Leadership

Dr. O’Brien trained in the specialty of anaesthesia at a number of major hospitals in Brisbane and regional Southeast Queensland and went on to work as a consultant anaesthetist in both public (The Prince Charles Hospital) and private practice.

Dr. O’Brien works exclusively in pain and has a firm commitment to the multidisciplinary approach to pain management – practicing “slow medicine” – taking time to really listen to and connect with patients.

Dr. O’Brien has a keen and ongoing passion for neuromodulation, including radiofrequency neurotomy, pulsed radiofrequency and Spinal Cord Stimulation.

Dr. James Yu is the Medical Director of Sydney Spine and Pain with several multi-disciplinary pain centres across Sydney. He is also the director of SSP Rehab and REGAIN multidisciplinary pain management program.

In 2016, he established Australian Medical Research (AMR), a private clinical research facility in Sydney. AMR is working closely with several pharmaceutical and medical device companies to coordinate and conduct high quality clinical studies.

He is an examiner and training unit assessor for the Faculty of Pain Medicine. He has been certified and awarded the Fellowship in Interventional Pain Practice (FIPP) in 2015.

Dr Yu is an executive board member of the Neuromodulation Society of Australia and New Zealand (NSANZ). He has been the organizer and moderator for the NSANZ cadaver workshops for the last 4 years.

He is trained in all areas of pain medicine with clinical expertise in interventional pain procedures including spinal cord stimulation and intrathecal pump implant.

Megan Hannah completed her general nursing training in 1984 and obtained post graduate qualifications in orthopaedic nursing where she worked for many years before commencing work in a private neuromodulation practice in 1997. She has worked in a number of neuromodulation practices since that time.

She completed her Bachelor of Health Science in Nursing in 2000 and her Graduate Diploma of Science in Medicine (Pain) in 2007. She is a member of the Australian College of Nursing.

Megan was involved in the formation of the Australian Chapter of the International Neuromodulation Society (now NSANZ) and is a founding member of the Australasian Neuromodulation Nurses Special Interest Group.

Megan’s passion is patient and medical education. She aims to raise the profile of nurses working in neuromodulation and facilitate ongoing education for nurses.

Dr Alan Nazha is a dual qualified Anaesthetist and Specialist Pain Physician. He completed his anaesthetic training at Royal North Shore Hospital in 2011 and underwent further subspecialty training in Pain Medicine at Royal North Shore Hospital, Concord Hospital and Hunter Pain Clinic. Awarded a merit in pain medicine fellowship examinations he went on further to qualify for Fellowship in Interventional Pain Practice.

Dr Nazha works exclusively in private practice and is the co-founder and director of Sydney Pain Specialists. He has private hospital appointments at The Sydney Adventist Hospital, Norwest Private Hospital, The Northern Beaches Hospital and The Mater Hospital. Dr Nazha has a special interest in the utilisation of Peripheral Nerve Stimulation in the treatment of persistent post-surgical pain, neuropathic pain, CRPS.

Dr Marc Russo is a Fellow of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists and a Fellow of the Faculty of Pain Medicine. He is the Director of the Hunter Pain Specialists, Hamilton Day Surgery, Genesis Research Services and Co-Director of the Innervate Pain Management Program. Hunter Pain Specialists in Newcastle is a Tier 2 training facility for Faculty of Pain Medicine, and we are also a Certified ISO 9001 business.

Dr Russo provides a multidisciplinary approach to pain management. He believes that clinical diligence, early intervention, education and research in the field of pain management are integral to successfully treating patients suffering from chronic persistent non cancer and cancer pain.

Dr Mohammed Awad is a UK and Australian-trained Neurosurgeon. He is a full member of the Royal college of Surgeons of England and The Royal Australasian college of surgeons, and is a leader and global educator in surgeries on brain tumours, complex spinal (robotic) surgery, computer and ultrasound guided surgery and complex pain surgeries amongst many others.

Dr Awad conducted his medical school and Neurosurgery training in the United Kingdom. He trained and gained expertise in some of the leading neurosurgical centres in London and Australia, and deriving experience in a diverse range of areas in brain and spinal surgery. He has been granted Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons and the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

Dr Awad has completed subspecialty fellowship training in spinal surgery and neuro-oncology. Dr Awad applies the latest state-of-the-art techniques, including minimally invasive surgery and artificial disc replacement, as well as robotic spinal surgery, to the treatment of a range of spinal conditions, including disc prolapse, degenerative spinal disease, tumours, and spinal trauma. He is also a world leader in the removal of brain tumours using high-tech intra-operative techniques to make for safer surgery.

