Meet the experts who contribute to developing and reviewing our clinical recommendations for inflammatory arthritis and juvenile idiopathic arthritis
Rheumatologist
Monash University
Professor Buchbinder is a rheumatologist and epidemiologist. She chairs the Australian Living Guideline panel, and is Chair of the Executive Committee, NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence for the Australia and New Zealand Musculoskeletal (ANZMUSC) Clinical Trials Network. She is Coordinating Editor of Cochrane Musculoskeletal. She has been the Director of the Monash Department of Clinical Epidemiology since its inception in 2001 and a Professor in the Monash University Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine since 2007. She is a rheumatologist and clinical epidemiologist who combines clinical practice with research in a wide range of multidisciplinary projects relating to arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions.
Rheumatologist
Monash University
Dr Whittle is the lead developer for the Australian Living Guidelines for Adult Inflammatory Arthritis and Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis. He is an ANZMUSC Practitioner Fellow. He works as a consultant rheumatologist at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Adelaide.
Paediatrician
Cairns and Hinterland Hospital
Dr Neil Archer is the Clinical Director of Paediatrics for CHHHS and has been practicing Paediatrics for over 20 years. He completed specialist training in Australia and the UK. He has specific training and special interest in respiratory medicine, allergy and paediatric rheumatology. He has a keen interest in system approaches to improving service provision in terms of effectiveness and equity for all children in regional Australia, communication and Safety
Pharmacist
Monash University
Professor Simon Bell is Professor and Director, Centre for Medicine Use and Safety, Monash University. He is also Adjunct Professor of Geriatric Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland. Professor Bell's research interests primarily relate to medicines use among older people, particularly psychotropic and analgesic medicines. He has published more than 340 articles in scientific journals and been an investigator on over $45 million of research grants.
Consumer Representative
Monash University
Dr. Danielle Berkovic has lived with psoriatic arthritis for the past 10 years. Due to living with the condition for some time Danielle became passionate about arthritis and musculoskeletal research. She undertook a consumer-led PhD from 2018 – 2021 examining arthritis-related issues specific to working-age adults, such as the work and financial impacts.
Rheumatologist
Royal Adelaide Hospital
A/Prof Rachel Black is a rheumatologist and clinician researcher who completed her PhD in 2019 looking at the epidemiology and patient perspectives of glucocorticoid use and adverse effects in rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory diseases. Her interests include pharmacoepidemiology and the use of big data to answer research questions directly relevant to her clinical practice in rheumatology.
Pharmacist
Women's & Children's Hospital, Adelaide
Catherine Booth is a hospital pharmacist at the Women's and Children's Hospital in Adelaide. She serves on a number of SA Health committees like the South Australian Medicines Evaluation Panel (SAMEP) and the Formulary Committee, focusing on optimizing medicine use for children and families.
Methodologist
Monash University
Sue Brennan leads the Melbourne GRADE centre, is an elected member of the GRADE Guidance Group, and co-lead on research to inform the development of GRADE guidance for overviews. In her role at Cochrane Australia, she leads systematic reviews and methodological review of guidelines commissioned by government, methodological research, and provides consultancy and training on the use of GRADE.
Paediatric Rheumatologist
Capital, Coast and Hutt Valley District, Te Whatu Ora. NZ National Paediatric Rheumatology Service
Dr Priscilla Campbell-Stokes is a paediatric rheumatologist in Aotearoa New Zealand with over 20 years' experience. She is a member of the Pharmac Rheumatology Advisory Committee.
Rheumatologist
Royal Hobart Hospital
Dr Helen Cooley is a rheumatologist in Hobart who provides care to both adults and children with rheumatic diseases. A former Board Director of the Australian Rheumatology Association (ARA), she was the recipient of the 2024 ARA Distinguished Service Medal.
Pharmacist
Monash University
Dr Amanda Cross is an NHMRC Emerging Leader senior research fellow at the Centre for Medicine Use and Safety, Monash University. Dr Cross' research interests primarily relate to medicine safety and quality use of medicines in older adults, including development and implementation of clinical practice guidelines. Dr Cross continues to work clinically as a consultant pharmacist in the community and in residential aged care.
Podiatrist
La Trobe University
Dr Angela Evans is a clinician in Adelaide, senior lecturer at La Trobe University, and a volunteer and ambassador with Walk for Life – the sustainable club foot project in Bangladesh. Dr Evans has many journal publications, book chapters, and authored the podiatry textbook ‘Paediatrics’.
