Governance Structure

Surgery People, Culture and Development

The Department of Surgery is comprised of paid academic surgeons, scientists, and professional staff, and honorary academic staff, with an Executive Committee encompassing representation from all hospital precincts. We are working to actively increase professional development opportunities to all of our members through strengthening our research focus and performance across the spectrum from discovery to translation, including basic and clinical sciences, hospital services and population health sciences; to encourage and support learning and teaching developments and innovation, and championing clinical leadership through advocacy of a greater leadership role for academic surgeons.

Vision Statement

In keeping with the vision of the Melbourne Medical School, the Department of Surgery is committed to becoming world-renown in:

  • Quality in patient care outcomes;
  • Leadership in the provision of  surgical education for medical students, and current and future surgeons;
  • Innovation and excellence in the conduct of basic sciences, clinical and translational research;
  • The establishment of linkages and partnerships with internal (inter-precinct, School, Faculty) and external stakeholders (Institutions, industry, government).

Executive Committee

The Executive Committee provides operational and strategic oversight for the Department of Surgery. Working within the framework established in the Committee’s Terms of Reference, the Executive Committee coordinates the development and management of educational strategies and innovations in training with the research interests of the Department to build surgical capacity and capability of the highest calibre. The Executive Committee aims to:

  • Strengthen the Department's research focus and performance across the spectrum from discovery to translation
  • Encourage learning & teaching through innovation and support career development
  • Strengthen clinical leadership by advocating a greater leadership role for clinical academics on hospital campuses
  • Promoting engagement with health services, Department of Health at the Federal and State levels

Members of the Department of Surgery Executive Committee are:

  • Professor Peter Choong AO (Chair) (St Vincent's Hospital)
    University of Melbourne
  • Professor Stephen O'Leary (Otolaryngology)
    University of Melbourne
  • A/Professor Marcos Perini  (Austin Health)
    University of Melbourne
  • Professor Alistair Royse (The Royal Melbourne Hospital)
    University of Melbourne
  • Professor Keith Martin (Ophthalmology)
    University of Melbourne
  • Professor Tony Penington (Royal Children's Hospital)
    University of Melbourne
  • Professor Debra Nestel (Austin Health)
    University of Melbourne
  • Professor Justin Yeung (Western Health)
    University of Melbourne
  • Associate Professor Vijayaragavan Muralidharan (Austin Health)
    University of Melbourne
  • Associate Professor Michelle Dowsey (St Vincent's Hospital)
    University of Melbourne
  • Robyn Guymer mug shot
    Professor Robyn Guymer (Ophthalmology) 
    University of Melbourne
  • Alexander Heriot mug shot
    Professor Alexander (Sandy) Heriot (PMCC)
    University of Melbourne
  • Renu Eapen mug shot
    Dr Renu Eapen (PMCC)
    University of Melbourne
  • S.Wiecwick
    Dr Sudanthi Wijewickrema
    (Otolaryngology)
    University of Melbourne

  • Karim Sadik

    Department of Surgery Liaison Officer/Rural Site Chair (Surgical Students Society Melbourne)
    University of Melbourne
  • Albert Shen
    Mr Albert Shen

    President of the SSSM (Surgical Students Society Melbourne)
    University of Melbourne
  • Dr Fiona Reid 
    University of Melbourne

Mr Alan Eddy - Department Manager, Surgery
Miss Michelle Marcola - Executive Secretary

Department  of Surgery  Executive Committee - Terms of Reference

The Department of Surgery has established policies and continues to monitor their implementation through the basic committee structure, which underpins all activities within the department; this is done with the aim of harnessing the talents of members of the Department in developing and administering the protocols for research, education and training, mentorship, and appointments and promotions for senior honorary staff.

Research Committee

The Research Committee is chaired by A/Prof Marcos Perini MD, PhD, FRACS surgeon-scientist from Austin Health, and acts as a sub-committee of the Department Executive. Research has representation from all Department of Surgery precincts, and has not only overall responsibility for the development and translation of the Department Research Strategy, but also oversees and promotes the development and integration of the Department’s knowledge exchange and impact strategy with its commitment to research excellence. Since the committee’s inception in 2016, the Department has incrementally introduced several elements outlined in the Research Strategy to augment the research output and help create a ‘pipeline’ for further grant income such as:

Student support: - promotion of surgical student activities in the Clinical Schools through closer alignment with the Surgical Students’ Society, and annual prizes given for ‘best Poster presentation by surgical research project students; these initiatives are aimed towards improving the Department’s research impact, to promote knowledge transfer and encourage our student researchers at the beginning of their careers.

Research support: - work with MDHS Research Development to identify what existing resources are available to support researchers, and provision of internal panel reviews facilitated by senior peer researchers to interrogate the underpinning science of each grant application, and a subsequent extensive external editing review by a contracted organisation to further refine and enhance the final applications.

An integral part of our research framework is to augment the research pipeline, and to put in place processes that will provide our researchers with greater access and participation in research such as the creation of seeding grants that are awarded on an annual basis for projects that support departmental areas of research priority. These are meant to assist in the generation of pilot data that will facilitate subsequent grant applications.

