Speakers
Dr Harrex was elected President of AFOEM in May 2022. Dr Harrex is a past chair of the AFOEM Policy and Advocacy Committee and Chair of the RACP Executive Committee promoting the Health Benefits of Good Work™ campaign.
He has been a consultant occupational and environmental physician in private practice in Canberra for the past two decades. Before entering private practice, he served in the RAAF for 26 years and held the positions of Director General of Clinical Services for the Australian Defence Force and the Director General of Air Force Health Services.
Dr Wood is a Consultant Occupational Physician with extensive experience in provision of occupational health, health surveillance, management and rehabilitation of injured workers; formulation of preventative programmes and training.
Dr Wood has experience in government, the health service and tertiary education in addition to a wide variety of consulting roles in many industries. She has a particular interest in risk consulting, policy review and all aspects of general occupational medicine. Dr Wood provides independent expert opinions on injury causation, work-relatedness, permanent impairment assessment and fitness for duty.
Dr McDougall worked as a physiotherapist prior to undertaking her medical degree at the University of Queensland and went on to train in orthopaedics. She held leadership roles in the Orthopaedic Department at The Prince Charles Hospital (TPCH) and as the Clinical Director of Surgery at the Surgical Treatment and Rehabilitation Service (STARS) MNHHS prior to commencing her role as the Chief Medical Officer, Queensland Health in March 2023. Dr McDougall is passionate about public health and delivering high quality care to patients within a sustainable environment. She has a particular interest in clinician wellbeing and culture and improving the patient journey through the system. She completed a graduate certificate in Safety, Quality, Informatics and Leadership at Harvard University in 2021, and a Master of Public Health in 2024. Dr McDougall is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD), a reservist with the Australian Defence Force (Air Force) and an Associate Professor at the University of Queensland Medical School.
Dr Brandt is Chair of the AFOEM Faculty Assessment Committee. He holds clinical and leadership roles across both the private and public sectors. His areas of expertise include clinical governance, work health risk management, education, and regulatory compliance. Dr Brandt is also actively involved in supporting the development of the occupational health workforce through training and assessment initiatives.
Dr Lingwood is an occupational medicine physician in private practice based in South East Queensland. He provides clinical occupational medicine services, medicolegal reporting, and consulting to a wide range of public and private companies and industries both in South East Queensland and throughout Australia. He is a training supervisor and examiner for the Australasian Faculty of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (AFOEM) and a previous Chair of the Faculty Assessment Committee. Dr Lingwood holds an academic position as Adjunct Senior Lecturer at the University of Queensland, teaching in Occupational Health.
Dr Hurst graduated from the University of Aberdeen in 2014. After gaining experience as a junior doctor in Glasgow, she moved to Australia in 2017, where she worked in emergency and intensive care medicine. In 2019, she transitioned to occupational and environmental medicine and joined the training program in 2020. Dr Hurst has a particular interest in managing complex workplace cases, including mental health. She prioritises effective communication and approaches her role with a focus on achieving positive outcomes for all stakeholders.
Dr Kelaher is a Fellow of the Australian Faculty of Occupational and Environmental Medicine and the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. She worked with the Health Department throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to help organisations manage risks related to SARS-CoV-2. She is currently working for the Australian Defence Force as Senior Occupational and Environmental Physician working to optimise the health and wellbeing of Australia’s Defence Force members.
Professor Karen Walker-Bone
Director, Monash Centre of Occupational and Environmental Health, Monash University
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Professor Walker-Bone trained as a rheumatologist, and her PhD on neck and upper limb disorders in working-aged adults sparked a lifelong passion for health and work research. She previously served as Director of the UK MRC Versus Arthritis Centre for Musculoskeletal Health and Work before moving to Australia, where she became Professor of Occupational Rheumatology and Director of the Monash Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health (MonCOEH) at Monash University's School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine (SPHPM). Dr Walker-Bone is currently leading projects for the World Health Organisation, the Australian Defence Forces, and workers in the aged care sector.
Dr Oppermann is an Australian-based health professional. He is trained as an Occupational Health Specialist and practices in Adelaide.
Dr McCartney is a physician who has specialised in the field of Occupational and Environmental Medicine for over 20 years. He is a Fellow of the Australasian Faculty of Occupational and Environmental Medicine with the Royal Australian College of Physicians and past president of the Australian and New Zealand Society of Occupational Medicine. Dr McCartney has served as an Adjunct Associate Professor at Griffith University School of Human Services and Social Work, and has extensive experience in the diagnosis and management of occupational injury and illness, as well as assisting individuals in returning to the workforce after health problems.three years.
Luke is a certified occupational hygienist with over 18 years’ experience in identifying, assessing, and controlling workplace health hazards. He holds a Bachelor of Human Movement, a Graduate Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety, and a Master of Occupational Hygiene and Toxicology, and has worked across a variety of industries. Luke currently leads the occupational hygiene team at GCG, managing 20 consultants who specialise in health risk identification, exposure monitoring, and control planning. Passionate about bridging occupational hygiene and clinical health, he empowers physicians with the knowledge needed to understand the impact of workplace exposures on health, and is committed to helping organisations protect worker health through proactive risk management.various committees.
Gavin is the NSW team leader and a senior occupational hygienist at GCG. He is a certified occupational hygienist (COH) and member of the Australian Institute of Occupational Hygienists (AIOH). With close to 20 years’ experience in occupational hygiene, Gavin brings a wealth of practical and strategic insight to his role. He currently serves on the AIOH Certification Board and has recently been appointed to the International Occupational Hygiene Association (IOHA) National Accreditation Recognition Committee.
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