Professor Len Notaras AO

Professor Len Notaras AO was appointed Executive Director of the National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre (NCCTRC) in 2009. For more than 16 years he also held the positions of Medical Superintendent at Royal Darwin Hospital, General Manager and Principal Medical Consultant. Professor Notaras served as the Chief Executive of the Department of Health from 2014-2016.

Professor Notaras led the 2002 and 2005 Bali bombings response at Royal Darwin Hospital. He later oversaw the retrieval of Timorese President Dr Jose Ramos-Horta following the assassination attempt on his life in 2008 and coordinated the response to the Ashmore Reef boat incident in 2009. As Executive Director Professor Notaras has coordinated the AUSMAT deployment on behalf of the Australian Government.

Professor Notaras holds degrees in Medicine, Law and Arts (Hons) and Commerce and has Masters in History and Hospital Management.

Professor Marco Briceno

Professor Marco Briceno is a Rural Generalist with Advanced Surgical Practice, a Senior Health Executive and Medical Educator/Academic who currently works clinically as a Rural Generalis with NT Health and in Private General Practice in Darwin. He holds academic appointments with Flinders University and the CDU Menzies Medical Program and is a PhD candidate in Health Economics with the Menzies School of Health Research.

Marco is a Clinical Advisor to IHACPA, an Independent Board Director of Miwatj Health Aboriginal Corporation and a Board Director of Cancer Council NT.

He previously served as Chief Executive Officer of NT Health, as well as Chief Medical Officer, Deputy Chief Health Officer and Chief Medical Advisor, following 12 years of clinical and medical leadership in East Arnhem Land.

His over 25 years of experience spans rural and remote surgery, Aboriginal health, primary and secondary healthcare, aeromedical retrievals, medical education, health-system leadership and governance, together with his current work, bring these perspectives together in examining the economics, value and sustainability of delivering healthcare in rural and remote Australia.

Professor Dilip Gahankari

Professor Dr Dilip Gahankari, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon whose career spans clinical excellence, innovation, research, education, and humanitarian service.

Based on the Gold Coast since 2004, Professor Gahankari trained in India as both a General Surgeon and a Plastic Surgeon before migrating to Australia in 1999. He was awarded Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (FRACS) in Plastic Surgery in 2003. His extensive clinical practice encompasses reconstructive surgery, hand surgery, head and neck surgery, and cosmetic surgery. 

While he predominantly works in private practice on the Gold Coast, he also serves as a Visiting Medical Officer at Gold Coast University Hospital in Queensland and at Tweed Valley and Murwillumbah Hospitals in New South Wales.

Dr Gahankari has a longstanding passion for innovation and has published widely on novel surgical techniques, practical surgical devices, and instrument design. He has lodged patents for six instruments used in aesthetic plastic surgery and is actively involved in research focused on advancing microsurgery and augmented reality technologies. His collaborative research partnerships include Griffith University on the Gold Coast and Amrita University in India.

An accomplished author and educator, he has published widely in medical journals and co-authored chapters in a major Burns textbook and in Gamechangers in Plastic Surgery and has also written a book for patients considering cosmetic surgery.

Beyond his professional achievements, Dr Gahankari is deeply committed to humanitarian work. For almost two decades, he has organised annual pro bono plastic surgery camps in the remote tribal region of Melghat, India, in partnership with a local tribal hospital, bringing specialist surgical care to underserved communities.

In recognition of his outstanding contributions, he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the General Division in the 2026 King's Birthday Honours for service to Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

Professor Alan Sandford

Professor Sandford is an active Specialist Medical Administrator and Leader, currently working in Northern Territory Health, he holds the roles of EDMS Central Australia and Senior Medical Adviser in the Office of the NT Chief Medical Officer. RACMA Past President and current Principal Censor and Honorary Fellow of the Hong Kong College of Community Medicine. In December 2024 was bestowed the Central Queensland University’s highest honour being conferred as Doctor of the University. 

Professor Sandford is an experienced Specialist Medical Leader working in Executive medical and health leadership over the past 36 years in Australia and Internationally including Middle East and Hong Kong. The last more than 2 decades has focused on Rural, Regional and Remote Australia with posts in all jurisdictions and regions. A longstanding priority is supporting teaching, training and supervision in an evolving medical system.

 He holds Honorary Professorial appointments with UQ, JCU and CQU. He also contributes to the National health system via the AMC Committees and the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Rural Health Equity Steering Committee. 

He was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia in the Australia Day Honours in2017 for “significant services to medical administration and health management in a number of executive roles”. Also Awarded the RACMA College Medallion in 2022, RACMA’s highest honour. 