Department of Surgery Research Committee - Terms of Reference 2021

Members of the Department of Surgery Research Committee are:

  • A/Prof Marcos Perini Chair (Austin Health)

    University of Melbourne

  • Professor Justin Yeung (Western Health)

    University of Melbourne

  • James Dimou
    Dr James Dimou (The Royal Melbourne Hospital)

    University of Melbourne


  • Tayla Razmoski (Otolaryngology)

    University of Melbourne

  • Dr Russell Hodgson (Northern Health)

    University of Melbourne

  • Dr Sina Babazadeh (St Vincent's Hospital)

    University of Melbourne

  • Dr Carla Abbott (Ophthalmology)

    University of Melbourne

  • Mr Siddharth Rele (Student Representative)

    University of Melbourne

  • Serena Duchi
    Dr Serena Duchi  (St Vincent's Hospital)

    University of Melbourne

Contact Us:

Miss Michelle Marcola (Executive Officer):  michelle.marcola@unimelb.edu.au

The Committee on Educational Innovation

The Committee on Educational Innovation is chaired by Professor Justin Yeung from Western Health, and operates under the same governance structure as our other Departmental Committees. This committee has only been in existence for part of 2017, and although the terms of reference have been developed and ratified by the Department Executive, it is still in the process of establishing a sub-committee structure (with a wider inclusive membership) for Education Research; Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and Simulation in Education. The remit of the Committee on Educational Innovation applies to all education and training programs that have surgical elements, within the Melbourne Medical School and includes the MD program, CPD, course-work post graduate programs in Surgical Education and Surgical Science, and the HDR Master’s Degree in Surgery.

The Committee on Educational Innovation - Terms of Reference

Members of the Department of Surgery Education Committee are:

  • Professor Justin Yeung Chair

    University of Melbourne

  • Professor Paul Baird (Ophthalmology)

    University of Melbourne

  • Krinal Mori
    Dr Krinal Mori (Northern Health)

    University of Melbourne

Contact Us:

Ms Susan Teo (Executive Officer):  susan.teo@unimelb.edu.au

Committee Secretariat contact:  Education-DoS@unimelb.edu.au

Academic Titles Committee

Academic Titles Committee is chaired by Professor Stephen O’Leary (the William Gibson Chair of Otolaryngology) at the Eye and Ear Hospital.  The remit for this Committee only relates to both new and re-appointments for Honoraries at levels D and E. The completed documentation (together with a letter of support from the relevant Precinct Lead) are reviewed by the Committee to ensure that a consistency and rigor (in the appointments criteria) is applied across the entire Department for the appointment and re-appointment of academic surgeons.

Department of Surgery Academic Titles Committee - Terms of Reference

Members of the Department of Surgery Academic Titles Committee are:

  • Professor Stephen O'Leary

    Chair
    University of Melbourne

  • Professor Paul Baird (Ophthalmology)

    University of Melbourne

  • Professor Kate Drummond (The Royal Melbourne Hospital)

    University of Melbourne

  • Professor Tony Penington (Royal Children's Hospital)

    University of Melbourne

  • Professor Alistair Royse (UEG)

    University of Melbourne

Contact Us:

Ms Cassandra Lewis (Executive Officer):  cassandra.lewis@unimelb.edu.au

Mentoring and Career Development  Committee

Led by Professor Prof Michelle Dowsey the Department of Surgery,  The vision of the Mentorship & Career Development Committee is to be recognised for promoting a dynamic, sustainable culture of mentorship.

Our mission is to equip clinicians for academic success by offering meaningful mentoring expertise and career development support and resources.

Our focus for 2022 is to establish a mentorship for academic promotion program driven by the needs of the program participants and built on a foundation of reciprocity. The program will aim to foster a culture of inclusive excellence by actively promoting and supporting diversity, inclusion and equity in all its forms to expand and enrich our work and elevate the careers of our staff and students.

Department of Surgery Mentorship and Career Development Committee - Terms of Reference

Members of the Department of Surgery Mentorship and Career Development are:

  • Professor Michelle Dowsey (Chair ) (St Vincent's Hospital)
    University of Melbourne
  • Sina Babazadeh (St Vincent's Hospital)
    University of Melbourne
  • Professor Peter Choong AO  (St Vincent's Hospital)
    University of Melbourne
  • A/Prof Jean-Marc Gerard (Otolaryngology)
    University of Melbourne
  • Professor Tony Penington (Royal Children's Hospital)
    University of Melbourne
  • Professor Debra Nestel (Austin Health)
    University of Melbourne
  • Dr Fiona Reid (Western Health)
    University of Melbourne
  • Mr Siddharth Rele (Student Representative)
    University of Melbourne
  • Li-Ming Wong
    A/Prof Li-Ming Wong (St Vincent's Hospital)
    University of Melbourne
  • Contact Us:

    Miss Michelle Marcola (Executive Officer):  michelle.marcola@unimelb.edu.au

    Professional Development Opportunities

    Surgical Conference Finder was founded with the idea for the site arising from the difficulties encountered by surgeons in spending hours searching the internet for various conference locations and abstract deadlines. Today the Surgical Conference Finder houses a comprehensive database of over 500 surgical conferences and continues to grow. The aim is to help surgeons find interesting conferences to present their own research or to find out more about the latest research in their field.


    The Surgical Conference Finder is regularly updated, free to use and you can keep up to date through the Surgical Conference Finder social media channels:


    Website: www.surgicalconferencefinder.com

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SurgConFinder/

    Twitter: https://twitter.com/SurgConFinder

    LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/surgical-conference-finder