Rhonda’s work is in public health and focused on the implementation of research outcomes. She has a strong focus on influencing systems-based change and the orientation of care to meet the needs of end-users. Her PhD was in the field of health literacy, and she co-delivers a unit in the Monash master’s program on implementation science.

Dr Sean Copson is a specialist gynaecologist and AGES Accredited Advanced Laparoscopic Surgeon. Dr Copson has completed a prestigious two-year AGES Fellowship in the Endoscopy Unit at King Edward Memorial Hospital. Dr Copson’s clinical interests are endometriosis, pelvic pain, menstrual disorders and complex laparoscopic surgery.

Dr Copson has a special interest in the management of endometriosis and in complex laparoscopic surgery. He also has expertise in the management of fibroids and menstrual disorders in the form of both medical management and minimally invasive surgical options.

Sean graduated Medicine from the University of Western Australia and was awarded Fellowship of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. Sean completed an AGES Accredited Fellowship in Advanced Laparoscopic Surgery with the Endoscopy Unit at King Edward Memorial Hospital.

Dr Copson also holds a public appointment as a Specialist Gynaecologist at King Edward Memorial Hospital. Dr Copson is passionate about endometriosis research and is currently working with researchers from UWA to try and reduce delays in the diagnosis of endometriosis and develop new treatment strategies. Sean also has a special interest in surgical training and the prevention and management of surgical complications.

Dr Copson is a facilitator of a number of surgical courses including the Anatomy of Complications Workshop. He is an invited facilitator of the Care of the Critically Ill Surgical Patient through the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. Through facilitating these courses, Dr Copson is involved in the training of the next generation of surgeons in Australia.

Dr Copson strongly believes in the holistic management of women with pelvic pain and endometriosis. He has a passion for trying to reduce the delays in women being diagnosed with endometriosis and working with them to find solutions for their pain so that they can maximise their quality of life.

Samuel Cornell investigates how social media platforms and digital culture shape perceptions of risk and influence real-world behaviour. His work examines digital harm, influencer culture, and the limitations of traditional public-health communication in fast-moving online environments.

Before entering academia, Samuel Cornell trained as a Mine Clearance Diver with the Royal Navy, gaining direct, lived experience in high-stakes risk environments. This early exposure to operational risk and decision-making informs his perspective on how individuals interpret danger, respond to uncertainty, and manage competing pressures — themes that now underpin much of his research.

Samuel Cornell completed a Bachelor of Science in Physiological Science at the University of Bristol, a rigorous natural-science degree encompassing physiology, neuroscience, biochemistry, and quantitative methods. This training provided a strong empirical foundation for analysing human biology, behavioural responses, and risk.

He went on to complete a Master of Science by Research at the University of South Wales, working closely with clinicians — including GPs, cardiologists, and public-health practitioners. This experience further strengthened his ability to translate research into real-world clinical contexts.

Samuel Cornell is now a PhD Candidate in Public Health and Community Medicine at UNSW Sydney, where he studies how social media encourages and amplifies risky behaviours with health consequences. His research integrates biological, clinical, and public-health perspectives to better understand why online environments so often undermine effective risk communication.

Timothy Piatkowski’s research focuses on harm reduction, particularly among individuals who consume performance and image-enhancing drugs.

Professor Kelly-Anne Phillips is a Consultant Medical Oncologist, Co-Lead of Breast Medical Oncology and a Senior Strategic Research Leader at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. She is among the top 2% of most cited scientists in her field internationally and is an NHMRC Leadership Fellow, a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences, and an Honorary Professorial Fellow of The University of Melbourne. She is committed to reducing the burden of breast cancer for women and their families by advancing and implementing knowledge in breast cancer risk assessment, prevention and treatment. She is recognised internationally as an expert in breast cancer genetics and precision prevention and has received awards for excellence in cancer prevention, women’s health and clinical trials research.

Professor Phillips was the European and Australian Chair of the POEMS study that showed the effectiveness of using the drug goserelin to minimise chemotherapy-induced menopause and infertility. She was national lead on the OlympiA study which demonstrated that olaparib improves survival for women with breast cancer and inherited abnormalities in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. She also chaired studies in Europe and Australia that elucidated the impact of anti-hormone treatments for breast cancer on cognitive function. She has led the kConFab Follow-Up Study since 2001, resulting in longitudinal data from over 6,000 participants which is used in global collaborations to better understand how to reduce breast cancer risk.

Professor Phillips has pioneered the development of digital health and clinical services for precision breast cancer prevention in Australia. She established the first Breast and Ovarian Cancer Risk Management Clinic. She led the multidisciplinary development of iPrevent, an online tool to help women understand their personal breast cancer risk and to act on it. iPrevent was awarded an Australian innovation patent, is an RACGP accepted clinical resource, and is recommended by Cancer Australia and BreastScreen. She leads health services research aimed at increasing use of preventive medications in women at increased risk. She recently founded the novel Preventing Cancer with Medications (PCMed) Telehealth Service at Peter Mac which assists women to make informed decisions about taking medications that halve breast cancer risk.

Professor Phillips chaired the Prevention Group of the 2024 Lancet Breast Cancer Commission. She is an Associate Editor of the US Journal of the National Cancer Institute. She has served on international and national evidence-based guideline committees and research taskforces. She was senior author on the paradigm-changing 2023 American Society of Clinical Oncology Research Statement that highlighted the need to assess ovarian toxicity in clinical trials of new anti-cancer agents.

Professor Phillips is an outcome-oriented clinician-scientist, committed to ensuring high quality research findings are translated into policy and clinical practice. Her research and advocacy have been instrumental in improving equity of access to breast cancer prevention agents and treatments that improve outcomes for Australian women.

Dr Wetherell is a Urologist in Melbourne, Australia specialising the diagnosis and management of prostate cancer, kidney cancer, bladder cancer as well as kidney stones, benign prostatic enlargement and general urology.

He is a fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) and has completed an advanced pelvic uro-oncology robotic fellowship in University College Hospital (UCH), London UK where he specialised in an innovative technique Retzius Sparing Robotic Radical Prostatectomy. He also has a special interest in Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate (HOLEP) for benign prostatic enlargement.

Dr Wetherell’s research interests extend to biology of resistance mechanisms of prostate cancer as well as clinical research in all fields of urology.

Alison Slater is an internationally-trained Physiotherapist, with 39 years of knowledge and practical clinical experience. She is a titled member of the Australian Physiotherapy Association, as well as of Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy Australia.

Alison graduated from the University of New South Wales, followed by Cumberland College of Health Sciences. With a wealth of post-graduate study, including a Master of Manual Therapy from the University of Western Australia (UWA) finishing top of her cohort. Following graduation from her Master’s degree, she was offered and accepted an Adjunct Teaching Fellowship at UWA and held this position for two and a half years. She has since added a Master of Public Health (University of New South Wales), graduating “with excellence”, in 2024.

She has also taught extensively throughout the United Kingdom and Australia in Muscle Energy Technique, firstly for Manual Therapy Seminars of the U.K. and subsequently with MET Rx.

Alison is an APPI-trained Pilates Instructor in Matwork and Equipment. She uses her extensive practical skills and passion for all things fascia to treat her patients at The Source Physiotherapy, which was established in 2003. Her practice offers one-on-one manual therapy, as well as targeted Pilates group sessions.

The Source Physiotherapy has now been established for 22 years, and continues to grow and develop, nurturing a trusted and respected reputation within the local community. From detailed assessments to myofascial therapy, our expertise is to treat the source of your pain, not just the symptom.