ASRH Conference Convenors


Michael Traeger

Burnet Institute 

Michael is an epidemiologist and research fellow in the HIV & STI Prevention Group at Burnet Institute and holds joint appointments with Monash University and the Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School in the US. His research focuses on STI surveillance and evaluating the implementation of new testing and prevention strategies for HIV and STIs among priority populations. 


Emma Knowland 

Australasian Sexual Health & HIV Nurses Association 

Emma is an endorsed Sexual Health Nurse Practitioner, HIV S100 prescriber and Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner working in Queensland Health. She is the President of the Australasian Sexual Health & HIV Nurses Association (ASHHNA) and a member of the Australasian Sexual and Reproductive Health Alliance (ASRHA) executive committee. Emma has over 20 years nursing experience working predominantly in sexual & reproductive health in the public system in a range of Advanced clinical practice, teaching, and clinical research roles across both hospital and community settings.  

Executive Program Committee

Holley Skene

Member

SHINE SA

Holley Skene is a passionate leader in sexual and reproductive health in South Australia with qualifications in psychology and public health, working in both government and non-government sexual health roles for over 15 years. As CEO of SHINE SA, Holley advocates for evidence-based, LGBTIQA+ inclusive comprehensive relationships and sexual health education.




Clinical Management Theme Committee

Julia Scott

Co-Chair

Tū Ora Compass Health New Zealand

Julia is a sexual health physician at Tū Ora Wellington Sexual Health Service, and a public health physician at the Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR) where she provides clinical oversight for national STI and BBV surveillance. hepatitis B, C and mpox surveillance. She is past president of the NZ Sexual Health Society. 

Colin Roberts

Co-Chair

Adelaide Sexual Health Centre

Nurse Practitioner at ASHC, formerly NP within various  Sexual Health services in NHS England 

Catherine Bateman

Member

Latrobe Community Health Service 

Cath Bateman is a Registered Nurse with clinical expertise in the field of Sexual & Reproductive Health who works alongside general practitioners and other health professionals to assess, plan, explain and deliver high quality sexual and reproductive health care for community members in Latrobe and Baw Baw and from across Victoria. Cath represents sexual health nurses on the Australian Sexual Health and HIV Nurses Association federal committee and represents the Victorian SRH hubs on the Victorian Abortion and Contraception Working Group chaired by Women’s Health Victoria. 

Lenka Vodstcril 

Member

Monash University & MSHC

Dr. Lenka Vodstrcil is a Senior Research Fellow at the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, part of Alfred Health and Monash University. As Deputy Head and lead epidemiologist in the Genital Microbiota and Mycoplasma group, Lenka’s research program integrates epidemiological, microbiological and clinical research to improve sexual and reproductive health outcomes at the individual and population level. Her strong track record includes >100 publications, with impacts on treatment guidelines and clinical practice. She is the President of the Sexual Health Society of Victoria.

Karen Freilich

Member

London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM)

Current GP Registrar in Melbourne. Completed a Masters of Reproductive and Sexual Health Research Masters in 2019-20 at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Commencing an Academic Post and PhD with SPHERE CRE in 2022 on nurse-led models of long-acting reversible contraception and medical abortion. Karen also runs a medical education podcast 'Humerus Hacks'

Sama Balasubramanian

Member

Sydney Men's Health


Social, Political and Cultural Aspects Theme Committee

Heather McCormack

Co-Chair

Kirby Institute & UNSW Sydney

Heather McCormack has worked in research, communications, health promotion and program management roles across the STI and BBV sector for over 15 years. She has particular interests in health equity, strengths-based approaches, digital health promotion, and optimising sexual health services to improve accessibility and acceptability to diverse populations. 

Horas Wong

Co-Chair

University of Sydney

Dr Horas Wong is a Senior Lecturer in Nursing (Social Sciences) at the University of Sydney and an Adjunct Senior Researcher at UNSW Sydney's Centre for Social Research in Health. His transdisciplinary background spans nursing, public health, anthropology, and health social sciences. Dr Wong has practised clinically as a nurse, educator, and health researcher in both Hong Kong and Australia. His research and expertise focus on gender and sexuality, migration, culturally safe healthcare, community-based research, and qualitative methodologies, with a particular emphasis on HIV/AIDS, sexually transmissible infections, and migrant health.

