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Practising to top scope of urology practice, advancing treatment & patient care through research

Michael is a urology nurse practitioner with a special interest in prostate cancer survivorship, and has worked in urology for the past ten years. Michael has completed the Prostate Nursing Care course at Latrobe University, Graduate Certificate of Health with a specialisation in Scheduled Medicines (USQ), and the Master of Nursing (Flinders) to become a Nurse Practitioner in 2024.

As a Urology Nurse Practitioner he divides his time between the Australian Prostate Centre and Western Urology.

Allied Health Leader shares career insights

Mirella Vagnarelli is a distinguished healthcare leader with proven expertise across South Australia and the United Kingdom, where she has successfully led large, multidisciplinary teams. Holding a Master of Business Administration (Health) from Flinders University, she earned Fellowship status with the Australasian College of Health Service Management in 2022. In 2023, Mirella was honoured as a scholarship recipient for the prestigious ‘Women in Leadership’ Program at the Monash Centre for Health Research and Implementation.

From paediatric nursing to leadership & private hospital general management

With over 20 years of experience in the Australian and international healthcare sectors, Georgia Banks is a dedicated and results-driven health professional with a proven track record in clinical, financial, human resources, and strategic management. Passionate about delivering high-quality patient care, Georgia possesses an authentic leadership style that fosters engagement, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Currently serving as General Manager at Hobart Private Hospital within Healthscope, Georgia has been instrumental in driving operational excellence, enhancing patient experience, and supporting staff development. Her leadership has played a key role in aligning hospital services with strategic priorities while fostering a culture of accountability and innovation.

Delivering anaesthetic services to countries where surgical services can’t be provided

Dr Wendy Falloon is an Anaesthetist of over 30 years experience and a Fellow of Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA). She studied medicine at the University of Tasmania, and worked in Hobart, Sydney and the Uk while completing her specialist qualifications.  Her primary professional focus has always been to deliver the best possible experience of anaesthesia to each and every patient, and for them to know that she sees and values them, and their stories.  

Having been born in Africa, she realised even as a child that health and wealth were largely a product of where people happen to be born. This sowed the seed of her ongoing desire to be of help to others in less fortunate circumstances, ultimately leading to her volunteer work with the Mercy Ships charity.  This is one of the most fulfilling aspects of her career, and she has volunteered in Africa with Mercy Ships 8 times since 2014.  

CASE STUDY Link between levels of extracellular vesicles in the blood and tissue damage caused by diseases

A landmark study led by WEHI and La Trobe University has found a potential new diagnostic marker that could be used to better detect the level of tissue damage in our bodies.

This study revealed, for the first time, a link between levels of EVs in the blood and tissue damage caused by diseases such as leukaemia.

Researchers hope to leverage the critical new insight to develop a blood test to monitor cancer patients with tissue damage, which could, in future, enhance treatment strategies for blood cancers and other diseases.

Cardiologist broadens Tasmania’s surgical abilities

Dr Heath Adams is a Tasmanian born, bred and educated interventional and structural cardiologist who works at Hobart Private and Royal Hobart Hospital and is a researcher through the Menzies Research Institute.

Dr Adams clinical interest and expertise is in the management of aortic stenosis, valvular heart disease and acute coronary syndromes. Dr Adams performs coronary interventions including stenting, and structural heart interventions including TAVI, mitral edge to edge repair, mitral valve replacement and left atrial appendage closure.  In 2020, Heath performed the first TAVI in Tasmania, is the clinical lead for the local program at the Royal Hobart Hospital and is a nationally accredited TAVI practitioner. 

Environmental exposure to function of lung epithelial stem cell biology

Dr Clare Weeden has recently commenced as a Laboratory Head at WEHI in 2025, supported by the CSL Centenary Fellowship.

Dr Weeden specialises in lung epithelial cell biology in the context of homeostasis, inflammation, and lung cancer, particularly in people who don’t smoke. Her work endeavours to understand how past environmental exposures shape the responses of lung cells and the molecular mechanisms underlying this cellular recall, with the aim to develop novel early detection strategies for lung disease.

Pregnancy in women with chronic kidney disease

Professor Shilpanjali Jesudason is an academic nephrologist and Head of Department at the Royal Adelaide Hospital’s Central Northern Adelaide Renal and Transplant Service, South Australia. 

From 2017-2020, she was the Clinical Director of Kidney Health Australia, the peak body for patients with kidney disease. In this role she developed a passion for advancing kidney disease education in primary care. 

Improved access to technology needed for people with Type 2 Diabetes needing insulin

The National Diabetes Services Scheme (NDSS) provides subsidised products for diabetes management; however, disparities exist in access to technology between those with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. While continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices are subsidised for Type 1, they are not available for Type 2 diabetes. ADEA advocates for equitable access to these essential tools, emphasising that all individuals with diabetes deserve the resources necessary for optimal management and reduced risk of complications. Without such technologies, many are forced to rely on finger pricking, which can be inconvenient and unsafe in settings such as the workplace and in higher education.

New bar for cosmetic plastic surgeon accreditation

Population screening is an important contributor to advancing health outcomes through the early detection of and successful intervention for chronic disease. The evolution of science, technology and evidence relating to diseases which are or may be amenable to a population screening approach deserve broad discussion and the sharing of expertise and evidence. They also warrant close scrutiny in context of health policy and health resource allocation considerations.

In March, Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA) convened Screening Conference Conference 2025 with the theme of ‘Population Screening for Chronic Disease – Maximising Benefits, Minimising Harms’.

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