About us

President

University of Melbourne

Bio: Marlene is a developmental neurobiologist, co-heading a research group at the University of Melbourne. Our lab is investigating the development and plasticity of neurons in the enteric nervous system, studying the plasticity of enteric neurons, enteric glia as a source of progenitor cells in the gut and the mechanisms controlling glial proliferation in the adult nervous system. In addition, we are examining the potential of stem cell therapy for treating diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

Email: hao.m@unimelb.edu.au

Website: https://biomedicalsciences.unimelb.edu.au/sbs-research-groups/anatomy-and-physiology-research/neuroscience/development-of-the-enteric-nervous-system

Secretary

University of Melbourne

Bio: Jess is a registered nutritionist and senior lecturer at Monash University, with an interest in how diet influences gastrointestinal function, particularly for disorders of gut-brain interactions such as irritable bowel syndrome and functional dyspepsia. Her research group aims to improve dietary management of gastrointestinal symptoms through mechanistic insights and clinical outcomes assessing gut-brain signalling and symptom processes.

Email:jessica.biesiekierski@unimelb.edu.au

Website: https://findanexpert.unimelb.edu.au/profile/1095311-jessica-biesiekierski

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jrbiesiekierski

Treasurer

Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, Flinders University

Bio: Dr Alyce Martin is an ARC DECRA Fellow in the College of Medicine and Public Health, and Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute at Flinders University. Her research portfolio is centred around characterising the functional biology of hormone producing enteroendocrine cells in the gut, with a particular interest in serotonin producing enterochromaffin (EC) cells. She is using her specialist skills in gut endocrinology to examine how EC cells sense the unique environment of the gut, including dietary nutrients and bacteria, and how this impacts fundamental physiological processes such as gut function, metabolism, fat storage and gut-brain signalling.

Email: alyce.martin@flinders.edu.au

Website: www.amartingutlab.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AMartinGutLab

Clinical member

Alfred Hospital, Melbourne.

Monash University, Melbourne.

Bio: Dr Burgell is a consultant gastroenterologist at Alfred Health and Monash University in Melbourne with an interest in functional gastrointestinal disorders, clinical nutrition, inflammatory bowel disease and pelvic floor dysfunction. Dr Burgell completed her Phd at Bart’s Health in London before returning to Melbourne where she is the Head of the Functional Gastrointestinal disorders service at Alfred Health and medical lead of the Home Enteral Nutrition Program.

At present, her research interests include exploring novel models of care for patients with functional bowel disorders, non-invasive neuromodulation techniques, exploring the intraluminal environment in health and disease and the use of intestinal ultrasound in patients with functional bowel disorders.

Clinical member

Department of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Flinders Medical Centre, Adelaide.

Bio: Charles is a gastroenterologist with an interest in swallowing disorders and gastrointestinal motility. He is the head of luminal gastroenterology at Flinders Medical Centre and is involved in research collaborations in upper gastrointestinal motility, including pharyngeal and oesophageal manometry and its interrelationship with symptoms and functions and also involved in endoscopy and cancer prevention programs. He sees his role as promoting, through education and other initiatives, neurogastroenterology among clinicians.

Email: charles.cock@flinders.edu.au

Clinical member

Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney

Bio: Dr Wong is a gastroenterologist working at the Neurogastroenterology Unit as a staff specialist at Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney. She is an Academic Senior Lecturer for the University of Sydney. She performs and interprets oesophageal and pH monitoring. She is interested in oesophageal sensitivity and has subspecialty expertise in motility and functional gastrointestinal conditions.

Email: may.y.wong@sydney.edu.au

Website: https://www.drmaywong.com

Clinical member

St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney; University of New South Wales

Bio: Dr Santosh Sanagapalli is a gastroenterologist and specialist in swallowing disorders. He undertook a clinical research fellowship in gastrointestinal physiology at University College London and completed his PhD at the University of Sydney. He established the Centre for Swallowing & Oesophageal Disorders at St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney where he runs an active clinical research program. His research is primarily focused on advancing the methodology and utility of the technology used to investigate swallowing disorders and reflux, including high-resolution manometry, endoscopy and barium oesophagography.

Website: https://www.unsw.edu.au/staff/santosh-sanagapalli

Clinical member

University of NSW; St George Hospital

Bio: Dr Peter Wu is a gastroenterologist at St George Hospital, Sydney. After completing his PhD (UNSW), he undertook a fellowship at Prince of Wales Hospital, the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He is the director of the St George Motility Services, supervising the Swallow Clinic, Gastrointestinal Motility Laboratory, and his research team. His research topics include the advances in diagnostics and therapeutics for oropharyngeal swallowing disorders. As part of his research, he pioneered a novel minimally invasive procedure, cricopharyngeal per oral endoscopic myotomy (C-POEM), intended as a treatment for swallowing disorders due to neuromyogenic disorders (e.g., Parkinson’s disease).

Email: p.wu@unsw.edu.au

Discovery science

Deakin University;

Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation

Bio: Leni is a Senior Lecturer in Medicine and leads the Gut Health Laboratory at the Metabolic Research Unit, Deakin University. She completed her PhD at The University of Melbourne investigating the effects of ischemia/reperfusion injury on enteric neurons. After completing her PhD, Leni was awarded a NHMRC early career fellowship targeting the gastrointestinal system in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Currently, her research group is focused on understanding how dietary and lifestyle factors influence gut structure, function, and microbiota, as well as developing gut-based strategies to combat metabolic disorders and improve gut health.

Email: leni.rivera@deakin.edu.au

Website: https://experts.deakin.edu.au/31459-leni-rivera

Discovery science

University of Melbourne

Bio: Rachel is an NHMRC Emerging Leader Fellow at the University of Melbourne. She completed her PhD in 2017 investigating chemotherapy-induced enteric neuropathy and gastrointestinal dysfunction. Since then, she has undertaken postdoctoral positions at both Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health with the broad aim of exploring therapeutics for chronic gastrointestinal dysfunction and enteric neuropathy.  Alongside Dr Shanti Diwakarla, Rachel now co-leads the Gut-Barrier and Disease Laboratory in the Department of Anatomy & Physiology. Her research group is interested in harnessing the intestinal barrier to alleviate gastrointestinal dysfunction and systemic pathology in a wide range of diseases including Parkinson’s Disease, ageing, cystic fibrosis and obesity.

Email: Rachel.mcquade@unimelb.edu.au

Website: https://findanexpert.unimelb.edu.au/profile/818131-rachel-mcquade

President

University of Adelaide

President-Elect

Department of Anatomy and Physiology, the University of Melbourne

Secretary

Monash University

Treasurer

Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, Flinders University

General Committee

Alfred Hospital, Melbourne.

Monash University, Melbourne.

General Committee

Department of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Flinders Medical Centre, Adelaide.

General Committee

Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney

General Committee

St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney; University of New South Wales

General Committee

University of NSW; St George Hospital