Speaker Details

Dr Natasha Andreadis

Dr Andreadis is a Certified Reproductive Endocrinologist and Infertility specialist (CREI). This qualification is held by only 73 doctors in Australia and NZ. She completed generalist training in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.

In 2008, Natasha received the RANZCOG award for the highest mark in the Oral MRANZCOG examination. She has completed subspecialty training toward the Certification of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility and completed her last year as a research fellow overseas in Oxford, United Kingdom and Utrecht, the Netherlands. Dr Andreadis holds a Masters of Reproductive Sciences and Genetics from the University of Sydney and is a Clinical Lecturer at the University of Sydney Central Medical School and Masters of Philosophy Supervisor. 

Clinical A/Professor Michael Cooper

Professor Cooper is currently a Visiting Medical Officer and Head of Gynaecology at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Head of Gynaecology at St Luke's Hospital, has an appointment at St Vincent's Private Hospital and is accredited at Genea for assisted conception/IVF.  

He operates periodically in Hong Kon A/Prof Cooper is involved with ongoing research into endometriosis in collaboration with the University of Sydney. A/Prof Cooper graduated from Sydney University in 1984 and received his Fellowship qualification in 1995. He spent extensive time training in endoscopic (keyhole) surgery in Europe, the United Kingdom and America. He initiated one of the early endoscopic training centres for gynaecologists in Australia and is regularly involved in workshops to train other doctors and students.

He is part of the SWEC (Sydney Women’s Endosurgery Centre) team who train other surgeons on a regular basis.  

Dr Susan Evans

Dr Susan Evans is a Gynaecologist, Laparoscopic Surgeon and Specialist Pain Medicine Physician in Adelaide, with particular interest in the management of pelvic pain.  She is the author of the book ‘Endometriosis and Pelvic Pain’ and co-author of the policy document ‘The $6Billion Woman and the $600Million Girl: The Pelvic Pain Report’. She has a long held interest in improving the Quality of Life for women and girls with pelvic pain.

Dr Susan Evans has contributed widely to education on pelvic pain in Australia and overseas through contributions to medical textbooks, international pain guidelines, online learning modules, articles in everything from medical journals to Cosmopoliton, and media interviews across ABC and Commercial TV and Radio. 

She is a director of the Pelvic Pain Foundation of Australia (www.pelvicpain.org.au), a not-for-profit health promotion charity that supports education and research in pelvic pain. 

Dr Charlotte Hespe

Charlotte has been a GP at the Glebe Family Medical Centre since 1996,  stating she joined “because the practice is ethical. We go out of our way to look after all our patients however complicated their needs may be”.  She completed a year of nursing training before switching to a medical degree.

As well as being a Doctor in Glebe Charlotte is Chair of Inner West Sydney Medicare Local and GP Synergy. She is also a board member of GPNSW and Deputy Chair NSW/ACT RACGP Faculty. She teaches Medical students and is Head of General Practice and GP Research at University of Notre Dame, Australia (Sydney campus).

Dr Alison Hey-Cunningham

Alison is a research scientist at the Queen Elizabeth II Research Institute for Mothers and Infants in the University of Sydney.  She completed her PhD on the role of the pelvic lymphatic system in endometriosis.  Alison has been researching endometriosis since 2007, publishing and presenting at national and international conferences, including the NSW Reproduction Forum 2014, Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists 2013 Annual Scientific Meeting and the 2011 and 2015 World Congresses on Endometriosis. 

Alison’s current research is focussed on determining exactly how the immune system is involved in endometriosis and infertility associated with the disease.  While it is apparent that inflammation and immune disturbances occur in endometriosis, we do not yet fully understand how this contributes to the development and progression of the disease and the symptoms of pain and infertility.  Her research aims to improve understanding of endometriosis, with the goal of contributing to improved management and a better quality of life for women affected by this common and complex disease.

Ms Sherin Jarvis

Sherin is a clinical and research pelvic floor physiotherapist with many years experience. She has post-graduate qualifications in Acupuncture; Continence & Pelvic Floor Dysfunction; and Urodynamics.

Her extensive knowledge and experience  have taken her interstate and overseas sharing her experience and research findings in these areas with other medical and allied health professionals.  Sherin has pioneered research into the use of Botox for treatment of chronic pelvic pain. She is also researching painful intercourse following treatment for breast cancer.

Along with Professor Thierry Vancaillie she also treats women and men suffering from pudendal neuralgia. She is a conjoint lecturer at UNSW with the School of Women's & Children's Health.

Dr Cherry Koh

Dr. Cherry Koh is a Colorectal Surgeon who did her general surgical training in Melbourne and Sydney. She undertook further subspecialty training in Colorectal surgery at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney and the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, United Kingdom.

In Oxford, she worked on the Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and the Oxford Pelvic Floor units which allowed her to consolidate her laparoscopic skills in addition to learning about TEMS (Transanal Endoscopic Microsurgery) and the management of complex re-operative surgery for IBD.

She has a Masters of Surgery in Colorectal Surgery and is the current recipient of the Notaras fellowship. She is one of the clinical leads for colo-rectal research at RPA hospital.

