Welcome to one of our newest members, Jane Dow.

Jane has a clinical background as a physiotherapist over 13 years experience. Jane's health education journey began when supervising undergraduate physiotherapy students as a clinician working predominantly in neurology, then student coordinator, teaching and mentoring roles at Barwon Health for physiotherapy and junior medical interns. Electing to study units in evidenced based practice, quality improvement framework, design, and implementation as a part of the completion of a Graduate Certificate in Burns and Trauma Rehabilitation (University of Notre Dame, WA), complimented Jane's passion for education, by striving for the delivery of high value healthcare.

"Currently as the Clinical Director at Allied Therapy Services I bring my health education skills to support the Clinical Lead Team who support our therapists across Regional Victoria. Last year we developed our undergraduate student program and are excited to grow this in the future.

I have also worked in higher education over the past 5 years, as a regular sessional facilitator at Deakin University for their Collaborative Practice in Healthcare Unit and at the Australian Catholic University in various roles. I really get a kick out of being involved with undergraduate teaching, and passionate about setting up students for success as they transition from university to the healthcare workforce. I particularly enjoy facilitating interprofessional education and collaborative practice.

There are some wonderful ANZAHPE members I have met and up-skilling sessions I undertook last year. This year I decided to become a member to expand my networks, feed my passion for healthcare education and continue to learn from the great resources available."

Congratulations to Kate Pecar on her ANZAHPE Associate Fellowship!

Kate Pecar is currently in the final stages of her PhD at Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, with a focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health education. In addition to being actively involved in both research and teaching in this field, she also plays a role in the clinical education of optometry students. 

"My decision to pursue a Fellowship with ANZAHPE stems from my commitment to give back to the community that warmly embraced me during the 2023 ANZAHPE conference."

Meet one of our 2024 Local Conference Champions, Dr Svetlana King.

"I entered the wonderful world of HPE in 2014, initially as a research centre manager in a professional role. Previously, I had worked in pre-service teacher education after completing a double degree (Bachelor of Education (Secondary)/Bachelor of Arts), and Honours and a PhD in education. A few years into working in HPE, my role was converted to an academic position which I have held since 2017.

Since that time, I’ve become increasingly intrigued by the depth and breadth of research and scholarly topics in HPE. ANZAHPE has fuelled this intrigue, facilitating opportunities to become more engaged with the community of health professions educators across Australia and New Zealand.

I became involved with ANZAHPE after attending my first conference in 2015 – in Adelaide. I feel as though I’ve come full circle, with the ANZAHPE conference being held in Adelaide in 2024 – this time, as part of the local committee! I’m really enjoying the opportunity to work alongside colleagues across the three South Australian universities and being able to make a small contribution to a community that made me feel so welcome all those years ago. I look forward to welcoming you all to our wonderful city!"

Congratulations to Dr Daniela Castro de Jong on her ANZAHPE Associate Fellowship!

Daniela is an occupational therapist from Chile, who came to Australia via Sweden where she completed her doctoral studies. Her areas of research interest include looking at the notion of culture in healthcare education and practices, interprofessional education, and health humanities. She recently started working at UNSW Sydney as the Nexus Fellow at the School of Health Sciences in the Faculty of Medicine & Health. Her current role is devoted to providing mentoring and support innovation within the school in terms of teaching, enhancing student experience, and educational research. In conjunction with the Nexus Fellows team (from the different schools and faculties) she is also involved in Faculty-based and University-wide projects supporting opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration and enriched educational practices. She is also an Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Canberra, where she previously taught in the undergraduate and postgraduate occupational therapy courses.

"I joined ANZAHPE as a newly arrived academic to Australia back in 2018. Since then, I have enjoyed being part of a generous community of colleagues who I can share my passion for innovation in healthcare education with. Last year I expanded my engagement as an ANZAHPE member, by joining the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion subcommittee, which allowed me to be part of a new and committed interdisciplinary working group. Becoming an Associate Fellow is an opportunity to share with others what I have learnt along the way from some inspiring and passionate educators. I hope that the new educators replicate the cycle with others in the future, because that is how we support a thriving academic community."

Meet one of our newest members, Faraz Khurshid.

Faraz Khurshid is a medical doctor with over 15 years of experience teaching basic sciences/biomedicine, and has gained invaluable insights into students' needs. With dual Master's degrees in Molecular Biology from Sweden's University of Skovde and in Medical Education from a joint program by Maastricht University in the Netherlands and Suez Canal University in Egypt, Faraz has consistently pursued academic excellence.

"My multicultural teaching experiences have inspired me to explore innovative approaches to education, such as leveraging Graphic Medicine in teaching basic science to allied health students. Additionally, I've pioneered 'Concept Animation,' facilitating the learning of complex concepts. Completing my Ph.D. in Medical Education at Western Sydney University, I explored the threshold concept, 'Jewels of the Curriculum,' while examining medical students' transformational learning while navigating challenging pharmacology content.

