A/Prof Ahmad Aly

MBBS, FRACS, MS

Positions Held:
• Head Upper GI Surgery, Austin Health
• Clinical Associate Professor University of Melbourne
• President IFSO – APC
• Past President ANZMOSS

Ahmad is a Melbourne based Upper Gastrointestinal and Bariatric Surgeon.

He is Head of Upper GI Surgery at the Austin Hospital, Melbourne and is Clinical Associate Professor with the University of Melbourne.

His clinical interests span the spectrum of benign and malignant upper GI disease and bariatric surgery.

Specific areas of interest in bariatrics include mechanisms of surgery, the role of revisional surgery and modern metabolic care. He is a strong advocate for equity of access and is currently leading the development of a National Framework For Delivery of Bariatric Surgery in public hospitals.

Ahmad has performed over 4000 bariatric procedures and his bariatric practice encompasses primary and complex revisional bariatric surgery and endotherapeutic techniques.

Ahmad is a regular contributor to national and international meetings with over 200 presentations, more than 90 peer reviewed publications and 6 book chapters.

He is representative on several professional associations and advisory bodies in Upper GI surgery and bariatric surgery including having served as President of ANZMOSS, and was a foundational board member of AANZGOSA. He is currently the President of the APC Chapter of IFSO.

Prof Andrew Barbour

PhD, FRACS

Dr Tim Bright

MS FRACS

Positions Held
• Head of Unit, OesophagoGastric Surgery, Flinders Medical Centre – current
• ANZGOSA Board member 2011 – 2020
• Upper GI specialty editor ANZ J Surgery 2012 – 2021
• ISDE Database committee member 2024 – current

Dr Tim Bright graduated from Adelaide University and obtained his general surgical FRACS in 2006. He undertook a Masters of Surgery and then did further post-fellowship training at the Northern Oesophago- Gastric Cancer Unit in Newcastle UK. He was appointed consultant and senior lecturer in surgery on the Oesophago-Gastric Surgery Unit at Flinders Medical Centre in 2010 and has been Head of Unit since 2014. He sat on the ANZGOSA Executive from 2011-2020 and is the immediate past-chair of the ANZGOSA training committee. He currently sits on the ISDE Database Committee.
Dr Bright’s interests include oesophago-gastric cancer and benign upper gastrointestinal disorders, and interventional upper GI endoscopy including EUS

Dr Sarah Bowman

MBBS BMedSci FANZCA

Positions Held
• Senior Staff Specialist Princess Alexandra Anaesthetics Department
• Queensland Regional Committee Chair
• Anaesthetic Continuing Education Chair
• QARTS Co-Ordinator
• DSRT

Dr Sarah Bowman works full time in anaesthetics between the PA and private hospitals. She loves to sit on a committee and organise a conference. Outside work her surgeon husband, 3 children, 2 bearded dragons and a dog keep her occupied

Prof Wendy Brown

MBBS (hons) PhD FACS FRACS

Positions Held
• Professor and Chair, Monash University Department of Surgery, Alfred Campus
• Program Director, Surgical Services, Alfred Health
• Clinical Director, ANZ Bariatric Surgery Registry
• Clinical Lead, Victorian OG Cancer Registry
• Director, Oesophago-Gastric and Bariatric Unit, Alfred Health

Professor Wendy Brown’s sub-specialist interests are oesophago-gastric cancer, gastrooesophageal reflux disease and bariatric surgery. Her research interests focus on the health benefits from weight loss, optimal service delivery models of care to maximise patient reported outcomes and experience and registry science.
She is Program Director of Surgical Services and Professor/Chair of Monash University Department of Surgery at Alfred Health Melbourne, Clinical Director of the ANZ Bariatric Surgery Registry, Chair of the Victorian Perioperative Consultative Council Surgical Sub-Committee, Past President of OSSANZ and ANZGOSA, Past Senior Examiner in General Surgery for the RACS, Past- Chair of the Scientific Committee and Global Registry Committees of IFSO

Dr Paul Burton

MBBS (Hons), PhD, FRACS

A/Prof Paul Cashin

Positions Held
• Service Medical Director, Integrated Surgery, Monash Health
• Senior Upper GI Surgeon, Monash Health.