Thomas Norman

Member

La Trobe University

Dr Thomas Norman is a Research Fellow at the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society. He currently works on several national research projects funded by the Australian Department of Health and Aged Care. 

Kate Burry

Member

University of New South Wales

Dr Kate Burry is a postdoctoral research fellow with the Interconnect Health Research project, exploring the health, wellbeing and health service experiences of adolescents and adults with innate variations of sex characteristics. Kate has over a decade of experience in sexual, domestic and family violence, human rights, and sexual and reproductive health, rights, and justice.




Epidemiology, Prevention and Public Health Theme Committee

Siobhan Bourke

Co-Chair

Centre for Excellence In Rural Sexual Health 

A/Prof Siobhan Bourke is a Sexual Health Physician with over 20 years of experience in sexual health education for pre and post registration health practitioners. She currently works for CERSH (Centre for excellence in Rural Sexual Health) at University of Melbourne (UoM) as the Clinical Lead and educator. She is the designer and developer: three subjects for Medical Students, Sexual Health Across Clinical Contexts (MD1, MD2 & MD3) and online education modules for medical practitioners. Siobhan is the Director of the Sensitive Physical Examination Program at UoM. This program teaches all second-year medical students the practicalities of genital and breast examinations. Siobhan works clinically in a community health centre in Melbourne's Western suburbs. 

Nathan Ryder

Co-Chair

Pacific Clinic

Nathan is a Sexual Health Physician working in the Newcastle Sexual Health Clinic. He is also Head of the NSW STI Programs unit and a clinical advisory on STI and HIV for the NSW Ministry of Health.

Angela Dawson

Member

University of Technology Sydney 

Professor Angela Dawson is a public health social scientist with expertise in maternal and reproductive health service delivery to priority populations in Australia and low and lower middle-income countries. Angela was a NHMRC Translational research fellow examining approaches to counselling women with FGM at the point of care and the recipient of the Sax prize for research impact. She has undertaken research into to the delivery of reproductive health services in humanitarian emergencies, the management and referral of women who have experienced domestic violence as well as access to abortion and emergency contraceptive pills in Australia and internationally. Angela currently leads an NHMRC Ideas grant examining the health of refugees over generations. Angela is the co-chair of the Australasian Sexual and Reproductive Health Alliance (ASRHA), Fellow of the Public Health Association of Australia, a member of the Interagency working group of reproductive health in crisis and an Associate Editor of the journal BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth. 

Laurianne Reinsborough

Member

Shina SA

For the past twenty years, Laurianne (she/her) has been working in leadership roles in prevention and health promotion, both in New Zealand and Australia. Laurianne moved to Adelaide in 2021 and is now the Executive Manager, Education and Health Promotion, SHINE SA.




Basic Science Theme Committee

Emma Sweeney

Co-Chair

University of Queensland

Emma Sweeney is a senior research fellow at The University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research. Her research interests include the development of novel molecular tools to detect and characterise pathogens of global health importance, with a particular focus on the sexually transmitted infection (STI) superbug Mycoplasma genitalium.

Eloise Williams

Co-Chair

Doherty Institute

Dr Eloise Williams is a Clinical Microbiologist and Infectious Diseases Physician at the Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory and PhD student at the Peter Doherty Institute of Infection and Immunity at the University of Melbourne. Her research focus is in sexually transmitted infections, blood borne viruses and public health.

Gerald Murray

Member

University Of Melbourne

Dr Murray is a molecular microbiologist at the University of Melbourne, based at the Royal Women’s Hospital, Victoria, Australia. His research interests include understanding mechanisms of antibiotic resistance (with a focus on Mycoplasma genitalium), improving diagnostic methods for pathogens including human papillomavirus, and the human microbiome in health and disease.

We acknowledge that the conference is being held the traditional lands of the Kaurna people. We recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' continuing connection to land, water, and community and we pay our respects to Elders past and present. ASHM acknowledges Sovereignty in this country has never been ceded. It always was, and always will be, Aboriginal land.