Key people in the School of Medicine

• Deanery
• Medical Education Group
• Pre-Clinical Sciences Group
• Population Health
• SCIMHA Research Unit
• Clinical Sciences
• Conjoint Appointments and Tutors
• Key Management and Administrative Staff

Deanery

The Foundation Dean, Professor Neville Yeomans MD, FRACP, FACG, was appointed in October 2004 to lead the planning and development of the new School. Professor Yeomans has a distinguished record as a clinician, medical educator and researcher as well as a commitment to service in both professional organisations and government committees.

Providing expert advice and support to the Dean and the School:

Professor Bruce Barraclough AO
MBBS, FRACS, DDU, FACS, FAICD
Associate Dean (Clinical Strategy)

Bruce was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2003 in recognition of his contributions to medical education, and through fostering improvements in the delivery of safe, quality healthcare in Australia. He was chairman of the Australian Council for Safety and Quality in Health Care from 2000-2005 and is the Chairman of the Board of the NSW Clinical Excellence Commission.

Professor Alexandra Bune AM
MBBS, MRACP.,FRACP.
Associate Dean (Academic Planning)

Alex was appointed a Member in the Order of Australia in 2003 in recognition of her contributions to Medical Education and Rural workforce development. UWS is the third medical school which she has been involved in establishing. She is also the Director of the North Shore Hypertension Service.

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Medical Education Group

Professor Ian Wilson
MBBS, PhD, D Obst(RCOG); FRACGP, FACPsychMed

Ian has held the role of Censor-in-Chief of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, which is the key leadership role for general practice training. He has broad expertise in medical education, with particular interests in assessment and the use of problem based learning. He has served on numerous government committees and has an enduring interest in mental health in general practice.

Professor Brad Frankum
MBBS, FRACP
Dean, Macarthur Clinical School and Professor of Clinical Education

Brad is the Director of Complex Care and General Practice, Western Zone, Sydney South West Area Health Service. He has developed his specialty practice in Internal Medicine and Immunology in conjunction with a focus on medical education for students, interns and as a Network Director of Physician Training.

Associate Professor Peter Zelas OAM
MB BS FRCS FRACS MIPH
Dean, Blacktown Clinical School

Peter was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia in 2006 for service to medicine and to the community of Western Sydney, particularly through roles at the Blacktown Hospital and in the field of colorectal surgery. In addition to clinical and academic commitments, he tutors in International Public Health, which is undoubtedly informed by his experience working with Medécins Sans Frontiéres.

Dr. Bronwen Dalziel
B.Sc, PhD
Senior Lecturer, Medical Education

Having completed a PhD in Biochemistry in 2004, Bronwen has developed skills and experience in education and has advanced her interests in medical science, teaching, curriculum development, eLearning and research.

Dr. Janet Chan
BSc (Med), MBBS, FJFICM
Senior Lecturer, Medical Education

Janet is a Staff Specialist in Intensive Care at St Vincents Hospital in Sydney and is an Instructor at the Sydney Medical Simulation Centre at the Royal North Shore Hospital.

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Pre-Clinical Sciences Group

Professor Vaughan Macefield
B.Sc, PhD
Professor of Physiology

Vaughan is a neurophysiologist who studies the operation of the normal and disordered human nervous system. Formerly an NHMRC Senior Research Fellow at the Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute (POWMRI), Sydney, he is interested in how the nervous system communicates with different tissues in the body.

This work extends into various pathophysiological states, such as high blood pressure, heart failure, respiratory disorders and spinal cord injury. With colleagues at the University of Sydney and POWMRI, Vaughan also studies the central processing of pain, using the powerful brain imaging technique of functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI).

Professor John Morley
MD(Syd), FRCS, FRACS

John is a neuroscientist whose research is directed at understanding the pathways between the brain and eyes. His collaborative research involves the development of a bionic eye to restore visual perception for blind patients. He has a strong record in being awarded competitive grants in Australia and internationally, and in the supervision of research students. John with Vaughan Macefield is part of a team which was awarded a multi-million dollar Australian Research Council (ARC) 'Thinking System' grant worth $3.3 million in 2006.

Associate Professor Gerald Münch
Dipl. Chem, PhD

Gerald is a biochemist and pharmacologist whose research was initally focused on carbonyl stress (resulting in the formation of Advanced Glycation Endproducts, AGE's) in age-related diseases such as diabetes, renal failure and Alzheimers' disease (AD). More recently, he has investigated the role of chronic inflamation in AD. He has also elucidated some of the pro-inflammatory signaling pathways of the β-amyloid and AGE-receptor RAGE, and the involvement of reactive oxygen species ("redox-signalling") in this pathway.

His current research projects have identified a variety of anti-oxidants - including polyphenolic compounds that interfere with inflammation and could be beneficial in the treatment of AD. In collaboration with Prof. K. Hager at the Henriettenstiftung (Hannover, Germany), a clinical trial of such an "anti-inflammatory" antioxidant, α-lipoic acid, was initiated. Data collected over a four year period show that in patients in early stages of the disease, the progression rate was 50% slower compared to untreated patients.

Dr. David Mahns
B.Sc, PhD
Senior Lecturer, Physiology

David came from UNSW with a strong commitment to research and teaching, having co-ordinated the Independent Learning Project for 3rd and 4th year medical students. He has recently been awarded an NHMRC grant to further investigate the neural mechanisms of bone pain.

