Professor Linda-Gail Bekker, Physician Scientist and Infectious Disease Specialist, Desmond Tutu HIV Centre at the Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine
Linda-Gail Bekker, MBChB, DTMH, DCH, FCP (SA), PhD, is Deputy Director of the Desmond Tutu HIV Centre at the Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town and Chief Operating Officer of the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation. She is a physician scientist and infectious disease specialist. Her research interests include programmatic and action research around antiretroviral roll out and TB integration, prevention of HIV in women, youth and men who have sex with men. She is PI of the NIH (USA) funded UCTCTU and remains actively involved in the work of the four associated clinical research sites and four DAIDS networks. In particular, she has chaired protocols for the HVTN and HPTN and has been IoR in a number of network related protocols. She has served on numerous international and federal scientific and working committees. She heads up the Desmond Tutu Centre of Adolescent Health and Wellbeing at UCT and the aim of this consortium is to develop best practices and evidence base around adolescent treatment and prevention of HIV, TB and STIs as well as the integration of these services within a robust adolescent friendly sexual and reproductive service platform. She is the immediate past president of the International AIDS Society and served as the International Co-Chair of the 9th IAS Conference on HIV Science in Paris in July 2017 and International AIDS Conference in Amsterdam in 2018.
Bruce Richman, Director of Prevention Access Campaign Undetectable = Untransmittable
Bruce Richman is the founding executive director of Prevention Access Campaign’s Undetectable = Untransmittable (U=U), a growing international movement to share the revolutionary but largely unknown fact that people living with HIV on treatment with an undetectable viral load cannot transmit HIV to sexual partners. After recognizing that millions of people with HIV and the public were not being informed about this groundbreaking science, he joined with activists and researchers to ensure the science reaches the people it was intended to benefit. Bruce received his master’s in education from Harvard Graduate of School of Education and his law degree from Harvard Law School.
Associate Professor Edwina Wright, Infectious Diseases Physician, Alfred Hospital
Associate Professor Edwina Wright is an infectious diseases physician who specialises in HIV Medicine and HIV Clinical Research in the Department of Infectious Diseases, Alfred Hospital, Monash Central Clinical School. She is also Honorary Principal Fellow and Co-Head HIV Elimination Program, Burnet Institute and Honorary Associate Professor, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity. Dr Wright is a past President of ASHM. Dr Wright’s clinical research interests include HIV prevention involving pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and early HIV treatment, HIV cure and HIV- associated neurological disorders.
Dr. Naomi Achong, Endocrinologist, Carina and Browns Plains
Dr Naomi Achong completed a Bachelor of Science and MBBS at the University of Queensland. She undertook her Advanced Training in Endocrinology and Obstetric Medicine at the Princess Alexandra Hospital and the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital. She has completed a PhD concerning insulin requirements in women with type 1 diabetes during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Naomi also has an interest in general endocrinology including diabetes and transgender health care. She currently works privately at Carina and Browns Plains.
Brent Allan
Identifies as a gay man living who has lived with HIV for nearly 25 years, they have worked in the community response to HIV since the late 1980’s and continues to advise and agitate NGO, clinical and research programs around the world.
Dr. Shalini Arunogiri, Addiction Psychiatrist, Turning Point
Dr Shalini Arunogiri is a consultant addiction psychiatrist and clinician researcher. She is Deputy Clinical Director at Turning Point, a national addiction treatment and research centre; and Deputy Head of the Department of Psychiatry at Central Clinical School, Monash University. Shalini is current Chair of the RANZCP Binational Faculty of Addiction Psychiatry.
Her clinical and research interests include methamphetamine use and related mental health problems, and women’s health and addictive disorders. She is an investigator on multiple Australian clinical trials of medication treatments for addiction, including DEBUT, N-ICE and LiMA.
She is also mum to an energetic four year-old boy and a passionate advocate for women in STEMM and academia.
Dr. Fiona Bisshop, General Practitioner Holdsworth House
Fiona is a GP in Brisbane who has worked as an S100 prescriber treating HIV since 2001. She is on the ASHM HIV Guidelines committee, and is current President of AusPATH (the Australian Professional Association for Trans Health).
