Clinical and Content Advisory Group

Alicia is a qualified Physiotherapist with a special interest in palliative care, gerontology and rehabilitation. She has more than 12 years of senior operational leadership experience in both private and publicly-listed healthcare organisations and is currently the Director of Care Services at MND Queensland.

Tom Jenkins is a Consultant Neurologist and Clinical Professor of Neurology and works in Perth. He qualified from Manchester in the UK, trained in Blackpool, Manchester, London and Sheffield and moved to Perth in 2022. He has spent the last 15 years involved in MND research and clinical care of people living with MND.

Vivienne Travlos is a clinical, academic and research physiotherapist with a >27year special interest in multidisciplinary care with people with complex disability, who have a high risk of respiratory compromise. Her published research studies include qualitative and quantitative work exploring respiratory health and wellbeing in individuals and their families living with neuromuscular disorders. She has led national and state based professional groups, collaborated in research teams and enjoys facilitating continuing professional development alongside colleagues within the Respiratory Physiotherapy in Complex Neuro-Disability RespiCoND Clinical collaborative.

Vivienne provides specialist, home based care to West Australian families navigating MND in her role as respiratory physiotherapist with MNDAWA. She feels very privileged to be able to contribute to the community of people living with MND in a clinical capacity and is passionate about advocating for best practice care by growing evidence and sharing our knowledge widely.

Victoria leads the Access and Education team at MND Victoria; providing tailored support, sector navigation, and education for people with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) and their broader care networks across Victoria and Tasmania.

An experienced Occupational Therapist and Health Education Specialist, Victoria has worked extensively with diverse client populations, consistently advocating for improved function, independence, safety, and quality of life for individuals with progressive neurological conditions.

Specialising in Parkinson’s Disease and MND, she has contributed nationally and internationally through peer-reviewed publications, leadership roles, advisory panels, and professional presentations.

Sharon is an Occupational Therapist who lives and works in rural NSW, supporting people with a variety of disabilities, with a special interest in progressive neurological conditions (including MND).

She is a passionate advocate for rural healthcare and using models of practice that work well in rural Australia.

Sharon has over 15 years’ experience working for private and public healthcare and is looking forward to adding a rural voice to the Advisory Group.

I am a Neurodegenerative Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS2) delivering district-wide care across a rural and remote health service, focused on improving access, coordination, and quality of care for people living with MND. My role brings clinical expertise and multidisciplinary collaboration across geographically dispersed communities, with a strong commitment to equitable, evidence-based, and person-centred care.

Within the Australian MND Guideline Clinical and Content Advisory Group, I aim to contribute practical clinical insight to ensure recommendations are relevant, feasible, and applicable across diverse settings. I am particularly focused on strengthening guidance for coordinated multidisciplinary care, telehealth delivery, and consistent, high-quality care regardless of location.

Alexandra Gray is a Speech Pathologist who graduated in 2016 and has worked across a range of healthcare settings throughout her career. She has previously held positions with ACT Health and NSW Health and has spent the past nine years working within the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District. During this time, Alexandra has held senior clinical roles across stroke, rehabilitation, palliative care, and motor neurone disease (MND) services, gaining extensive experience across multiple sites and multidisciplinary teams.

For the past five years, Alexandra has been a key member of the Illawarra Allied Health MND Outreach Service, providing specialised care and support to people living with MND and their families. She is passionate about delivering high-quality, person-centred care and is committed to improving outcomes and quality of life for patients through compassionate, evidence-based practice.

Dr Lillian Krikheli is a lecturer at La Trobe University and a Certified Practising Speech Pathologist, with specialist clinical expertise in dysphagia and palliative care for people living with motor neurone disease and other progressive neurological conditions. She has worked across public and private health services and now leads a private practice. Her work focuses on supporting safe, ethical and evidence-informed decision-making in complex care contexts, particularly where swallowing and communication needs change over time.

Lilli has led and contributed to clinically embedded research and national governance initiatives in areas including eating and drinking with acknowledged risk, saliva management and voice banking for people with MND. Her work has informed national clinical policy and practice guidelines and contributed to measurable improvements in access to specialist services. She regularly delivers invited professional development and education for speech pathologists across Australia.

Dr Matthew D. Gardiner graduated from The University of New South Wales in 1992, with Bachelors Degrees in Medicine & Surgery, with First Class Honours.

He holds post graduate Fellowships from The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and The Royal Australasian College of Physicians.