Associate Professor Paul Cashin graduated from Monash University in 1984, and trained in General Surgery in Melbourne before completing Upper GI Surgery training in the UK and Melbourne.
Paul spent 10 years as the Director of Upper GI/HPB Surgery at Monash Health and is currently the Service Medical Director, Integrated Surgery at Monash Health and Senior Upper Gastrointestinal Surgeon at Monash. He is also Clinical Associate Professor of Surgery in the Dept. of Surgery, School of Clinical Sciences, Monash University. He practices as an Upper GI Surgeon in both public and private. He has particular sub specialty interests in oesophago-gastric cancer, reflux disease, hiatal hernia and oesophageal motility disorders. Paul is a past Board Member of AANZGOSA and past Chair of the Training Committee. He sits on many National and State committees related to oesophago-gastric cancer management, optimal cancer care, data registries and innovation and care delivery in surgery

Dr Jacob Chisholm

MBBS FRACS MS

Positions Held
• Consultant bariatric, upper gastrointestinal and general surgeon

Jacob Chisholm is a consultant upper gastrointestinal and general surgeon with an interest in weight loss and metabolic surgery. Jacob received his undergraduate degree (MBBS) from the University of Adelaide, a postgraduate research degree (Masters of Surgery) from Flinders University and is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (FRACS). He trained in surgery at the Royal Adelaide and Flinders Medical Centre before completing a bariatric fellowship in 2007. Jacob contributed to the public bariatric surgical service at Flinders Medical Centre for 15 years. Jacob is a partner at Adelaide Bariatric Centre, one of the first bariatric multidisciplinary clinics in Australia. Jacob has just completed his term as president of ANZMOSS

Dr Kevin Chan

MBBS FRACS FAANZGOSA

Positions Held
• Upper GI & Bariatric Surgeon, Royal Brisbane & Women’s Hospital, Brisbane, QLD
• Upper GI & Bariatric Surgeon, St Vincent’s Private Hospital Northside, Brisbane, QLD

Kevin Chan is an Upper Gastrointestinal, Bariatric and General Surgeon practicing at the Royal Brisbane & Women’s Hospital and St Vincent’s Private Hospital Northside in Queensland. He completed his AANZGOSA Fellowship in 2018 and is a senior lecturer with the University of Queensland. His clinical interests include reflux disease and oesophagogastric malignancies

Dr Irene Deftereos

APD, PhD, BNutrDiet(Hons), GrCert HlthProfEd

Positions Held
• Senior Clinical Dietitian Grade 4– Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery
• Surgical Services Lead Research and Quality Projects Lead Western Health Melbourne, Australia

Dr Irene Deftereos is a senior dietitian at Western Health, where she is the surgical lead dietitian across both Footscray and Sunshine hospitals. Irene completed her PhD in 2022 through the Department of Surgery, The University of Melbourne, which investigated current evidence and practices for optimising the nutritional status and outcomes of patients undergoing resection for upper gastrointestinal cancer. Irene is passionate about the role of the dietitian within the multidisciplinary team to improve the outcomes of people undergoing oncological and surgical treatment for upper gastrointestinal cancers.

Prof Linda Denehy

BAppSC (Physio), Grad Dip Physio (Cardiothoracic), PhD, MAPA, FAHMS

Positions Held
• Professor of Physiotherapy, University of Melbourne
• Professor of Health Services Research: Allied Health, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
• Honorary Professor, Queens University, Belfast, UK

Professor Linda Denehy is an academic Physiotherapists who is internationally recognised as a leader in pre and rehabilitation in critical care and oncology. Her highly productive research career puts her in the top 0.05% of rehabilitation experts world-wide and she is a Clarivate highly cited researcher in her field. Her primary research interest is in exercise and recovery across the perioperative continuum for patients having major cancer surgery. She is also an experienced and passionate mentor of post-doctoral fellows, higher degree research students and allied health clinicians. Prof Denehy was previously Head of the Melbourne School of Health Sciences and the Deputy Chair of the Council of Victorian Health Deans

Dr Inoka De Silva

MBBS FRACS FAANZGOSA

Positions Held
• Upper GI & General Surgeon, Peninsula Health, VIC
• AANZGOSA Board Member/Training Committee (current)

Dr Inoka De Silva is a consultant Upper GI and General Surgeon on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria. Inoka’s interest include benign and malignant Oesophagi-Gastric conditions and improvement in local services and access to care.