Professor Peter Ebeling, Endocrinologist and Head of the Department of Medicine, School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University
Professor Peter Ebeling is Head of the Department of Medicine, School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University. He was inaugural Director of the Australian Institute of Musculoskeletal Science. In 2015, he was made an Officer of the General Division of the Order of Australia for distinguished services in the field of bone health. Research interests include: musculoskeletal health and diseases; public health aspects of vitamin D, including effects on muscle function, bone and diabetes; post-transplantation osteoporosis; and osteoporosis in men. Professor Ebeling was Associate Editor of the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, Editor of ClinicalEndocrinology (Oxf)and Editor-in-Chief ofBone Reports. He currently serves on the Editorial Board of Osteoporosis International. He is Medical Director of Osteoporosis Australia, Board member of the IOF, Past President of the Endocrine Society of Australia, and Past President of the ANZBMS. He served on the National Health and Medical Research Council’s Research Committee from 2015 to 2018. He has over 420 peer-reviewed publications, including in The New England Journal of Medicine, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Journal of Clinical Investigationand Science. He also teaches and mentors medical students and supervises a number of research higher degree students and advanced physician trainees in endocrinology.
Dr. Duncan George, Psychiatrist, The Albion Centre, Prince of Wales Hospital and Dubbo Base Hospital
Dr Duncan George is a consultation liaison psychiatrist and holds clinical roles in The Albion Centre and the Prince of Wales Hospital in Sydney, as well as in greater western NSW in Dubbo Base Hospital. He specialises in patients with comorbid medical health problems, such as HIV, cancer and chronic disease, including in the indigenous population and has a particular interest in mood and cognitive disorders. He also is a lecturer at both the University of New South Wales and University of Sydney.
Dr. Ilana Gory, Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist, The Alfred
Dr Ilana Gory is a Melbourne based gastroenterologist and hepatologist who combines public practice at The Alfred Hospital with a private practice in Prahran. Ilana has a broad range of interests in the field of gastroenterology including NAFLD, Obesity, functional gut disorders and inflammatory bowel disease. Ilana continues to be involved in research which she has presented both nationally and internationally.
Associate Professor David Gracey, Senior Staff Specialist Renal and Renal Transplant Physician, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney
A/Prof. David Gracey is a Senior Staff Specialist Renal and Renal Transplant Physician at The State-wide Renal Service, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney and an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Medicine, Central Clinical School, University of Sydney. A/Prof. Gracey is involved in national and international programs focused on improving the screening and management of kidney disease in patients with viral infections, particularly HIV. This role has expanded to becoming a national advocate and program leader to attempt to improve outcomes in this disadvantaged and often marginalized patient group. A/Prof Gracey also maintains an active research interest in the area of HIV-related kidney disease and has published widely.
Nic Holas
Nic Holas is an HIV+ activist, writer and co-founder of The Institute of Many (TIM) a grassroots platform for PLHIV that now extends TIM WOMEN and TIM FAMILIES. He is also Campaigns Director for Change.Org Australia.
A/Prof. Cameron Holloway, Cardiologist, St Vincents Sydney
Cameron Holloway is a Consultant Cardiologist and director of Physician training for the South East Sydney Network, Australian Heart Foundation Life Sciences Research Fellow, Associate Professor with the University of NSW and University of Notre Dame and is Clinical Faculty at the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute. He returned to Sydney in 2013 after 6 years at the University of Oxford, where he worked as a Consultant Cardiologist at the University of Oxford NHS trust and had a particular interest in cardiac imaging, including cardiac MRI. His PhD and post-doctoral research in Oxford focused on investigating the mechanisms of heart failure using cardiac magnetic resonance. He is a general cardiologist, though has published widely on mechanisms of cardiac disease and his current research focuses on understanding and managing HIV-related heart disease.
Professor Ruth Hubbard, Consultant Geriatrician, Princess Alexandra Hospital
Ruth E. Hubbard is a Professor of Geriatric Medicine at the University of Queensland, Consultant Geriatrician at the Princess Alexandra Hospital and Head of School for PA-Southside Clinical Unit.
Based on the impact of her publications, she is currently ranked number 3 in a list of frailty experts worldwide (http://expertscape.com/ex/frail+elderly). As a passionate advocate for her discipline, she is currently supervising 4 PhDs, 2 MPhils and numerous medical student projects. She has generated more than $9.3 million in grant income in the last 5 years, including as CIA on 2 NHMRC Project Grants.