Rheumatologist
Eastern Health
Dr. Christopher Fong is a Geriatrician and Rheumatologist. He has a special interest in musculoskeletal rehabilitation, psoriatic and rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosong spondylitis.
Consumer Representative
South Australia
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Evidence Team
Monash University
Dr Vanessa Glennon is the indispensable Project Manager for the Australian Living Guidelines for pharmacologic management of inflammatory arthritis and juvenile idiopathic arthritis
Rheumatologist
University of Sydney
Dr Mariya Hamid is an early career rheumatologist and clinical researcher. She was the winner of the 2025 Australian Rheumatology Association Christina Boros paediatric research award for her work 'Defining Flare in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis Clinical Research'.
Consumer Representative
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Paediatric Rheumatologist
Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne
Dr Victoria Heaton is a General Paediatrician with specialist expertise in paediatric rheumatology and persistent musculoskeletal conditions, alongside broad experience in newborn and infant health, asthma, and developmental and behavioural paediatrics. She holds public appointments at the Royal Children’s Hospital within General Medicine and the Centre for Community Child Health, works in community paediatrics, and maintains a strong interest in clinical guideline development, quality improvement, and patient- and family-centred care.
Rheumatologist
University of Adelaide
Professor Catherine Hill is a clinical rheumatologist and epidemiologist with international expertise in evidence-based healthcare, population epidemiology, and clinical trials. She leads the Rheumatology Research Group at the Basil Hetzel Institute, is the South Australian hub lead for the Australian Arthritis and Autoimmune Biobank, and was awarded the 2022 Parr Prize for Rheumatology Research Excellence. She has held major national and international leadership roles, including President of the Australian Rheumatology Association (2020–22), Chair of the APLAR Education Committee, and senior appointments in health technology assessment (PBAC, TGA, SAMEP), alongside extensive research leadership in osteoarthritis, vasculitis (including founding the SA Giant Cell Arteritis Registry), and OMERACT outcome measure development.
Immunologist
SA Pathology
Prof Pravin Hissaria is a Senior Clinical Immunologist at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, Immunopathologist at SA Pathology and Clinical Associate Professor in the Adelaide University Department of Medicine. Dr Hissaria has a strong interest in all aspects of Clinical and Lab Immunology and is currently a member of the Royal College of Pathologists Australia Immunopathology Advisory committee and QAP committee. His main clinical interests are in setting up registries of rare autoimmune and auto-inflammatory diseases.
Consumer Representative
Royal Perth Bentley Group
Ben Horgan is currently working for the Royal Perth Bentley Group as the Coordinator Consumer Partnerships. After being diagnosed with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis at the age of 2, Ben has spent his life within the health system. After a 10-year career as a radio announcer working across Australia, Ben began a career as a consumer advocate working in Sydney, Canberra and Perth. His current role of Coordinator Consumer Partnerships at Royal Perth Bentley Group enables him to utilise all his experience and evidence based best practice models to improve collaboration between clinicians, researchers, service providers and health consumers within the local community. The results will enable increased levels of involvement from health consumers and community supporting the development and implementation of better health care practices, more relevant health research, plus increased rates of patient centred health service delivery.
Evidence Team
Monash University
Dr Renea Johnston currently works at the Musculoskeletal Health and Wiser Health Care Unit at the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University (Australia). Renea is a Managing Editor of Cochrane Musculoskeletal and the Evidence Synthesis Lead for an Australian Guideline in adult and paediatric rheumatology. She conducts systematic reviews in musculoskeletal disorders, Public Health, Rheumatology, and teaches Systematic Reviews to undergraduates and postgraduates.
Rheumatologist
University of Western Australia
Dr Helen Keen is an experienced general rheumatologist. She completed medical school at UWA, before undertaking further training in Sydney, Perth and Adelaide. She completed a PhD in Leeds, in the United Kingdom focusing on ultrasonography, before returning to Perth. She has extensive experience in research, most recently working on gout, rheumatoid arthritis and GCA. She is the Vice President of the Australian Rheumatology Association.
Rheumatologist
University of Sydney
Professor Lyn March is the Head of Rheumatology at Sydney’s Royal North Shore Hospital and Liggins Professor of Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Epidemiology at Sydney University.She has been an active clinician and researcher for more than 25 years. She was made a Member of the Order of Australia for her significant services in the areas of rheumatology and clinical epidemiology as an academic, researcher and clinician. She led the international expert group that generated the latest global burden of musculoskeletal disease data. Lyn is an executive member of OMERACT the international group standardising patient reported outcome measures in rheumatology, on the Executive Committee for the Global Alliance for MSK Health, Co-lead of their Surveillance Task Force and member of their WHO working party.