Inoka graduated from Monash University (MBBS) in 2009 and obtained General Surgery FRACS in 2019. Inoka completed AANZGOSA Fellowship Training in 2021 and after 2 years as the Fellow Representative, she became a full Board Member and member of the AANZGOSA Training Committee.

A/Prof Cuong Doung

APD, PhD, BNutrDiet(Hons), GrCert HlthProfEd

MB BS, PhD, FRACS

Positions Held
• Upper GI surgeon, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
• Chair of Training (AANZGOSA)

Associate Professor Cuong Duong (MB BS, PhD, FRACS) is an Upper GI surgeon working at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Australia. He is the Chair of Training for the Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand Gastric and Oesophageal Surgery Association.

He has an interest in technical innovations and performs minimally invasive surgical techniques (laparoscopic, thoracoscopic and robotic-assisted surgery) for oesophageal and gastric cancers. He is actively involved in both clinical and laboratory-based research projects on oesophagogastric malignancies. Current research focus on fluorescent guided surgery with the use of ICG and novel fluorescent markers, and evaluating the use of electrostimulation to improve gastric conduit emptying post oesophagectomy.

Kelli Edmiston

APD BHthSci(Nutr&Diet(Hons)

Positions Held
• Dietitian Team Leader – Cancer Care, Princess Alexandra Hospital
• Co-convener, AANZGOSA ASM 2025
• Co-chair, DNSC Cancer Care Community of Practice, Qld

Kelli is a senior dietitian and the clinical lead for oncology at Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane. With over 20 years of experience in Australia and internationally, she specialises in upper gastrointestinal (UGI) surgery. Her research interests focus on pancreatic exocrine insufficiency and micronutrient deficiencies following UGI resection.

Dr Jessie Elliot

MBBCh, Bao, BA (Hons), MRCS, PhD, FRCS

Mr Nicholas Evennett

MD MBChB FRACS FAANZGOSA

Positions Held
• Upper GI and Bariatric Surgeon, Auckland City Hospital
• Upper GI and Bariatric Surgeon, Auckland Weight Loss Surgery, Allevia Hospital Ascot

Nicholas is an AANZGOSA trained Upper GI Surgeon based in Auckland, with a mixed bariatric, benign and resectional practice, and a clinical interest in minimally invasive approaches for cancer of the upper gastrointestinal tract

Dr Lorenzo Ferri

<strong>MD PhD</strong>

<strong>Positions Held</strong>
• Professor of Surgery and Oncology
• Director, Division of Thoracic and Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery
• McGill Univeristy, Montreal CANADA

Lorenzo Ferri is the holder of the David S. Mulder Endowed Chair in Surgery and a tenured Professor in the Departments of Surgery and Oncology at McGill University in Montreal Canada. He is director of the Division of Thoracic and Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery and heads the Upper Gastrointestinal Cancer Program at McGill University. Dr Ferri couples this clinical activity with an active translational and fundamental research program investigating the mechanisms of therapy resistance in gastro-esophageal adenocarcinoma and the inflammatory basis of cancer progression for which he is the recipient of numerous peer review grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Canadian Cancer Society, United States Department of Defense, and a Grand Challenge from Cancer Research UK

A/Prof Oliver Fisher

MD, PhD, FMH, FRACS

Dr Adam Frankel

PhD FRACS

Dr Kate Furness

Bsc(Nut), BHSc(Nut&Diet)(Hons), AdvAPD, PhD

Positions Held
• Senior Lecturer, Dietetics & Human Nutrition, La Trobe University
• Managing Editor, Clinical Nutrition
• COSA Nutrition Group Executive Committee
• Co-Chair AuSPEN Medical Education Committee
• ESPEN Early Career Faculty

Dr Kate Furness is a leading researcher in nutrition for upper gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary cancers. Her work focuses on clinical nutrition interventions, telehealth delivery, patient experience, and quality of life. She combines clinical expertise with academic leadership to improve symptom management and advance supportive dietetic care in oncology

Dr Suzanne S. Gisbertz

MD, PhD

Positions Held:
• Consultant Upper GI surgery Amsterdam UMC
• Principal Investigator University of Amsterdam

Suzanne Gisbertz is currently a consultant upper-GI surgeon and principal investigator at the Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam. She received her PhD in 2009. She is a proctor for minimally invasive esophagectomies and gastrectomies in the Netherlands and abroad. Her research topics are lymph node metastases and extent of lymphadenectomy in esophagogastric cancer, minimally invasive upper GI surgery and postoperative outcome and quality of life following upper GI surgery. She is board member of the NVGIC, ISDE, ESDE, ESA and program chair of the EAES. She is also organizer of the ESDE 2025 and IGCC 2025 and NVGIC 2024 congresses. She is a member of several guideline committees, both nationally and internationally.