Dr Kim Matthews

Dr Matthews is a Fertility Specialist at Next Generation Fertility and a Visiting Medical Officer in Paediatric and Adolescent Gynaecology at The Children’s Hospital, Westmead. After training as an obstetrician and gynaecologist in the Western Sydney program, she trained in infertility and reproductive endocrinology as well as paediatric and adolescent gynaecology at Westmead, Royal North Shore, City West IVF and The Children's Hospital, Westmead.

As well as her specialist qualifications, she holds a Masters in Reproductive Medicine (MRM) at the University of Western Sydney and the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of O&G subspecialty Certificate of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (CREI). She has published and presented both nationally and internationally in the areas of infertility and fertility treatment for cancer survivors.

Ms Melissa Parker

Melissa Parker is the Endometriosis Nurse Coordinator and Researcher at the Canberra Endometriosis Centre based at the Canberra Hospital. Melissa was awarded a Research Fellowship in 2004/2005 and completed a Masters by research for her project entitled the MDOT study – Menstrual Disorder in Teenagers which surveyed over 1,000 Australian teenagers about their periods and was published in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in 2010.

In conjunction with other researchers, Melissa has just completed further projects entitled: ‘Impact of endometriosis on women’s lives’, ‘Evaluation of a nurse led model of care for women with pelvic pain and endometriosis’ and ‘Communicating endometriosis with young women’ which were all presented at the World Congress on Endometriosis in Brazil in May 2014 and have been published.

Melissa is passionate about ongoing research and streamlining pathways for early diagnosis of menstrual disturbance, endometriosis and pelvic pain as well as comprehensive education for women regarding long term management of endometriosis using a combined approach, self-management responsibility and strong support networks. 

Professor Geoff Reid

Professor Reid is a gynaecologist with a particular interest in endometriosis and infertility. His practice is located in central and south-west Sydney and the Southern Highlands of NSW.  He is the Director of Gynaecological Endoscopy at Liverpool Hospital and has VMO appointments at St Luke’s Hospital, St George Private Hospital and the Southern Highlands Private Hospital.  He is an accredited doctor with Sydney IVF. 

Dr Reid is a Lecturer at the University of NSW and is frequently involved in educational activities for doctors both within Australia and overseas.  Geoffrey is a past Board Member of the Australian Gynaecological Endoscopy and Surgical Society, a member of the World Endometriosis Society, a member of the Indian Endometriosis Society, a member of the American Association of Gynaecological Laparoscopists, a member of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, a member of the European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology and a member of the International Society of Gynaecological Endoscopy.

He has been an invited speaker and surgeon in many countries including China, the Czech Republic, India, Malaysia and Singapore.

Professor Peter Rogers

Peter Rogers is the Professor of Women’s Health Research in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at University of Melbourne. His group has research interests spanning basic reproductive biology through to gynaecological problems. Current areas of interest include common women’s health disorders such as heavy menstrual bleeding, uterine fibroids, endometriosis, pelvic pain and uterine aspects of infertility.

Peter also runs a program investigating the application of synchrotron generated micro beam x-rays for tumour radiotherapy. Professor Rogers has published more than 225 scientific articles.  He is Chair and organiser of the annual international endometrial symposium at the Society for Gynaecologic Investigation in the USA each year; Board member Jean Hailes Foundation; NHMRC grant review panel member; Editorial Board of the scientific journals Angiogenesis and Endometriosis; and RWH Board Research Committee member.

He was formerly Chair of the Victorian Cancer Biobank Consortium, Founding Director of the Centre for Women’s Health research at Monash University, and President of the Australian and New Zealand Microcirculation Society.

Associate Professor Nesrin Varol

Nesrin Varol is a gynaecologist at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital who specialises in the treatment of women with endometriosis. She is the Director of the Sydney Endometriosis and Gynaecology Centre and provides holistic care for women with this condition. Nesrin specialises in laparoscopic surgical treatment of endometriosis for women who suffer from chronic pelvic pain and infertility. 

Nesrin is an Associate Professor at Sydney Medical School and is involved in teaching and researching on gynaecology and endometriosis and international women's health.

Dr Paula Watkins

Dr. Paula Watkins is a clinical psychologist and also received a PhD in Public Health and Community Medicine with a focus on medical anthropology at the University of New South Wales. Following the completion of her clinical training at the University of Otago, New Zealand she specialised in forensic and later refugee mental health.

She has consulted to refugee and post-conflict health services in Cambodia and on the Thai-Burma border and as part of her interest in refugee women’s mental health developed a research project investigating the psychological wellbeing of refugee women living in Australia. Her research was awarded funding by the Australian Psychological Society and New South Wales Institute of Psychiatry. Over the past seven years, Dr. Watkins has consulted to The Happiness Institute, Australia’s first organisation devoted solely to enhancing the happiness of individuals, families and organisations. She has set up the Institute’s Mindfulness and Meditation programs, specialising in stress and mood management.

Dr. Watkins provides executive coaching and continues her clinical practice in the areas of women’s mental health, mood disorders, management of chronic pain and mindfulness-based strategies for wellbeing. Her continuing education has been in neuroscience and contemplative traditions. Her mission is to educate, inspire and empower people to enhance their wellbeing through evidence-based mindfulness and meditation strategies in addition to traditional clinical psychology treatments.