Associate Professor Emma Kennedy

Assoc Prof Emma Kennedy is a Specialist General Practitioner practicing at Pandanus Medical NT, a Darwin based General Practice which she and Assoc Prof Kishan Pandithage established in 2018. This practice has a focus on the breadth of General Practice, including procedural care, and unites quality clinical care with education.

Emma is a leader in Medical Education and Training in the Northern Territory working as an academic in the Flinders University MD program delivered throughout the NT over the last 25 years. She has led curriculum reform, postgraduate assessment and university medical program clinical assessment in the NT. She is a strong advocate for person centred medicine and cultural responsiveness in learning within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health.’

Our message needs to be in the medium as well as the spoken…

Professor Hemi Patel 

Professor Patel graduated from Charing Cross and Westminster Medical School in London. He obtained his Masters in Surgery at Imperial college and completed his Post Graduate specialist training in Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery at the Eastern Deanery in Cambridge.

Professor Patel came to Australia for a fellowship in Ear Surgery and was exposed to the challenges of ear disease in Aboriginal communities. He fell in love with the Territory and has spent the last 18 years living and working on Larakia land.

Professor Patel obtained his Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in 2013. He is a General ENT Surgeon with special interests in Ear disease and hearing implants, Head and Neck Cancers and Paediatrics. He sits on several committees as an advocate and expert in ENT conditions effecting Aboriginal people.

He is the Immediate Past Chair of the NT Regional Committee of the Royal Australasian College Surgeons and is now a Co-Opted RACS Councillor.

Professor Patel has sat on the NT Board of the Medical Board of Australia for 10 years and is the Immediate Past Chair of the NT Board. He now sits on the National Medical Board of Australia and is a Professor of Surgery at Charles Darwin University. He has a keen interest in medical regulation.

Dr Christine Lai

Dr Christine Lai is a general surgeon with sub-specialty post-Fellowship training in breast surgery and endocrine surgery – including thyroid surgery and minimally invasive parathyroid and laparoscopic adrenal surgery.

She has an interest in teaching students and trainees and clinician performed ultrasound and is one of a handful of surgeons in Australia with a Diploma in Diagnostic Ultrasound (Surgery) with the Australasian Society of the Ultrasound Medicine.

Dr Lai is the RACS Vice Chair and previously served on Council as Chair of the Professional Standards and Fellowship Services Committee.

Associate Professor Gillian Farrell

Associate Professor Gillian Farrell is Head of Plastic Surgery in the Northern Territory and works as a breast reconstructive surgeon at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne. She is an Associate Professor at Monash University in the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine and is on the Research committee of the Australian Breast Device Registry. She is on the Board of Avant Mutual and the Doctors Health Fund and is a member of the Australian Access to Breast Reconstruction Collaborative group. 

Professor Phillip Carson

Phillip Carson is a Professorial Fellow with Flinders University and a retired General Surgeon who served the people of the Northern Territory for 35 years. His passion is delivering high-quality surgical services across barriers of distance and culture.

He has undertaken multiple roles in the Northern Territory and nationally including as foundation faculty of the Flinders NT Medical Program, and with RACS as Supervisor of training, Examiner in General Surgery, Chair of Global Health, Chair of the Court of Examiners and Censor-in-Chief. He has contributed to many committees and working groups focussed on the health of Indigenous and remote and rural dwelling Australians. He currently serves on the Expert Advisory Committee of the NDIS and on the NT Liquor Commission.

He has had executive roles with the Rural Doctors Association of Queensland, RDAA and the Rural Doctors Foundation. He currently chairs ACRRM’s Education Council and is immediate Past Chair of the Assessment Committee. He sits on the WHO Technical Expert Group on Measurement of the distribution of health workers. He was a foundation staff member of the JCU medical school in 2000 and has published numerous papers on its rurally-focussed community-based educational model and graduate outcomes. He enjoys sport as cricket tragic, reading and family, including four thriving grandchildren under 4.

Professor Dianne Stephens OAM

Professor Dianne Stephens OAM was Australia’s first ICU specialist in the Northern Territory and inaugural Director of Royal Darwin Hospital Intensive Care Unit.  As Director of ICU at RDH from 1998 to 2016, Di provided leadership in best practice clinical care for the critically ill of the Northern Territory, built a research program, started an organ donation agency and contributed passionately to improving patient care throughout the hospital system.

 From 2017 to 2022, Professor Stephens held NT Health leadership roles during the COVID 19 pandemic and led the academic and research partnerships portfolio for the National Critical Care and Trauma Response Center (NCCTRC). 

In January 2022 Di commenced as the Foundation Dean of CDU’s School of Medicine tasked with leading the establishment of the CDU Menzies Medical Program, the NT’s first standalone medical program, which commenced with 42 rural regional and remote students with 40 from across the NT in February 2026.