Dr Sally Griffin

APD BExSciNut MNutrDiet MMedResearch PhD

Positions Held
• Snr Complex Obesity Dietitian, Logan Hospital
• Snr Project Officer, Centre for Functioning and Health Research, Metro South Health
• Snr Project Officer, Princess Alexandra Hospital

Dr Sally Griffin is an Accredited Practising Dietitian and clinician-researcher. Dr Griffin has implemented the successful Preoperative Very Low Calorie Diet (VLCD) Clinic to optimise patients living with obesity for elective surgery. This model has now been implemented across multiple hospitals and has attracted international attention. Sally has received multiple awards for her research and is considered the leading expert in Australia on this topic. Current interest areas include VLCD intervention prior to colorectal cancer and upper GIT surgery

Anna Hutton

BNurs   GDipNurs(Anaes)

Positions Held
• Held: Cancer Nurse Coordinator, OGB Alfred Health, Melbourne VIC
• Co-convener, AANZGOSA ASM 2025

Anna is a Cancer Nurse Coordinator for oesophago-gastric cancer patients at The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne. With over 17 years of experience in surgical theatres and patient coordination, she facilitates timely, patient-centred care and ensures access to appropriate support throughout the cancer care continuum. She serves as a central point of contact for patients and their families, providing consistent care, guidance, and communication. She combines her clinical experience with particular interest in integrative health to improve the patient journey.

Prof Gerald Holtmann

MD, PhD, FRACP, FRCP, FAAHS

Positions Held
• Director of the Department of Gastroenterology & Hepatology at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Queensland
• Director of Clinical Innovation at the University of Queensland
• Chair of the Sociocultural Working Group of the International Rome Foundation

Professor Gerald Holtmann is an academic gastroenterologist with an outstanding track record in the field of Neurogastroenterology and Health Service Innovation. He is Director of the Department of Gastroenterology & Hepatology at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Queensland and Director of Clinical Innovation at the University of Queensland. Professor Holtmann is Chair of the Sociocultural Working Group of the International Rome Foundation and Vice-President of the German “Gastro-Liga. His work covers translational and clinical research that resulted in new pathophysiologic concepts, a novel instrument to study the gastrointestinal microbiome in health and disease or health service innovations that changed clinical practice and hospital accreditations in Australia and the world

A/Prof Harsh Kanhere

MS, FRACS

Prof Trevor Leong

MBBS, MD, FRANZCR

Positions Held
• Consultant Radiation Oncologist at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre

Professor Trevor Leong is a consultant Radiation Oncologist and past Director of Radiation Oncology at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne, Australia. Prof Leong is internationally recognised as a leader in the management and research of gastrointestinal cancers. He is extensively involved with clinical research programs and has been a principal investigator in numerous phase I/II/III studies relating to gastrointestinal malignancies. Prof Leong holds senior leadership positions within the medical research and oncology communities including the Australasian Gastro-Intestinal Trials Group (AGITG), the Trans-Tasman Radiation Oncology Group (TROG), the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO), and the International Gastric Cancer Association (IGCA)

Dr Carrie-Anne Lewis

APS

Positions Held:
• Research coordinator and senior clinical dietitian

Dr. Carrie-Anne Lewis (BHSc, PhD) is an Accredited Practicing Dietitian with 18 years of experience as a clinician researcher in obesity care. Her work focuses on providing person-centred obesity care within the public healthcare system

A/Prof David Liu

MBBS (Hons), BMedSci, PhD, FRACS, FAANZGOSA

Positions Held
• Oesophago-gastric Cancer, Bariatric and General Surgeon
• Co-convener, AANZGOSA ASM 2025
• Board Director, AANZGOSA