Consumer Representative
Giving Voice
Ms Suzie Edward May has over 20 years’ experience as a consumer advocate in musculoskeletal disease, health governance and systemic health reform. She has been a Guest Lecturer in chronic and musculoskeletal disease at Western Australian medical schools annually since 2006. As a lawyer and legal consultant, Suzie works in government law; justice and prison reform; and public health law.
Paediatric Rheumatologist
Queensland Children's Hospital
Dr Jessica McGrath is a Paediatric Rheumatologist with broad expertise across paediatric rheumatic diseases, including particular interests in systemic lupus erythematosus, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, juvenile dermatomyositis, vasculitis, uveitis, and autoinflammatory syndromes. She has trained and worked at tertiary paediatric centres in Queensland and Victoria, holds Staff Specialist appointments at Queensland Children’s Hospital and Gold Coast University Hospital, is an Associate Lecturer at the University of Queensland, and is actively involved in teaching, guideline development, and national advocacy.
Consumer Representative
ANZMUSC Consumer Advisory Group
Annie McPherson has been living with Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) for over 50 years. This inflammatory arthritis condition affects her mobility and flexibility including her back, neck, and peripheral joints. After complications from her AS, related osteoarthritis and osteoporosis, Annie was forced to retire aged 47 years. In 2005, Annie co-founded the Ankylosing Spondylitis Victoria Inc. peer support group and remains President. Annie has been a consumer representative with the ANZMUSC network since its conception.
Paediatric Rheumatologist
Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne
Professor Jane Munro is a Paediatric Rheumatologist at the Royal Children’s Hospital and leads Rheumatology research at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute. She is Director and co-owner of Victorian Children’s Clinic, former Head of Rheumatology (2010–2020), Co-Chair of the Global Taskforce for Paediatric Musculoskeletal Health, Chief Investigator on multiple national collaborative studies and MRFF grants (including ANZCLARITY Juvenile Arthritis and A3B3), and has held senior advisory roles within the Victorian Department of Health.
Paediatric Rheumatologist
Women's & Children's Hospital, Adelaide
Dr Gráinne Murray is a paediatric rheumatologist based at Women's and Children's Hospital. She trained in Dublin (Ireland), Sheffield and Bristol (UK), Melbourne and Adelaide. Her current research interests include improving clinical care for patients with childhood onset rheumatic diseases, autoinflammatory diseases, and uveitis.
General Practitioner
General Practice
Dr Navid Nazarian is a general practitioner specialising in musculoskeletal and sports injuries. He serves as the Chair of the RACGP Musculoskeletal, Sports, and Exercise Medicine Special Interest Group.
Rheumatologist
University of Sydney
A/Prof Sean O'Neill is a senior consultant rheumatologist at Royal North Shore Hospital and an Associate Professor at the University of Sydney.
Physiotherapist
Queensland Children's Hospital
Ishani Perera is a specialist physiotherapist in paediatric rheumatology.
Physiotherapist
Monash Children's Hospital
David Pho is a highly experienced Paediatric Physiotherapist with broad expertise spanning early childhood through adolescence, including paediatric rheumatology, orthopaedics, pain management, neurodevelopment, sports injury rehabilitation, and gait and postural disorders. He is Director of Monash Kids Physio, a Senior Physiotherapist at Monash Children’s Hospital, and a consultant physiotherapist at St John of God Hospital (Berwick), with advanced postgraduate training in paediatric physiotherapy and orthopaedics from the University of Melbourne.
Rheumatologist
Monash University
Dr Huai Leng (Jessica) Pisaniello is a Post-doctoral Research Fellow in the Musculoskeletal Health and Wiser Health Care Units within the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine at Monash University (since 2024). She recently completed her PhD (2018-24) at the University of Adelaide. Jessica is also a consultant rheumatologist in private practice in Victoria (and previously in South Australia). She is an Honorary Clinical Research Fellow at the University of Manchester (2019-25).
Paediatric Rheumatologist
Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne
Dr William Renton is a Paediatric Rheumatologist at the Royal Children’s and Monash Children’s Hospitals in Melbourne. He is an adjunct research fellow at Monash University and chair of the Australian Rheumatology Association therapeutics committee. He has also been an expert panel member for several evidence-based guideline projects.
Rheumatologist
Metro North Hospital and Health Service
The late Phil Robinson was an outstanding and much-loved clinician researcher and valued member of the Australian rheumatology community.