Dr John Batten AM

John is a retired Orthopaedic Surgeon having practiced in Launceston Tasmania for 40 years.

He has held many administrative positions throughout his career including President of the Australian Orthopaedic Association and President of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

John led a Visiting Medical Team to Vanuatu for 10 years setting up the Ponseti Club foot program in the region.

He is presently is the Chair of the Clifford Craig Foundation of the Launceston General Hospital and the Chair of the Foundation for Surgery of the Royal Australian College of Surgeons.

John was awarded an Order of Australia in 2020 for Services to the Medicine and the Surgical Profession

Dr Amanda Foster

Amanda is a General Surgeon with a particular interest in Emergency General Surgery.   Her training years were spent in Tasmania, Victoria, ACT and WA.  She commenced her consultant career as the first dedicated Acute Surgical Unit Consultant at Fremantle Hospital in 2013 and subsequently commissioned the ASU and Trauma service at Fiona Stanley Hospital, opening February 2015.  In 2020 she took on the role of Head of Department of General Surgery across the Fiona Stanley Fremantle Hospital Group. 

Outside of Emergency General Surgery, Amanda’s passions include supporting her 2 sons in their many education and sporting endeavours, and Global Health Education through her work with Pangea GHE in Central Africa.

Amanda is the current Chair of the WA RACS state committee.

Dr Andrew Luck

Andrew Luck is a metropolitan colorectal and general surgeon who has worked at the Lyell McEwin Hospital (LMH) in Adelaide’s northern suburbs since 2001, including time as Head of the Colorectal Unit (2006 to 2012), Head of Acute and General Surgery (2020 to 2024) and Director of Surgical Services (2009 to 2010).

As part of his private practice, Andrew has provided outreach services in General Surgery and gastrointestinal endoscopy to several small towns within 3 hours of Adelaide including Yorketown (2003 to 2019), Ardrossan (2003 to present), Wallaroo (2014 to present) and Clare (2019 to present). He currently operates and consults in Wallaroo and Clare monthly and consults every 2 months in Ardrossan.

In the past, Andrew has been involved in providing week on, week off services to larger centres (Port Augusta, Whyalla and Port Pirie) through a program managed by surgeons from the University of Adelaide. He was also involved in the initial discussions that led to the current hub and spoke model of outreach between the Northern Adelaide Local Health Network and the Yorke and Northern Local Health Network that provides surgical consultants and registrars from the LMH roster to Port Pirie Hospital in the state’s mid north.

Through these experiences in South Australia, Andrew hopes to provide thoughts and perhaps insights on the management of outreach surgical services to centres that do not have a resident surgeon.

Dr Chris Kirby

Chris Kirby is a Paediatric Surgeon at the Women’s & Children’s Hospital, Adelaide.  He is currently the State Representative on the ANZAPS Executive.  

He is part of the 24/7 on-call roster for the neonatal and paediatric surgical emergencies at WCH, where he has previously filled roles as Head of Department, Head of unit, Surgical Supervisor for Advanced Training and institutional Surgical Investigator for the Children's Oncology Group.

Dr Angeline Simons

Dr Angeline Simons completed her medical degree in 2005 at the University of Manchester, UK. 

She completed her postgraduate training in Manchester and Birmingham, UK, specialising in General and Geriatric Medicine.

She was appointed as a Consultant in 2015 in Heartlands Hospital, Birmingham, and developed a sub speciality interest in ortho geriatrics and peri-operative care for older people who are undergoing surgery. 

She has a keen passion for providing excellent patient centred care and advocating for older people. In 2019 she became the Head of the department for Geriatrics and successfully developed an area for the assessment of older patients bypassing the Emergency department.

In October 2022 she moved to Darwin with her husband and young children and has continued her passion for the provision of excellent medical care to older people. 

Her interests are diagnosing and managing Osteoporosis , optimising older people before planned surgery and after emergency surgery and reducing unnecessary investigations and medications. 

She is a Fellow of the UK college of Physicians and became a Fellow of the Royal Australian college of physicians in 2023.

Dr Mahiban Thomas

Having practiced as a surgeon in over 8 countries, Mahiban Thomas established Facial Trauma, Head & Neck Surgery in the NT, since 2005.

He has been the Director of Integrated Surgical Services at Darwin since 2016.

He has been on the Rural Health Executive of RACS, the Trauma Committee of RACS, and has been Chair of NT RACS Committee also.

Mahiban chaired the Inter-Collegiate Committee to establish the module for Cultural Competency.

His goal in his current role is to improve on all outcomes for every patient undergoing surgical care at the Top End.