David Liu is an Oesophago-gastric and General Surgeon practicing at Austin Health and the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Victoria, Australia. He is also an Associate Professor within The University of Melbourne, Department of Surgery. David has a passion for service innovation, translational biology, and clinical collaborative research, focussing on both benign and malignant upper gastrointestinal diseases, as well as general surgical conditions. He is widely published and has a strong track record for attracting research funding. Moreover, David leads the Victorian Interventional Research and Trials Unit at Austin Health, which canvases a wide portfolio of Phase 1 to 3 clinical trials and translational studies that are investigator-led and industry sponsored

A/Prof Andrew MacCormick

BHB, MBCHB, PHD, FRACS

Prof Sheraz R. Markar

PhD (Imperial), PhD (Karolinska), FRCS, MSc, MA

Positions Held
• Professor of Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery and Director of Surgical Interventional Trials Unit, Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Oxford

Sheraz R. Markar is Professor of Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery & Director of the Surgical Interventional Trials Unit, Nuffield Department of Surgery, University of Oxford and Consultant Oesophago-Gastric Surgeon, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust. The focus of Sheraz’s research and surgical practice in Oxford is the design and implementation of challenging trials and integration of novel technology, to improve the clinical outcomes for patients with benign and malignant oesophageal and gastric disease

Dr David Mitchell

FRACS

Dr Lisa Murnane

APD, BSc, MND, PhD

Positions Held
• Senior Dietitian, Oncology & Surgical Clinical Lead, Alfred Health, Melbourne, Victoria.

Lisa is a senior dietitian and clinical lead for oncology and surgical services at Alfred Health, Melbourne. She specialises in upper gastrointestinal surgery, with particular interest in the prevention, identification, and treatment of malnutrition. Lisa’s PhD focused on the impact of body composition, specifically sarcopenia, on surgical outcomes and the nutritional consequences of oesophago-gastric cancer surgery

Prof Magnus Nilsson

MD, PhD, FEBS (hon)

Positions Held
• Professor of Surgery at Karolinska Institute
• Head of the Division of Surgery and Oncology, CLINTEC, Karolinska Institute
• Head of Research and Education at the karolinska Comprehensive Cancer Centre
• Editor in Chief Diseases of the Esophagus

Magnus Nilsson is Professor of Surgery at Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. Dr Nilsson is the past President of the European Society for Diseases of the Esophagus and is currently co-Editor in Chief of the international peer reviewed journal Diseases of the Esophagus

Dr Brendan Nolan

MBBS Bsc FRACP GradCertHealthProfEdu PhD

Positions Held
• Endocrinologist and Bariatric Clinical Lead, Princess Alexandra Hospital
• Research Fellow, University of Melbourne

Dr Brendan Nolan is an Endocrinologist and Clinical Lead of Bariatric Services at Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane. He is Co-Chair of the Queensland Health Statewide Bariatric Pathway Clinical and Operational Reference Group.

Dr Geraldine Ooi

FRACS, PhD

Positions Held:
• Senior Lecturer, Department of Surgery, School of Clinical Sciences, Monash University

Dr Geraldine Ooi is an Upper GI Surgeon at Monash Health and Senior Lecturer at Monash University in Melbourne. She completed her AANZGOSA Fellowship in 2022 and a final fellowship year in Surgical Oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York in 2023

A/Prof Yuto Shimamura

MD, PhD, FJGES, FASGE

Positions Held
• Clinical Lead of Luminal and Third Space Endoscopy
• Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Austin Health
• Clinical Associate Professor (Honorary), University of Melbourne

Dr. Yuto Shimamura is an interventional endoscopist specializing in advanced luminal endoscopic procedures, including ESD and third-space endoscopy techniques such as POEM, Z-POEM, G-POEM, STER/POET, as well as endoscopic treatment for gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD). Internationally recognized, he has trained and practiced in Japan and Canada. A frequent speaker and instructor at international conferences, Dr. Shimamura has numerous publications and a strong presence in the field. He is committed to advancing therapeutic endoscopy through clinical work, research, and education

Dr Candice Silverman

MBBS(hons), FRACS

Positions Held
• Director, Core Specialist Group including Oesophageal Physiology Testing
• Consultant Surgeon, John Flynn Private Hospital QLD
• Head of Department General Surgery, Tweed Valley Hospital NSW

Candice Silverman is an Upper GI and Bariatric surgeon based at John Flynn Private Hospital. She was one of Australia’s original adopters of robotic fore-gut surgery and has authored a book chapter on Robotic Bariatric Surgery. She has a particular interest in surgical robotic training and the development of hospital surgical robotic programs

Dr Garett Smith

BMed MS FRACS

Positions Held:
• Consultant Surgeon. Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney.