My decision to join ANZAHPE was kindled during my Ph.D. journey in Sydney. Despite being unable to attend in person, presenting two conference posters garnered overwhelming responses, leaving a lasting impression. The vibrant ANZAHPE community, dedicated to excellence and innovation in healthcare education, aligns with my aspirations. Recommendations from esteemed colleagues led me to ANZAHPE, and I'm eager to collaborate, learn, and contribute. Together, we can shape the future of healthcare education."

Meet one of our newest members, Prem Rashid. 

Prem is a clinical and academic urologist in Port Macquarie, NSW. His current goals are to focus more on medical student teaching having had a 20+ year background in post-graduate urology education and training.

"I look forward to enhancing my medical student teaching focus and am currently working on the 2^nd Edition of An Introduction to Clinical Urology.

ANZAHPE offers a different mix for me with other health care educators, and I look forward to diversifying my network of peers and enhancing my skill base."

Meet one of our newest members, Dr Nishan Silva.

Nishan is a medical Doctor currently working as a GP in the rural NSW town of Deniliquin. Nishan is originally from Sri Lanka and graduated from the University of Colombo in 2008. He then completed Post Graduate studies in Health Informatics, Applied Statistics, Primary Care, Medical Education and Health Administration. Nishan has been a Health Professions Educationist since 2011 and was the Head of Academics at an Allied Health School in Sri Lanka called IIHS.

Nishan is an Associate Fellow of International Association for Health Professions Education, A Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Digital Health and a Certified Health Informatician for Australasia.

"My current interests in addition to Health Professions Education are Health Informatics Education, Primary Care, Research and Telehealth. I am a keen researcher in these areas. My favorite pastime is fresh water fishing and exploring the waterways.

I came across ANZAHPE at the AMEE 2023 conference in Glasgow. I met the ANZAHPE representatives at their stall and was really impressed with the information they gave. My main intention in joining ANZAHPE is to network and collaborate with the colleagues in Australia involved in Health Persons Education. I look forward to attending the upcoming ANZAHPE conference in Adelaide in 2024"

Welcome to one of our newest members, Sonja Maria.

Associate Professor Sonja Maria has a long-standing career in emergency healthcare, with a strong focus on policy development and the creation of evidence-based guidelines for healthcare professionals. Her experiences span across national and international ambulance services and leadership roles, providing her with a deep understanding of the field.

Throughout her career, Sonja has shown a dedication to healthcare education and inclusivity through her work in gender studies and feminist research.

Her research interests are diverse, ranging from her PhD work investigating guideline use by paramedics to leading substantial research projects and publishing in peer-reviewed journals. In her current role as Associate Professor, she applies her well-honed skills in project management and leadership.

Additionally, Sonja has established the Australasian Paramedic Pharmacology Project and holds several editorial roles, reflecting her commitment to collaboration and knowledge sharing. Her passion for education is evident in her work at CSU, where she revamped the undergraduate paramedic course and initiated a Masters program. She also emphasises mentorship in her interactions with students conducting research on various topics.

"I joined ANZAHPE, to connect with healthcare professionals, develop my skills, and benefit from a supportive network of peers."

Congratulations to our newest Associate Fellow, Hanna Olson!

Hanna is a dental hygienist with research expertise in health professions education within Te Kaupeka Pūniho, New Zealand’s National Centre for Dentistry, where she works as a Senior Lecturer. Hanna contributes to the advancement of teaching and learning activities for students in their dental and oral health professional programmes. Her research highlights a learner-centred approach to teaching using active learning strategies. Hanna has partnered with teams of higher education academics, dental specialists and innovative business partners across the globe. Together they develop a community of learning and teaching including collaborative approaches within digital dentistry, team-based interprofessional education as well as improving on student and staff members experiences in the higher education learning environment.

"I enjoy being part of the vibrant ANZAHPE community, and because all of my research has a focus on health professions education, along with encouragement and a strong support from my colleagues, I applied and was approved to become an Associate Fellow.

This is an exciting time for me, as I believe I am finally ready to embrace the responsibility to onboard not only students but also new colleagues who would like to aspire in becoming leaders in the field of health sciences."

Welcome to one of our newest members, Dr Tamara Tse.

Tamara is a Senior Lecturer at La Trobe University and currently serves as the Discipline Lead in Occupational Therapy. As an experienced Occupational Therapist with many years in clinical and management roles, Dr. Tse is dedicated to advancing education aimed at enhancing occupational therapy services and quality of care.

Dr. Tse's research primarily revolves around outcomes associated with participation, delving into the comprehension and enhancement of individuals' actions and motivations. This pursuit extends to her involvement in role-emerging placements, aimed at enriching the provision of services to those who are unable to access conventional occupational therapy, including settings like aged care facilities, mainstream schools, disability support services, and various others.

"I joined ANZAHPE to gain the opportunity to connect with other health professions educators working in different contexts, in order to broaden my knowledge and skills. I look forward to future professional development with ANZAHPE."