Philip Devereaux, MD, PhD, FRCP(C)
ANZCA ASM Visitor
Philip Devereaux is the scientific leader of the Perioperative Medicine and Surgical Research Group at the Population Health Research Institute, McMaster University. He is also head of cardiology and head of the Perioperative Cardiovascular Clinical Program at the Juravinski Hospital and Cancer Centre. He obtained his medical degree from McMaster University, then completed specialist training in internal medicine at the University of Calgary and cardiology at Dalhousie University. He then obtained a PhD in clinical epidemiology at McMaster University. Dr Devereaux holds a Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario Career Investigator Award. The focus of his clinical research is vascular complications around the time of surgery. He was co-principal investigator in the landmark POISE study and is currently undertaking several further large international RCTs and observational studies addressing perioperative cardiovascular outcomes. Dr Devereaux has published more than 150 peer reviewed papers and 40 editorials, book chapters, and commentaries.
Sean Mackey, MD, PhD
FPM ASM Visitor
Sean Mackey is professor of anesthesia and pain medicine (and of neurology and neurological sciences by courtesy) at Stanford University. Dr Mackey completed his undergraduate and master’s degree studies in Bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania and received a PhD in electrical engineering and subsequently his medical degree at the University of Arizona. He went on to Stanford where he did his anaesthesiology residency and then followed with a fellowship in pain management. He is currently the chief of the Stanford Pain Management Division. As director of the Stanford Systems Neuroscience and Pain Laboratory, Dr Mackey’s primary research interests involve the use of functional and structural neuroimaging, psychophysics and neurobehavioral assessment, to investigate the neural processing of pain and neuronal plasticity in patients with chronic pain. The research mission of the laboratory is to “Predict, Prevent and Alleviate Pain”. He is a member of several professional organisations, on the Board of Directors for the American Academy of Pain Medicine, is a permanent member of the NIH NIDA study section, serves on the editorial board and is a reviewer for multiple scientific journals. Dr Mackey has published more than 60 peer reviewed articles and book chapters.
Britta Regli-von Ungern-Sternberg MD PhD DEAA FANZCA
Australasian Visitor and Douglas Joseph Professor
Britta Regli-von Ungern-Sternberg was appointed in 2010 as the first Chair of Paediatric Anaesthesia in Australasia, at the University of Western Australia. Having originally trained in anaesthesia in Switzerland, she came to Perth in 2007 to take up a consultant position in the department of anaesthesia and pain management at the Princess Margaret Hospital for Children. Her main research interests relate to the prediction and prevention of respiratory complications in paediatric anaesthesia, lung function changes during anaesthesia, the evaluation of different airway devices, as well as the impact of anaesthesia in early life on a child’s neurodevelopment. Most of her projects are performed within a large international collaborative network of paediatric anaesthetists, intensivists, respiratory physicians, psychologists and pain specialists. Britta has published more than 65 peer reviewed articles and book chapters and was recently awarded the ANZCA “Douglas Joseph Professorship of Anaesthesia”.
Alex Sia, MMBS, M Med (Anaes), FAMS
ANZCA Singapore Visitor
Alex Sia is currently the chairman of the Medical Board of KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital. He is also the director of the KK Research Centre. Professor Sia plays an active role in the education of medical students and residents in his capacity as professor, Duke NUS Graduate Medical School. In January 2012, he was appointed senior associate dean for the SingHealth-Duke-NUS Academic Medicine partnership. As senior associate dean, he is the hospital’s senior leader responsible for formulating policies and strategic directions to promote academic pursuits. His own research interests include the development of closed-loop, automated and computer integrated administration of medications; he has filed three patent applications in this regard. He is also involved in research of the genetics of pain, particularly in relation with the mu opioid receptor.
Jane C. Ballantyne, M.D., F.R.C.A
FPM Singapore Visitor
Jane Ballantyne graduated from the Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine in London, England, trained in Anaesthesiology at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, England, and practiced at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard University in Boston. Presently, she is appointed at the University of Washington (UW) as professor of education and research and director of the UW Pain Fellowship.
Her expertise in chronic pain management spans 20 years and encompasses widely published work and editorial roles in several leading journals and textbooks. She is a key member of a UW research group tasked to develop prospective outcomes assessment instruments to characterise successful patient and treatment profiles. She is a member and endorsement committee chair of the Education Working Group of the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP), recognised for setting scientific and practice standards. She follows patients referred to her practice at the Center for Pain Relief through Washington State Legislature Substitute House Bill (ESHB) 2876 that regulates opioid prescriptions, and provides expert opinion during TelePain conferences, an innovative care coordination quality assurance program. As a practitioner, educator, author, and researcher, Dr Ballantyne’s contributions enhance knowledge of clinical approaches to chronic pain management.
Dr Andrew B Lumb, MB BS, FRCA
Organising Committee Visitor
Andrew (Andy) Lumb trained in anaesthesia in various London hospitals, including a two year fellowship with Prof John Nunn at the Clinical Research Centre in Harrow, researching the effects of general anaesthesia on the respiratory system. On completing training in 1994 Andy returned to his native Yorkshire for a Consultant post and now specialises in anaesthesia for thoracic and acute surgery. His research interests include respiratory physiology and its application to anaesthesia. Andy is involved in medical education at all levels from medical student to trained specialist, including medical school admissions and Electives Coordinator for Leeds University Medical School. In post-graduate training Andy teaches on many local and national courses, has been an examiner for the Royal College of Surgeons of England, and is currently an examiner for the Final Fellowship of the Royal College of Anaesthetists. He is author of numerous book chapters and reviews, is a member of the editorial board of the journal, Continuing Education in Anaesthesia Critical Care and Pain, and is sole author of three editions of Nunn’s Applied Respiratory Physiology.
Beverly Orser, MD, PhD, FRCPC
Organising Committee Visitor
Dr. Beverley A. Orser is a Professor of Anesthesia and Physiology at the University of Toronto and an anesthesiologist at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada. She is a renowned expert in the field of molecular mechanisms of anesthetics. Her work first identified populations of extrasynaptic inhibitory receptors as novel drug targets for a variety of neurological disorders (ww.orserlab.com). She also seeks to identify new strategies to improve patient safety. Her work has been published or highlighted in Scientific American, The New England Journal of Medicine, Nature Medicine and many lay journals. Dr. Orser’s research has been recognized by awards including a Canada Research Chair in Anesthesia, the first Frontiers in Anesthesia Research Award from the International Anesthesia Research Society, the Research Recognition Award from the Canadian Anesthesiologists’ Society and The Institute for Safe Medication Practices Cheers Award. Dr. Orser was inducted as a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences in 2012.
