Meet some of the speakers for the 2024 PainAdelaide conference, Monday 4th November at the National Wine Center Adelaide… possibly the best little pain meeting in the world….
Professor Jeffrey Mogil
Jeffrey S. Mogil, PhD, FCAHS, FRSC, is currently the E.P. Taylor Professor of Pain Studies and a Distinguished James McGill Professor at McGill University. Dr. Mogil has made seminal contributions to the fields of pain genetics, sex differences in pain, and pain testing methods in the laboratory mouse. He has published over 270 manuscripts and book chapters and currently has an h-index of 99. He is the recipient of lifetime achievement awards from the American and Canadian Pain Societies and the Canadian Psychological Association, and is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Research and the Royal Society of Canada. He has served as Neurobiology Section Editor at the journal, Pain, as a Councilor at the International Association for the Study of Pain, and was the Chair of the Scientific Program Committee of the 13th World Congress on Pain. He is also the founder and director of the North American Pain School.
Professor Richelle Mychasiuk
Richelle Mychasiuk is a Professor in the Department of Neuroscience, within the School of Translational Medicine at Monash University. She is particularly known for her investigation of factors that regulate susceptibility to mild traumatic brain injury, sleep disturbances, and chronic pain. She is interested in determining how age and sex influence these conditions, as well as the effects that perinatal trauma and adverse childhood experiences have on adolescent neurodevelopment. Within this realm, her lab is interested in understanding how early life experiences get “under the skin” to shape neurodevelopment, modulate neuroplasticity, and increase an individual’s risk for the development of chronic pain. The laboratory specialises in the translation of discovery science and preclinical animal models to human, clinical populations, through strong long-standing collaborations with clinical researchers.
Michael Ferraro
Michael Ferraro (BSc Hons) is a clinical researcher whose work is centred around the evaluation of treatments for chronic pain. For his doctoral research, Michael is leading a national clinical trial testing two treatments for complex regional pain syndrome. He is also interested in clinical trial methodology, evidence synthesis, and research transparency. Michael’s work has been published in leading general medical and specialty journals, and presented at premier conferences both internationally and nationally.
Associate Professor Christine Barry
Christine Barry is an Associate Professor of Anatomy with 10 years of experience investigating sensory nerves in skeletal muscle, thoracolumbar fascia and in the female reproductive tract, including their organisation and remodelling in response to inflammation.
She is interested in peripheral sensory nerves changes, including axon growth and interactions with immune cells, that may contribute to chronic pain conditions. She also collaborates in educational research related to clinically oriented anatomy.
Prior to completing her PhD she had 20 years of experience as a musculoskeletal physiotherapist.
Dr Rodrigo Rizzo
Dr Rodrigo Rizzo is a Medical Research Future Funding (MRFF) Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA) and the School of Health Sciences, University of New South Wales (UNSW). Dr Rizzo worked in interdisciplinary pain management teams as a physiotherapist for 15 years before focusing his energy on research. Dr Rizzo’s current projects involve bridging the gap between research findings and practical applications in real-world settings and investigating the features of interventions that influence health outcomes using quantitative and qualitative methods.
Professor Mark Hutchinson
Professor Mark Hutchinson is a distinguished researcher and academic leader, currently serving as the Director of the Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing (IPAS) at the University of Adelaide. As a Professor of Biomedicine, he leads the Neuroimmunopharmacology Laboratory, where his pioneering work has significantly advanced our understanding of the neuroimmune contributions to chronic pain, stress, and depression.
Professor Hutchinson’s expertise spans a wide range of basic science methods for both human and animal research, including biomarker identification, multiomics, and complex data analytics. His research has been instrumental in bridging the gap between basic science and practical applications, demonstrating a strong record of commercial translation and knowledge utilization. He is also known for his robust engagement with consumers and industry, advocating for their active involvement in research processes.
Dr Colleen Johnston-Devin
Dr Colleen Johnston-Devin is a Senior Lecturer at CQUniversity Australia. She has many years of experience working in hospitals and/or community settings all over Australia including cities, regional and rural areas. Colleen is developing a research profile in persistent pain, lived experience, and patient management of persistent pain. She has a special interest in the self-management of complex regional pain syndrome and the pain education of health professionals. Her publications, book chapter and international conference presentations focus on chronic pain, gerontology and models of care in the Emergency Department. Colleen currently teaches Clinical Governance in the Graduate Certificate and research units in the Master of Clinical Nursing.
Professor Lorimer Moseley
Professor Lorimer Moseley is a scientist, clinician and educator with a special interest in protective feelings, particularly pain. He has authored six books and 350 scientific articles and is ranked in the top 0.05% of scientists working in any field. His discoveries in the neuroscience of pain have been recognised by honours or awards in 22 countries and treatments he developed are now recommended first line care in chronic pain guidelines wherever they exist. He was recently made an Officer of the Order of Australia for ‘distinguished service to humanity at large in the fields of pain science, science communication, pain management and physiotherapy.’
Donna Quinn
I am an accomplished and culturally strong Wiradjuri Leader and Educator with deep connection to Country and appetite for hard work essential for uplifting people and communities. Honest and loyal, I produce excellence both independently and in team environments. I also have a great sense of humour which is balanced with diplomacy, sensitivity and the determination to get things done.
My extensive background in Education and Community Engagement is coupled with my esteem for culture and the environment and leads to transformation. Recently, I was awarded the Riverland 2021 NAIDOC Award for Person of the Year. I was also the Chief Investigator on a research project aimed at improving the mental health of Aboriginal Youth; and was responsible for reviewing the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Curriculum for accreditation in accordance with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Curriculum Framework. Honest, compassionate and accountable, I possess the cultural knowledge, experience and expertise to make a difference. I am the course co order and lecturer for the Aboriginal health courses within the public and allied health program at UniSA.
Dr Cassandra Zaina FACP
Cassandra is a Specialist Occupational Health Physiotherapist and Dual-Titled APA Musculoskeletal and Pain Physiotherapist.
Cassandra consults to ReturnToWorkSA as the Physiotherapy Advisor, where she provides continuing professional development, mentoring and support to physiotherapists, other allied health, doctors and claims managers across South Australia.
Cassandra teaches on the physiotherapy programs at all Adelaide Universities as well as contributing to and delivering a number of courses for the Australian Physiotherapy Association.
Cassandra has various leadership roles with the APA, Australian College of Physiotherapy and the Women in Innovation Board.
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