Rheumatology Nurse
Women's & Children's Hospital, Adelaide
Tracy Rose is a Nurse Consultant in the Rheumatology Unit at the Women's and Children's Hospital in Adelaide.
Pharmacist
University of Sydney
Dr Mouna Sawan is a pharmacist, early to mid-career pharmacist researcher and Dementia Fellow (PhD 2017) with expertise in medication safety and dementia, based in the School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney. She specialises in medication safety in people with dementia post-diagnosis, health services research, person-centred medication management, and implementation science.
Ophthalmologist
Queensland Children's Hospital
Dr Phillipa Sharwood is an adult and paediatric ophthalmologist. Dr Sharwood is a visiting medical officer in Ophthalmology at Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital and Queensland Children’s Hospital where she is active in the training of medical students, ophthalmologists in training and visiting international fellows in strabismus surgery, cataract surgery and paediatric ophthalmology. She is a RANZCO College Examiner in Basic and Clinical Sciences and a Senior Clinical Lecturer at the University of Queensland Faculty of Medicine.
Consumer Representative
Juvenile Arthritis Foundation of Australia
Emily Sheridan is a Melbourne-based lawyer and mother of a child with Juvenile Arthritis. She is a member of the Board of the Juvenile Arthritis Foundation of Australia (JAFA).
Orthopaedic Surgeon
University of Adelaide
A/Prof Peter Smitham is an orthopaedic surgeon with extensive experience in orthopaedic trauma, hip, knee and lower limb care. He currently serves as an Associate Professor at the University of Adelaide and as a Consultant at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, combining clinical practice with cutting edge research and medical education.
Paediatric Rheumatologist
Queensland Children's Hospital
Dr Jo Tan is a paediatric rheumatologist who currently works at the Queensland Children's Hospital. He has been a member of the JIA guideline development team since its inception.
Paediatric Rheumatologist
Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne
Dr Georgina Tiller is a Paediatric Rheumatologist and General Paediatrician currently holding appointments at both the Royal Children’s Hospital and Monash Children’s Hospital. Georgina studied medicine at the University of New South Wales before training in Paediatrics at Sydney Children’s Hospital. Georgina’s Paediatric Rheumatology training was completed at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne and the British Columbia Children’s Hospital in Vancouver, Canada.
General Practitioner
University of Sydney
Professor Lyndal Trevena is a General Practitioner, Specialist Consultant in Health and Professor Emerita at the University of Sydney. She commenced her academic career in 1999, after 13 years in clinical practice and has published over 200 peer-reviewed papers. In 2022 she was listed in the top 100,000 scientists worldwide and in the top 2% of researchers in her field.Her impact factor (H-index) is 46 with almost 9,000 citations since 2018. Since retiring from the University of Sydney in March 2021, she has been working as a Specialist Consultant in Health and was awarded a lifetime Emeritus Professorial appointment at the University of Sydney. She also provides pro bono general practice care to refugees at the Asylum Seeker’s Centre in Sydney.
Podiatrist
La Trobe University
Dr Glen Whittaker is a Senior Lecturer and early career researcher with a clinical and academic background in podiatry. Glen is primarily interested in musculoskeletal conditions of the foot, particularly the heel. Clinically, Glen is an experienced podiatrist who is endorsed to prescribe scheduled medicines. In addition, Glen is the Professional Development coordinator for the Rheumatology Health Professionals Special Interest Group.
Rheumatology Nurse
Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne
Sarah Wilson is a Paediatric Rheumatology Nurse Practitioner with 25 years’ experience in paediatric nursing, including the past decade in paediatric rheumatology. She completed a Master of Advanced Nursing Practice (Nurse Practitioner) and in 2022 became the first endorsed Paediatric Rheumatology Nurse Practitioner in Australia. She runs a dedicated Nurse Practitioner clinic for children with juvenile arthritis, contributes to multidisciplinary uveitis care, and has clinical interests in treatment tolerance, patient- and family-centred decision-making, and outcomes in juvenile arthritis.
Rheumatologist
Monash University
Professor Anita Wluka is a senior staff specialist at the Alfred Hospital and a Professor at Monash University, in the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine. Professor Wluka is a Chief Investigator on a number of ongoing clinical trials funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC). She is one of the most published authors internationally in her area of interest, osteoarthritis, and has over 200 publications in internationally peer reviewed journals. Her other areas of interest include gout and other musculoskeletal conditions.