Dr. Joanne Lind
B.Sc, PhD
Lecturer, Molecular Biology and Genetics & Peter Doherty Biomedical Fellow

Joanne completed her PhD in 2004 and subsequently held the role of Visiting Fellow at the National Cancer Institute in the United States in the Laboratory of Genomic Diversity. Prior to commencing at UWS, Joanne was a research officer at the Centenary Institute where she conducted research on inherited heart disease.

Jo has been awarded a NHMRC Biomedical Peter Doherty Fellowship to explore how sex hormones and gender affect heart disease progression and symptoms.

Jost Pries

B.Sc, PhD

Lecturer, Molecular Biology and Genetics

(maternity leave replacement for Dr Joanne Lind)

Jost completed his PhD in 2002. Prior to commencing at UWS, Jost worked as as Research Officer at the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Insitute. He developed mouse model of epigenetic inheritance looking at transgene expressionin inbred mice which differered depending on the origin of the transgene i.e. if it was inherited by the mother or father. Jost also developed mouse models for cardiovascular disease investigating genes which control heart and placental development. His current research focuses on mouse and human models investigating genetic and epigenetic factors influencing cardiovascular diseases.

Since completing his PhD in 1994, Carl has extended his research in mechanisms of neuronal plasticity, having undertaken over five years of postdoctoral work at the University of Oxford. Since returning to Australia in 2001, he has been forming collaborations through his work at the University of Newcastle.

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Population Health

Professor Phillipa Hay
MB ChB, FRANZCP, MD, D.Phil
Professor of Mental Health

Phillipa has an international reputation in her specialist research and clinical area of eating disorders. She is Vice-President of the Australian and New Zealand Academy of Eating Disorders. She is also highly regarded as a leader in Psychiatry education and research in Australia and holds senior positions within the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, for example is Chair of the Board of Research.

Professor Louisa Jorm
B.Sc (Vet), MSc Epidemiology, PhD
Professor of Population Health

Louisa held the role of Director of the Centre for Epidemiology and Research, which is part of NSW Health since it was formed in 2002. During that time, she has fostered capacity building in terms of expertise, personnel, data and research for NSW. She is currently working on a series of projects in conjunction with the Sax Institute, including 45 and Up Study, one of the world's largest follow-up studies.

Dr. Hilary Bambrick
B.Sc, BA, PhD
Senior Lecturer, Population Health

Hilary completed her PhD in 2003 at ANU and has developed her academic career as Research Fellow (Epidemiologist) at the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health. Her research interests include; The role of environment in human health, Climatic and meteorological influences on disease, Diabetes and obesity, Life-course epidemology and Food Systems, including production, regulation and nutrition security.

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SCIMHA Research Unit

(Scientific Collaboration for Investigation of Mental Health and Adversity)

Professor Beverley Raphael AM
AM, MBBS, MD, FRANZCP, FRCPsych, FASSA, Hon, MD (Newcastle)

Beverley was appointed a Member in the Order of Australia in 1984 for service for medicine particularly in the field of psychiatry. She is the Professor of Population Mental Health and Disasters and Director of Science of Mental Health and Adversity (SCIMHA), and an international leader in this area. Professor Raphael was Director, Centre for Mental Health NSW Health from January 1996 to May 2005.

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Clinical Sciences

Professor Annemarie Hennessy
MB BS, FRACP, PhD, MBA Exec
Professor of Medicine

Annemarie combines her clinical and research activities in the area of hypertension and pregnancy. Her MBA studies prompted the establishment of the Preeclampsia Research Laboratories (Foundation) (PEARLS) of which she is Executive Director, to fund the research that her team is undertaking in this field. Annemarie is an excellent role model for the integration of education and research within clinical medicine.

Professor Reginald Lord
MD(Syd), FRCS, FRACS
Professor of Surgery

Reg is internationally recognised for his contributions to vascular surgery, including honorary membership of the Society of Vascular Surgery, USA. He has also received the Maccabaean Medal for Medical History (London), the Kinmonth Medal (Royal College of Surgeons) and the 2005 Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Research award. He is committed to medical education and our new school at UWS.

Dr Joo-Shik (Joo) Shin

MBBS

Lecturer, Pathology

Joo is a senior registrar in Anatomical Pathology at South Western Area Pathology Service (SWAPS) based at Liverpool Hospital. He is currently working towards completing his fellowship with the Royal College of Pathologists Australasia, and PhD through University of Sydney. His research interest is in predicting and quantifying the extent of tumour regression in rectal cancer following chemoradiotherapy.

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Conjoint Appointments and Tutors

The School of Medicine has made many conjoint appointments with the doctors attached to the health services across Greater Western Sydney and also from key curriculum partner, from the University of Melbourne.

Tutors

The School employs tutors for both Problem Based Learning and Health Practice tutorials. Tutors often have experience as a health practitioner or as an academic from a health/science field.

Information about available positions in the School of Medicine can be found at Positions Vacant.

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Key Management and Administrative Staff

Deanery
Tim Wills - Senior Executive Officer

Cris Carriage - Indigenous Program Officer

Louella McCarthy - Manger, Community Engagement

Fiona Pacey -  Executive Officer to the Dean

Clinical Schools
Jenny Akers - Executive Officer, Clinical Education & Macarthur Clinical School

Kathy Brown - Acting Executive Officer, Blacktown/Mt Druitt Clinical School

Student Services
Lyndal McCulloch
Manager, Student Services

Penny Lee
Student Services Officer

Julie Uljanic
Student Services Officer

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