Dr. David Iser, Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist, St Vincent’s Hospital and The Alfred
Dr David Iser is a gastroenterologist and hepatologist dedicated to treating people living with a range of gastroenterological conditions. He works at St. Vincent’s and The Alfred Hospitals, as well as private practice encompassing Fitzroy, Bairnsdale and First Step in St. Kilda. He is passionate about improving the lives of people living with viral hepatitis, in particular those with HIV, people in regional and rural areas, prisoners, people who inject drugs, and those with advanced liver disease
Professor (Adj) Dr. Mina John, Clinical Immunologist and Immunopathologist, Royal Perth Hospital
Mina John is a consultant Clinical Immunologist and Immunopathologist with the Department of Immunology at Royal Perth Hospital, WA, which provides a large ambulatory, inpatient and community outreach HIV care service. She also has a research appointment with the Institute of Immunology and Infectious Diseases (IIID). Her main research interests have included ART toxicities, HIV interactions with T cell immunity and immunotherapies.
Dr. Kevin Lee, Endocrinologist and Specialist Physician, Lifestylebreakthrough Clinic
Dr Lee is consultant Endocrinologist and Specialist Physician at Lifestylebreakthrough Clinic in Melbourne leading a team of specialists and allied health multidisciplinary team in dealing with metabolic syndrome.
He is also a researcher at Monash University with publications on the role of stress and how it affects metabolism. His PhD on the topic has received awards from the Endocrine Society of Australia and he receives grants from Diabetes Australia and industry for his ongoing research.
His interest in metabolic disease is in how to integrate pharmacotherapy with long term lifestyle change with a focus on making meaningful change to the biopsychosocial determinants of disease. He runs mentorship programs for clinicians interested in managing metabolic syndrome holistically from medications to mindfulness.
Christabel Millar
A passionate advocate for women living with HIV she is a past president of Living Positive Victoria and a champion of the human rights and social justice programs that support the vulnerable communities of trans identified people as well as people of colour.
Dr. Catriona Ooi, Sexual Health Specialist, Northern Sydney Sexual Health Service
Catriona Ooi, or treeny, is the director and a sexual health physician of the Northern Sydney Sexual Health Service, based at clinic 16 at Royal North Shore Hospital. She has worked in the field of HIV and sexual health medicine both in Australia and abroad for over 20 years, although much younger than that. She contributes to text books and guidelines, and is involved with undergraduate and post graduate teaching with the University of Sydney. Treeny is currently engaged in several research projects and continues to maintain her good looks via a strict diet of sex drugs and rocknroll.
Dr. Mark O’Reilly, General Practitioner & Sexual Health Physician, Prahran Market Clinic
Dr Mark O’Reilly is a Sexual Health Physician, HIV specialist General Practitioner and Director at Prahran Market Clinic in Melbourne. He also works as a clinical advisor to ASHM and is on the Australian HIV antiretroviral guidelines committee. He has worked in the area of HIV medicine and sexual health for over a decade in both Sydney and Melbourne. Current interests include HIV treatment and prevention, HIV clinical trials, STI treatment and prevention and managing problems associated with sexualised drug use.
Associate Professor Mark Polizzotto, Haematologist, St Vincents Hospital Sydney
A/Prof Mark Polizzotto is a consultant haematologist at St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney, and head of the Therapeutic and Vaccine Research Program at the Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney. He has a long-standing interest in clinical care and research in malignant and haematologic complications of HIV infection. He leads clinical trials in HIV, COVID-19, and infection-related cancers in over 20 countries, and has made substantial contributions to the development of new therapies in these areas.
Dr. Katrina Tonga, Respiratory and Sleep Medicine Physician, St Vincents Sydney
Dr Katrina Tonga is a Consultant Respiratory and Sleep Medicine Physician and works as a Staff Specialist in the Department of Respiratory Medicine, St Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney. She is a Conjoint Senior Lecturer at the University of New South Wales and Lecturer at The University of Sydney. Dr Tonga has a strong interest in airways disease, including asthma and COPD. She uses innovative and state-of-the art tools to diagnose and assess chronic respiratory diseases in both her clinical and research roles. She has research publications in high-impact international medical journals and maintains an active research role as a Research Affiliate at the Woolcock Institution of Medical Research.
Dr. Ben Trewin, Neurologist, Holdsworth House
Benjamin completed his MBBS in 2012 and his BAppSc (Exercise, Sport Science & Nutrition) in 2007, at USyd. He completed his Neurology specialty training at St. Vincent’s Hospital, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (MS Fellowship) and Concord Repatriation General Hospital, Sydney. He is in the process of obtaining his PhD in Neuroimmunology and is a published first author in Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders.
Benjamin has specialist expertise in Multiple Sclerosis and other Neuroimmunological disorders and has obtained extensive experience in general neurology and Botulinum Toxin administration for neurological conditions.