Dr Sanjeev Naidu 

Dr Naidu gained his primary medical qualifications through the University of Auckland, New Zealand in 1995 and completed his general surgical Fellowship training in Queensland in 2005. He completed a further 2 years of post-fellowship training in vascular surgery in Geelong Public Hospital and Princess Alexandra Hospital (PAH).

Dr Naidu has public appointments at Mater Hospital Brisbane as VMO, PAH in the Renal Transplant Unit and QEII Hospital as Director of Department of Surgery, Gastroenterology and Endoscopy Services.  D Naidu also runs a private practice through Mater Sessional Suites at South Brisbane and operates at Mater Private Hospital Brisbane; providing a broad spectrum of general surgery service including: major and minor abdominal surgery, laparoscopic surgery, endoscopy (gastroscopy and colonoscopy) and renal dialysis access surgery (for peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis access).

Dr Naidu is the Chair of the RACS Surgical Leaders Section and has previously served as Chair, RACS Queensland State Committee.

Dr Bridget Clancy

Dr Bridget Clancy is a rural Otolaryngologist Head and Neck Surgeon. She has lived and worked in Southwest Victoria for over 20 years, raising her family with husband, a dairy farmer. Dr Clancy is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and Women and Leadership Australia Advanced Leadership Program and a 2019 Telstra Business Women Award state finalist.

She has chaired and served on boards and committees for rural hospitals, the Australian Medical Association, National Rural Health Alliance, Rural Doctors Association of Australia, The Australian Society of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Australian Department of Health and Aged Care, Victorian Department of Health and the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.  Dr Clancy is current chair of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Rural Surgery and co-chair Rural Health Equity Committees and author of the RACS Rural Health Equity Strategy, RACS Remote, rural and regional professional skills curriculum and eLearning course and co-principal investigator on RACS FATES consortium projects. She researches and advocates for evidence-based ways to grow the rural surgical workforce and improve access to care and equity in health outcomes for rural people.

Dr Paul Bumbak

Paul Bumbak is a Paediatric Otolaryngologist, Head and Neck Surgeon at Perth Children’s Hospital, St John of God Hospitals (Subiaco and Murdoch) and South Perth Hospital.

Dr Sarah Gray

​Dr Sarah Gray is an orthopaedic registrar at Mount Gambier Hospital and a University of Adelaide graduate. A dedicated service registrar, her academic work focuses on novel meniscal root repair techniques, alongside her AOA award-winning essay, "Redefining strength and resilience in orthopaedics; breaking surgical norms, without breaking myself," presented at the National ASM in Hobart.

​Hailing from a rural background and bringing a distinct, alternative perspective to the field, Dr. Gray is a fierce advocate for diversity and representative leadership in medicine. She is actively redefining traditional surgical culture to pave the way for non-traditional trainees. Outside the theatre, Sarah is a mother of three beautiful boys and a keen golf, wine, and tattoo enthusiast. 

Professor Sabe Sabesan

Professor Sabe Sabesan is a senior medical oncologist and Clinical Dean in Townsville, and a Clinical Director within the Queensland Department of Health. He is the author of the book Inner Peace, Outer Peace, and Getting Things Done, which draws on insights from his contribution to tele-oncology, tele-chemotherapy, and tele-trial programs aimed at advancing health equity for rural, regional, and Indigenous communities.

As the current President of Clinical Oncology Society of Australia, his advocacy focuses on promoting a contemporary approach to healthy workplace culture as the foundation for human wellbeing, workforce sustainability, patient safety, research, training, equitable healthcare delivery and everything else.

Dr David Walsh

David Walsh is South Australian trained general surgeon, with a strong interest in breast and endocrine surgery and surgical oncology. He has worked in both public and private clinical practice. David has held many roles within the RACS encompassing teaching, assessment, advocacy and leadership at executive levels. He is currently the Clinical Director of The South Australian Audit of Peri-operative Mortality.

Dr Ailene Fitzgerald is a General and Trauma Surgeon at Canberra Hospital. She has previously held a number of clinical leadership positions in the ACT, including Director of the ACT Trauma Service for over a decade and more recently, Clinical Director Surgery. 

She is a RACS Councillor and current Chair of the SIMG Committee, having previously held positions within RACS ACT as Chair, Deputy Chair and longstanding Committee member. She regularly contributes as faculty at Australian Trauma conferences and courses. 

Dr Fitzgerald is a Commander in the Navy Health Reserves, having joined the Royal Australian Navy in 1991 as an undergraduate medical student.  She served in a number of establishments and ships and completed many deployments. She has a passion for improving systems of care to ensure equitable access to safe, timely, high-quality surgical care for all.