Garett is a general, foregut and bariatric surgeon at Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney, New South Wales.

Prof Mark Smithers

AM, MBBS, FRACS, FRCSEng, FRCSEd(Hon)

Emeritus Professor of Surgery, University of Queensland. Consultant, Upper Gastro-intestinal and Soft Tissue Unit, Princess Alexandra Hospital. Surgical Lead, Queensland Clinical Cancer Network. Past President, Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand Gastro-Oesophageal association. Honorary Fellow, American Surgical Association

Prof Jimmy So

MBChB, FRCS (Edin), FRCS (Glasg), FAMS, MPH

Positions Held
• Head & Senior Consultant, Division of General Surgery (Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery), Department of Surgery, National University Hospital
• Head & Senior Consultant, Division of Surgical Oncology, National University Cancer Institute, Singapore
• Professor, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore
• Associate Director, National University Cancer Institute, Singapore

Prof Jimmy So is Head, Division of Surgical Oncology, National University Cancer Institute of Singapore (NCIS) and Head & Senior Consultant, Upper GI Service, Department of Surgery, National University Hospital. He is also Professor of Surgery, National University of Singapore. His specialty is Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery & Bariatric Surgery. His research interest is surgical oncology and peritoneal carcinomatosis

Prof Bernhard Riedel

MB.ChB, FCA, FANZCA, FASE, GChPOM, MMed, MBA, PhD

Positions Held
• Director of the Department of Anaesthesia, Perioperative Medicine, and Pain Medicine, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne, Australia
• Professor, Department of Critical Care, and the Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne

Bernhard is an academic anaesthesiologist whose research is focused on enhanced preoperative risk stratification and optimization of modifiable risk (prehabilitation) to reduce the ‘hidden pandemic’ of complications and death after major surgery. Specific to cancer surgery, he is a thought leader in a global collaborative on oncoanaesthesia. In this regard, his research explores the interaction of perioperative adrenergic-inflammatory response, anaesthetic technique on cancer progression, and prehabilitation to reduce postoperative complications

A/Prof Michael Talbot

Positions Held
• Head of the Department of Upper GI Surgery at St George Hospital
• Chairman of MAC and Dept. of Surgery St George Private Hospital
• President of ANZ Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Society (ANZMOSS) 2019-20
• Treasurer/Co-chair of Sydney Upper GI Surgery Society (SUGSS) and board member since 2006
• Board of Obesity Collective 2020-2025

After graduating from the University of Otago in 1992, Dr. Talbot completed his Internship in Wellington, NZ before commencing residency and surgical training at Sydney’s St Vincent’s Hospital.
Graduating from Advanced Surgical Training in the Sydney Southeastern rotation in 2001, Dr. Talbot then underwent further subspecialty training as the Lister Lecturer in Surgery at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary, before commencing Consultant practice at St George in 2003. He is a Conjoint Associate Professor in Surgery at the University of New South Wales.
Throughout his career he has been immersed in bariatric, endoscopic and oesophago-gastric surgery. He performed the first robotic Bariatric and Oesophageal operations in ANZ and is often referred complex and complicated Bariatric, oesophageal and gastric procedures. In his spare time, he looks for things to keep him busy, much to the disappointment of his wife and 3 children

Prof Niall Tebbutt

Positions Held
• Director Medical Oncology Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research and Wellness Centre, Austin Health, Melbourne
• Professor, Department of Surgery, University of Melbourne

Niall Tebbutt is the Director of medical oncology at the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Centre, Austin Health, Melbourne.  He is nationally and internationally recognized for his expertise in upper and lower gastro-intestinal (GI) cancers.  He is also a Professor in the Department of Surgery, University of Melbourne and LaTrobe University.

He leads an active clinical and translational research programme in GI cancers at Austin Health.  He has published over 215 peer reviewed publications principally related to gastro-intestinal cancer including publications in Nature Medicine, New England Journal of Medicine and Journal of Clinical Oncology.