Dr Awad prides himself on providing every patient timely, compassionate and personalised care of the highest standard.

Dr. Tim Ho is a Rehabilitation Specialist, Interventional Pain Specialist, and Addiction Medicine Specialist in Sydney.  Dr. Ho completed his medical degree at the University of New South Wales in 2005 and underwent specialty training in Rehabilitation Medicine, Pain Management, and Addiction Medicine. He has held the position of NSW Director for the Australian Pain Society. Currently, he serves on the Medical Committee for the Department of Health as well as being a clinical lecturer at University of Sydney. Dr. Ho has a translational research interest in fMRI and rTMS.

Dr David Holthouse is a Neurosurgeon and Pain Specialist. He has a previous background also in general practice. He is a fellow of the pain section of the Australian New Zealand College of Anaesthetists, a fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and a fellow of the Australian College of General Practitioners. Dr Holthouse is a Master Certified Independent Medical Examiner with the American Board of Independent Medical Examiners (ABIME). He also has a research background in neurosciences.

He currently works as a private pain consultant out of the Claremont Pain Clinic and also Hollywood Private Hospital. He commenced private practice in 2008 and has had a long standing interest in pain management which includes neurostimulation, pain interventions and pain pharmacotherapy.

Dr Romil Jain is the founder and Director of ACT Pain Centre. Dr Jain is a qualified Specialist Pain Medicine Physician and Interventional Pain Specialist.

Dr Jain is also  former Director of Pain management Unit at the Canberra hospital and currently works as a Visitor Medical Officer at the same Hospital. He is a clinical Lecturer in Australian National University and involved with teaching of medical students and registrars in Canberra Hospital. Dr Jain is also an examiner with ‘Faculty of Pain Medicine’ and involved in many educational and research activities.

Dr Jain believes in comprehensive care of chronic pain patients in multidisciplinary environment. He is an ‘Interventional Pain Specialist’ and uses Pain Procedures as part of Biopsychosocial model of Pain.Dr Jain’s area of interest includes Failed Back Surgery Syndrome (FBSS), CRPS and other intractable neuropathic Pain conditions. Dr Jain is well experienced in various Pain procedures including radiofrequency ablation and Neuromodulation. He is also passionate about offering various pain procedure options for intractable Cancer pain including Intrathecal therapy.

Dr Mittal completed her medical degree at the University of Melbourne, followed by an Anaesthetics Fellowship at the Alfred Hospital, Melbourne. Recognising the importance of acute and chronic pain management and the impact it had on quality of life of patients, Dr Mittal went on to achieve an additional fellowship in Pain Medicine in 2014.

Dr Mittal has a combined practice in Anaesthesia and Pain Medicine and is an integral member of the team at Persistent Pain Solutions in Melbourne. She is committed to providing care to patients with chronic pain via every modality available including medical, psychological, physical and interventional pain treatments. She is a keen proponent of the role of Neuromodulation in chronic pain particularly focussing on medical and technical advances in this field in the near future.

Dr Taylor is a Pain Medicine Specialist at Northern Pain Centre and Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney.  He developed his skills and interest in Neuromodulation through training under the guidance of Professor Michael Cousins and now invests time in teaching and research in this exciting area of Pain Medicine.

Dr Taylor is committed to providing comprehensive, individually tailored treatments for a range of pain conditions.  He is highly experienced in interventional procedures and is an integral part of the multidisciplinary team at Northern Pain Centre which offers a three week, intensive pain management program as part of their evidence-based approach to patient care.

Rachel is the Nursing Manager at Hunter Pain Specialists in Newcastle, NSW, where her role involves caring for patients with chronic pain, while also managing the daily routines of the nursing team. Prior to working in chronic pain, Rachel has worked across various acute care specialities such as medical, surgical and intensive care units, and also has experience working in General Practice where she ran a successful Women’s Health Clinic. She holds a Graduate Certificate in Critical Care Nursing, Sexual and Reproductive Health and is currently completing her Masters in Nursing Management.

She is the president of the Allied Health & Nursing Neuromodulation Special Interest Group (AHNNSIG), after having served previously as Scientific Chair. Rachel was directly involved in the development of AHNNSIG and is passionate about its mission to support and educate nurses and allied health professionals working within the neuromodulation field.

Rachel has had the privilege of presenting at various conferences and enjoys the opportunity to facilitate education and networking among her peers. She sees her professional affiliations and continuing education as an asset in providing quality nursing care for patients with chronic pain.