicine, engineering and advanced manufacturing.  

His current work focuses on healthcare innovation ecosystems, MedTech commercialisation, AI-enabled surgical education, strategic advisory and leadership under complexity — helping bridge research, clinical practice and enterprise to shape the future of healthcare.

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Prof Peter Youssef

Prof Peter Youssef

Professor Peter Youssef is clinical Professor of Rheumatology at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at the University of Sydney. He is a senior staff specialist at Royal Prince Alfred (since 2000) and is the Director of Commercial Clinical Trials with The Institute for Musculoskeletal Health. He is the inaugural Chair of the Royal Prince Alfred and Balmain Hospitals Medical Staff Council and the Chair of the SLHD Medical Staff Executive Council. Professor Youssef has a strong history of encouraging endeavours to integrate patient care, innovation, research and education.

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Professor Lyn March

Professor Lyn March

Professor Lyn March AM is an Australian rheumatologist and clinical epidemiologist. She is the Liggins Professor of Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Epidemiology at the University of Sydney and a Senior Staff Specialist at Royal North Shore Hospital, specializing in arthritis, osteoarthritis, and the global burden of musculoskeletal diseases.

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Grants Assessment Committee

Assoc Prof Mihir D Wechalekar

Assoc Prof Mihir D Wechalekar

Chair – MBBS, MD, FRACP, PhD

Assoc Prof Mihir D Wechalekar

Associate Professor Mihir Wechalekar, MBBS, MD, FRACP, PhD is a full-time academic rheumatologist in the Southern Adelaide Local Health Network. 2015 onwards, Dr Wechalekar leads the synovial tissue biobank at Flinders Medical Centre, the only such facility in Australia, and one of the very few world-wide. Dr Wechalekar is the co-chair of the synovial tissue SIG of OMERACT, and was awarded the Flinders University Vice-Chancellor’s Early Career Researcher Award (2017) and in 2024 the NZ-Australian Rheumatology Association’s mid-career research award. His interests are synovial tissue biology, particularly in rheumatoid arthritis.  Dr Wechalekar has held several grants- International, NHMRC, and Industry collaborative research grants- with work focused on translational research, and published >70 papers, with >3000 citations and H-Index of 28.

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