Dr Jing Ya Jianna He, FRACP | Specialist contractor, Adult Internal Medicine

Jianna has a Bachelor of Medicine from The University of New South Wales. She completed her medical training at St George Hospital and The Sutherland Hospital, and her specialist training in adult rheumatology at St George Hospital, Westmead Hospital, and Concord Repatriation General Hospital. During her specialist training, she also completed a 1-year laboratory fellowship in immunopathology and has a keen interest in autoimmunity and autoimmune disorders. She's a Visiting Medical Officer at Westmead Hospital and is actively involved in medical education. She has a Master in Clinical Education from Flinders University and is part of the NSW Adult Rheumatology Teaching Committee.

Dr Mark Friswell, FRACP | Specialist contractor, Paediatrics & Child Health

Mark is a Consultant Paediatric Rheumatologist with over 20 years' experience in the UK and Australia. He's currently Head of the Rheumatology Department at the Women's and Children's Hospital in Adelaide.

Dr Narainraj Kamalaraj, FRACP | Chair

Narain is a Staff Specialist Rheumatologist in Campbelltown and at Camden Hospitals. He is the Chair of the Rheumatology Advanced Training Committee and Chair of the NSW/ACT Mentorship Subcommittee. He's also the Medical Director for a multi-specialist private practice in South and Southwest Sydney.

Dr Claire Barrett, FRACP, FRCP

Claire is a Clinical Rheumatologist working in Redcliffe, Queensland, Australia. She's the current President of the Australian Rheumatology Association (ARA), a member of the ARA Finance and Risk Committee, and the ARA Annual Scientific Programme Committee. Claire's journey in medicine began at University College London, where she earned her Medical Degree in 1987. Drawn by the allure of Australia, she made the momentous decision to relocate in 1991. In 1996, Claire established a public rheumatology service at Redcliffe Hospital. Today, the service boasts a team of 3 dedicated rheumatologists, an advanced trainee, and a clinical nurse consultant.

Dr Katrina Chakradeo, FRACP

Katrina is a Rheumatologist and General Physician working in Brisbane, Queensland. She works across multiple public hospitals in the Brisbane area, including The Prince Charles Hospital and Redland Hospital. She also works in rheumatology research with The University of Queensland, Frazer Institute.

Professor Flavia Cicuttini, FRACP

Flavia is a Professor and Head of Rheumatology at Alfred Hospital and the Musculoskeletal Unit at Monash University, and NHMRC Leadership Fellow. She has a long history of teaching and training in rheumatology and public health. Her principal research interests are the prevention and treatment of musculoskeletal diseases.

Recent awards include the Altmetric top 100 globally award (2019), Eric Susman award, and Royal Australian College of Physicians best contribution to the knowledge of any branch of internal medicine (2021).

Recognitions include Fellowship of the Australian Academy of Health & Medical Sciences in 2019 and as Member of the Order of Australia in 2021. She serves on the council of the Australian Academy of Health & Medical Sciences, the AIHW National Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Monitoring Advisory Group, the Repatriation Medical Authority, recently on the Board of the Osteoarthritis Research Society International, and on the editorial board of a number of journals.

Professor Rebecca Grainger, FRACP

Rebecca is an Academic Rheumatologist who is passionate about patient-focused care and engaging with colleagues in primary and secondary care to provide the highest quality collaborative care for people with arthritis.

A University of Otago medical graduate, she undertook rheumatology training in Melbourne and her PhD examined inflammatory mechanisms in gout. Rebecca's clinical work focuses on the assessment and management of inflammatory arthritis and her clinical interests include inflammatory arthritis, gout, and scleroderma. Rebecca's academic interests are wide, but she aims to undertake research in clinical rheumatology, health professions education, and technology.

Dr Amanda Marsden, FRACP

Amanda completed her paediatric rheumatology training at the Royal Children's Hospital and BC Children's Hospital following the completion of her general paediatrics training and chief resident year at the Children's Hospital at Westmead.

She currently works as a Paediatric Rheumatologist in Sydney with outreach to Canberra. She is a lecturer in the specialty block of Child & Adolescent Health for the University of Sydney where she's heavily involved in curriculum & assessment review & development. Additionally, she currently is the Director of Prevocational Education & Training at the Children's Hospital at Westmead.

She has interests in education, quality improvement, and efficiency of care.

Dr Stephen Oakley, FRACP

Stephen is a staff specialist rheumatologist at the John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle, NSW.  A graduate of UNSW medical school, he completed physician training in NSW (1999) followed by a Graduate Diploma in Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics (University of Newcastle 2002) and PhD (UNSW 2004). He worked at Guy’s & St Thomas’s NHS foundation Trust in London until his return to Australia to the John Hunter Hospital in 2008. Stephen has a conjoint academic appointment at the University of Newcastle, has served the Australian Rheumatology Association as co-chair Scientific Program and Research Committee and then as Treasurer. He works primarily as a clinician remaining actively involved in clinical education and maintaining a research interest in rheumatoid arthritis.

Dr Rushab Shah

Rushab is a Melbourne-based rheumatology advanced trainee expected to complete training in 2024. He is currently undertaking a fellowship in the United Kingdom in connective tissue disease-related cardio-pulmonary disease.

Professor Ernst Michael Shanahan, FRACP, FAFOEM

Michael is the director of the Southern Adelaide Local Health Network (SALHN) rheumatology service based in Flinders Medical Centre, Bedford Park, South Australia.

Michael is dual qualified as a rheumatologist and occupational physician and a registered and practising general physician. He leads a busy clinical department that services the rheumatological needs of around 400,000 South Australians. Michael also works at Flinders University where he has an active role in teaching and supervising medical students and higher degree students. His research is mainly in the areas of musculoskeletal medicine and medical education.

Dr Kathryn Shepherd, FRACP

Kathryn is a Paediatric Rheumatologist with experience caring for children and young people with a wide range of rheumatological conditions.

Kathryn completed her medical degree at the University of Melbourne. She also holds a Master of Public Health and Tropical Medicine from James Cook University.

Kathryn started her paediatric training at the Royal Children’s Hospital before going on to complete specialist training in paediatric rheumatology at both the Royal Children’s Hospital and the Evelina London Children’s Hospital in the UK.

Kathryn currently works as a Paediatric Rheumatologist at Monash Children’s Hospital, maintains a casual appointment at the Royal Children’s Hospital, and works in private practice.

Clinical Professor Davinder Singh-Grewal, FRACP

Davinder is a Paediatric Rheumatologist with 20 years of experience as a consultant physician.

Dr Praisoody Sinnappurajar, FRACP

Praisoody is a Paediatric Rheumatologist, working at Perth Children's Hospital. After completing the majority of his paediatric training in Sydney, he completed fellowships in Bristol (UK) and Perth. He has an interest in autoinflammatory disease and juvenile dermatomyositis.

Dr Philippa van Dantzig

Philippa is a final-year rheumatology trainee who has completed her Rheumatology training across Australia and New Zealand, including 3 different cities, both major and rural. She is an advocate for trainees and has represented the trainee group on the New Zealand Executive Committee.

Philippa has an interest in medical education and is keen to improve experiences for current Rheumatology trainees. She is a mum of 2 boys and believes strongly in supporting parents in training.