Dr Gardiner is a Senior Staff Specialist at Calvary Hospital in Kogarah, and has been a member of The Calvary MND Service, since its inception, in 2001.

He has published several peer reviewed, academic papers on MND, as well as a Chapter in The Handbook of Clinical Neurology.

Mathew is a Clinical Psychologist and board-approved supervisor. Over the past eight years, he has operated his own private practice, facilitated skills-based group therapy programs at a private mental health hospital, and delivered training workshops to organisations. In 2025, Mathew commenced work with MND QLD to develop and implement the psychology service for people living with MND (plwMND) and their carers.

Within this service, Mathew provides one-to-one psychological therapy to plwMND as well as to current and bereaved carers. He also conducts cognitive and behavioural screening assessments for plwMND to identify and assess potential changes.

Leanne Davis is a Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Nurse Consultant, and since 2018 has been the nurse coordinator of the South Australian Statewide MND Clinic, based at Flinders Medical Centre. She closely works with the Neurology, Palliative Care, Respiratory and Swallow Disorders components of the MND Clinic; as well as providing support to various community teams involved in MND care. Prior to this role Leanne’s background was in cancer and palliative care nursing. She completed a Bachelor of Nursing at the University of South Australia in 1994, and a Graduate Diploma in Haematology and Oncology Nursing at the University of Adelaide in 1998.

In 2020-21 Leanne was awarded the South Australian Nursing and Midwifery Award for “Excellence in Practice”. This same year she was also awarded a Premier’s Nursing and Midwifery Travel Scholarship, for planned travel to investigate MND practices in the UK and USA, although due to the COVID pandemic this was subsequently converted to Australia wide travel.

Sean Hambrook is an endorsed Clinical Psychologist and Board-approved supervisor of provisional psychologists, including registrars in clinical psychology. Sean has worked in the public health sector for over 15 years, predominantly in multidisciplinary teams across rehabilitation and geriatric settings. He has worked in psychology leadership positions over the past decade and more recently as the Professional Lead for Psychology at Canberra Health Services (CHS). He chaired the CHS Delirium Clinical Care Standard Implementation Working Group with responsibility for the development and implementation of policy to meet national accreditation standards.  He is also currently appointed as a practitioner member from ACT for the Psychology Board of Australia.

Rachael Starr is a highly experienced Dental Prosthetist, Dental Trainer, and Oral Health Advocate with a strong background in prosthetic dentistry, denture care, and oral health education. With many years of clinical and community-based practice, she has worked extensively with older adults and people living with complex medical and neurodegenerative conditions, including Motor Neurone Disease (MND). Rachael brings unique expertise in designing, fitting, and maintaining dentures, and is widely recognised for her ability to translate clinical knowledge into practical strategies that improve patient comfort, nutrition, and dignity.

As co-lead of the Smart Smiles Initiative and Healthy Smiles, Healthy Futures, Rachael has developed and delivered innovative oral health protocols, saliva management strategies, and tailored training programs for carers and health professionals. Her role as a trainer and mentor reflects her commitment to raising professional standards, empowering multidisciplinary teams, and ensuring oral health is embedded within everyday care. With her combination of technical skill, teaching experience, and advocacy, Rachael makes a significant contribution to advancing quality oral health outcomes for vulnerable communities.

Dr. Victoria Perchyonok is an Oral Health Therapist (Adult Scope) with a PhD in Free Radical Chemistry from the University of Melbourne and a Graduate Certificate in Dementia Care from the University of Tasmania. She is passionate about improving oral health care for people living with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) and other neurodegenerative conditions, recognising the essential role of oral health in swallowing, comfort, and quality of life. Victoria brings experience across aged care, home-based services, and academic teaching, with a focus on embedding oral health into multidisciplinary care pathways.

She co-leads the Smart Smiles Initiative and Healthy Smiles, Healthy Futures, programs dedicated to providing accessible oral health education, carer training, and preventative care for vulnerable communities. As a Clinical Lecturer at the University of Melbourne, Victoria is involved in training the next generation of oral health professionals and advocating for innovative, patient-centred approaches to care. Her work emphasises dignity, inclusion, and collaboration, ensuring that oral health is recognised as a vital part of comprehensive care for people living with MND.

Kylie Christel is a passionate occupational therapist who has over 32 years of  experience supporting people with progressive neurological conditions including Motor Neurone Disease (MND).  Kylie graduated from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Occupational Therapy and completed her Masters in Applied Health Management through the University of Newcastle.