A/Prof Sarah Thompson

MD, PhD, FRACS

Positions Held
• Balanced Academic Surgeon, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia
• Upper Gastrointestinal Surgeon, Private Practice, Adelaide Gastrointestinal Specialists, South Australia

A/Prof Sarah Thompson is an academic surgeon at Flinders University, with an interest in treating patients with reflux, motility disorders and cancer. A/Prof Thompson completed her surgical training at the University of Calgary, Canada and subsequently completed a Minimally Invasive Surgery fellowship at the Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, U.S.A., and an Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery fellowship in Adelaide, South Australia. A/Prof Thompson is a board member of AANZGOSA (Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand Gastric and Oesophageal Surgery Association), and is the Specialty Editor for Upper GI Surgery for the ANZ Journal of Surgery. A/Prof Thompson has a strong academic track record with over 130 publications (3,184 citations, h-Index 26; Scopus 2025)

Prof Richard van Hillegersberg

MD PhD

Positions Held
• Surgeon, UMC Utrecht. The Netherlands
• Affiliation – UMC Utrecht, Department of Surgery

Education Background
Richard van Hillegersberg attended medical school in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. In 1993 he received his PhD with honor at the Department of Surgery, Erasmus MC in Rotterdam. From 1994-2000, he was trained in General Surgery in Rotterdam. From 2001-2002 he was fellow of Surgical Oncology in the Academic Medical Center and Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Netherlands Cancer Center Amsterdam.

Professional Career
Since 2003 he is appointed as staff surgeon at the University Medical Center Utrecht. From 2009 he is a full professor of gastrointestinal oncology
Honorary member of German Socieity of Surgery, British Society of Endoscopic Surgery, Chilian Society of Surgery

Research/Study Field
Research is focused on Upper GI minimally invasive and robotic surgery, surgical imaging and genetic profiling. He has authored over 15 chapters

Nick Verry

Exercise Physiologist & Oesophageal Cancer Survivor

Nick Verry bridges the gap between clinician and patient. Following his 2023 diagnosis and subsequent oesophagectomy, he gained profound insight into the recovery journey. He will share a consumer’s perspective on what truly matters most for patients after their surgery.

Dr Matthew Wallen

PhD, BExSS (CEP) (Hons), AEP, AES, ESSAM

Positions Held
• Senior Research Fellow in Cancer Survivorship
• Senior Lecturer in Clinical Exercise Physiology
• Deputy Lead (Capacity Building), Cancer Survivorship Program, Caring Futures Institute, Flinders University
• Academic Lead, Exercise and Sport Science & Clinical Exercise Physiology, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University

Dr Matthew Wallen is a Senior Research Fellow in Cancer Survivorship, the Deputy Lead of the Cancer Survivorship Program, and a Senior Lecturer in Exercise Science and Clinical Exercise Physiology at Flinders University. His clinical and research interests focus on improving outcomes for people living with and beyond cancer, as well as solid organ transplant candidates and recipients, through lifestyle interventions. His research investigates (1) prehabilitation strategies that integrate exercise, nutrition, and psychological support, (2) the prognostic utility of physical function assessments and (3) innovative models of care. Dr Wallen a member of the Exercise and Sport Science Australia (ESSA) Research Committee, Cancer Australia’s Expert Cancer Control Panel, and Transplant Australia’s Strategic Advisory Panel

Prof David Watson

MBBS, MD, PhD, FRACS, FRCSEd (hon), FAHMS

Positions Held
• Professor and Head of Surgery, Flinders University, South Australia
• Senior Consultant Surgeon, Oesophagogastric Surgery Unit, Flinders Medical Centre

Professor David Watson is Professor and Head of Surgery at Flinders University, and an Oesophagogastric Surgeon at Flinders Medical Centre in Adelaide. His interests include gastro-oesophageal reflux, and oesophagogastric cancer. He has published more than 500 papers and book chapters, and is past-President of AANZGOSA and also ISDE

Prof Carlene Wilson

BA (hons), MBA, PhD

Positions Held
• Professor of Behavioural Oncology, Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of • Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne
• Emerita Professor, Cancer Prevention and Support, Flinders University

Prof Wilson led the establishment of Psycho-Oncology research in the Flinders Centre for Innovation in Cancer in 2008. In 2017, she became the Foundation Chair in Psycho-oncology in the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Centre (ONJCWRC). She is now the Professor of Behavioural Oncology at the University of Melbourne. Prof Wilson has participated on local, national and international cancer and behavioural science expert groups on cancer prevention and supportive care

Dr Nicole Winter

MBBS, BMedSci, FRACS