Kylie has worked with adults and older adults in hospitals, community teams and charity organisations. Previous positions include Manager of Occupational Therapy Services for Hope Healthcare North in Sydney, and Head Occupational Therapist in the Camden REACH Multidisciplinary Community Team in London.

Kylie commenced her own successful community based practice in 2006, and has worked as the consultant occupational therapist with the statewide, Macquarie University Hospital, Multidisciplinary MND Service in Sydney since its commencement in 2011. In 2024, in conjunction with the speech pathologist, Kylie established a Communication and Assistive Technology (CAT) Clinic at MQ Health Neurology. She has presented on behalf of MND NSW and OT Australia, however her passion lies in her day to day work supporting people living with MND.

Leah Clarke is an Occupational Therapist currently working at Territory Palliative Care (TPC) based at the Royal Darwin Hospital. This role is a sole position and covers the hospice, community and remote areas.

Leah has a Graduate Certificate in Medical and Health Leadership (UOW) and is passionate about collaboration, innovation and providing consistent, culturally safe person-centred care.

Emily Farrugia is an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) and has shared her interest in health and nutrition for many years across clinical, private practice and corporate sectors. Emily currently works as a Senior Dietitian and Allied Health Research Officer at a metropolitan hospital in Melbourne, working primarily with people with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) within a statewide multidisciplinary clinic. As a PEG-credentialled dietitian, she also holds an Advanced Practice in Gastrostomy Tube Management, which encompasses completing independent balloon gastrostomy replacements and removals, gastrostomy stoma care and troubleshooting alongside the remodeling of home-based services. Emily’s research role extends to assisting with various clinician-led hospital research projects and systematic reviews, research education and communications, with a growing interest in MND- and gastrostomy-related research. 

A/Prof David Schultz obtained his BMBS at Flinders University of South Australia, and trained as a neurologist in Australia and the UK. He is now Head of Neurology and Stroke for the Southern Adelaide Local Health Network in South Australia, as well as the lead neurologist for the statewide MND clinic based at Flinders Medical Centre. He is a member of the Fight MND Clinical Trials & Translational Research Advisory Committee. He has established a successful track record in clinical trials, successfully recruiting many patients into a variety of trials, for various neurological disorders including acute treatments and secondary prevention of stroke, migraine and multiple sclerosis. In the last 10 years, his research emphasis has been in MND, being the site principal investigator in a number of national and international MND trials, and partnering with A/Prof Mary-Louise Rogers at Flinders University to assist in the discovery of urinary p75ECD as a biomarker for MND.

Dr Barry L Werth

Barry cared for his wife who was diagnosed with MND and passed away in 2013. He is a pharmacist who has worked in the Australian pharmaceutical industry for over 40 years. He has a PhD in epidemiology/pharmacoepidemiology (University of Sydney), an honours degree in pharmacy (University of Queensland) and an MBA (Deakin University). His pharmaceutical industry experience has included general management, regulatory affairs, clinical research, new product development, marketing and sales. Since retiring from full-time work in 2014, he has worked as a medical editor (editing medical research manuscripts prior to publication), as well as an author of manuscripts (including an article on MND for pharmacists) and units for a university course book. He continues to work part-time as a consultant to Australian and foreign pharmaceutical companies. He is Co-Chair of the Lived Experience Research Advisory Panel and member of the Lived Experience Network of MND Australia, Co-Deputy Chair of the Lived Experience Advisory Group and member of the Clinical and Content Advisory Group of the Australian MND Guideline, and a Research Affiliate of The University of Sydney.

Alex is an experienced Occupational Therapist with over 10 years in the field and has been working at Calvary Health Care Bethlehem, Melbourne for the past 7 years. Alex first started in the Statewide Progressive Neurological Diseases Clinic and now works as Senior Clinician in the NDIS service. Originally from Ireland, Alex migrated to Australia in 2011 and completed her Occupational Therapy degree in Melbourne. Her clinical expertise is in supporting individuals with progressive neurological conditions, she has a particular passion for working with people living with MDN, helping them maintain independence and enhance their quality of life.

Annette Collins is a senior speech pathologist with advanced clinical experience working with speech and swallowing disorders associated with neurological diseases and stroke.  She is currently working at The Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital Acute Stroke Unit and Motor Neurone Disease Clinic.  Annette has a strong interest in innovative service design to improve health care information and support.  She has recently been involved in research focusing on improving saliva management for people living with MND.

Dr Shana Taubert is a speech pathologist with extensive clinical experience working with speech and swallowing disorders associated with neurological diseases, currently working at The Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital Motor Neurone Disease Clinic. After completing her PhD in videofluoroscopic swallow assessment, her current research focuses on improving speech and swallowing interventions for individuals with Motor Neurone Disease and Huntington’s Disease. Shana regularly provides national training and workshops to speech pathologists on these topics.

Bronwyn is a Physiotherapist with 30 years’ experience. She has worked in New Zealand, England, Greece and Australia.  Bronwyn’s specialisation includes MND, hydrotherapy, spinal cord injury rehabilitation, prosthetics, and occupational rehabilitation. Her experience is as a treating physiotherapist and in advising and set up of services. Bronwyn has been working at MND Queensland for the past 3 years.

Alicia Gibb has worked with clients with progressive neurological conditions including Motor Neurone Disease for over 16 years. Alicia commenced in the role of FlexEquip Manager at MND NSW in January 2022. Prior to commencing in the FlexEquip Manager position Alicia was a community Occupational Therapist at Liverpool Hospital for 14 years.

Alicia previously provided expertise within the Liverpool Hospital Communication and Assistive Technology Clinic, Motor Neurone Disease clinic and within the chronic and complex community team. Alicia has extensive experience in the prescription of complex equipment. She has presented at a number of MND National and International MND conferences.

Meaghan Joyce is an Accredited Practising Dietitian with over 25 years of clinical experience, currently working at Macquarie University Hospital, the MQ Health, Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Clinic, and in private practice at Nutritional Health Dietetics. She has developed specialist expertise in MND care, with over 15 years of dedicated experience supporting patients at the MQ Health MND Clinic and through private practice. Her work includes close involvement in nutrition management, PEG insertions, and the complexities of progressive neurological conditions. In addition to her MND focus, Meaghan Joyce brings extensive experience across a range of clinical areas including critical care, neurology, gastroenterology, bariatric surgery, oncology, endocrinology, weight management and cardiology. Her holistic and evidence-based approach is underpinned by a commitment to patient-centred care and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Laura Donnelly is a Senior Physiotherapist at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital (RBWH). Working in both Neurology and Respiratory areas of RBWH, Laura has developed a passion for providing care for people living with MND alongside the multidisciplinary team. Laura is an active member of statewide and national networks including the Queensland Cardiorespiratory Physiotherapy Network: Neuromuscular Diseases with Respiratory Impairment subgroup. In 2024, Laura was invited by the grant recipient to present at the community engagement event ‘MND Roadshow’ which travelled across Queensland to deliver education to people living with MND, their family and clinicians. She has fundraised for MND organisations, including completing the Point to Pinnacle run to raise funds for the MND and Me Foundation Laura is currently undertaking her PhD in cough and secretion management in MND. Her project aims to improve how care is delivered to people living with MND who experience cough and secretion issues, including people who live outside of metropolitan areas. She is excited to contribute the Australian MND Guidelines, with the hope of improving equitable access to guideline-driven care to meet the complex needs of Australians living with MND.

A/Professor William Huynh graduated from University of NSW in 2001 after completing the combined Science and Medicine Course and then completed his specialist training in Neurology in 2009 with a subspecialization in Neurophysiology. Dr Huynh has established a strong track record in medical research and has completed two post-doctoral fellowships at University of Sydney in affiliation with the Forefront Motor Neuron Disease Clinic at the Brain and Mind Centre. He spent over 7 years working with Professor Matthew Kiernan delivering multidisciplinary care to MND patients at the Forefront Clinic.

Manasi Thornley graduated in 2000 from University of Western Sydney and has been working with clients with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) for over 20 years. Manasi provides expertise within the MND clinic and Communication and Assistive Technology clinic at Liverpool Hospital. Manasi has previously presented at MND National and International Conferences in 2018, 2019 and 2020. In 2024, Manasi participated in the MND Podcast about her life as an Occupational Therapist. She was also invited to contribute her expertise in the Fight MND research grants in 2024. Manasi is a leader in the discipline of Occupational Therapy and Allied Health for her specialist clinical skills, student and staff supervision, engagement in research, commitment to sharing, and empowering others by leading by example. Manasi builds positive work environments by equipping Allied Health with specialist skills within MND. Manasi is a valued member of the Allied Health Team.