Speakers
Speakers invited to present include:
Dr Gordon Dandie
Dr Dandie completed MBBS at the University of NSW between 1985-1989, and then undertook an Internship and basic surgical training at St Vincents Hospital, Sydney, in 1990-1992. He then completed unaccredited Neurosurgical training at Royal Hobart Hospital and St Vincents between 1993 and 1995, and Advanced Surgical Training in Neurosurgery at St Vincents Hospital, Royal North Shore Hospital, and the Children's Hospital, Randwick from 1996-1999. He obtained his FRACS and a Neurovascular Fellowship at Royal North Shore Hospital in 2000, and completed a Complex Spinal Surgery Fellowship at the University of Toronto, Canada in 2001. In 2002 Dr Dandie worked as a VMO at John Hunter Hospital, Newcastle, and since then at Westmead Hospital, Sydney. He has been Secretary of the NSW Neurosurgical Association, and a Board member of the Sydney Neuro Oncology Group. In 2007 he became an accredited medical officer at Sydney Adventist Hospital.
Prof Brian Freeman
Professor Brian Freeman is an Orthopaedic Surgeon with a major interest in both Paediatric and Adult Spinal Surgery. His public practice is shared between the Royal Adelaide Hospital, the Women and Children’s Hospital. His private practice is conducted at Orthopaedics SA with admitting / clinical privileges at St Andrew’s Hospital and Memorial Hospital.Professor Freeman graduated from medical school in 1988 and pursued higher surgical training in Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, obtaining Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons in 1997 and Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in 2010. He completed two internationally recognised Fellowships in Spinal Surgery; The British Orthopaedic Association National Fellowship in Spinal Surgery (12 months, 1998-1999) Nottingham, UK and The Clinical/Research Fellowship in Spinal Surgery at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, Australia (12 months 1999-2000). Research conducted during this Fellowship (2000) led to the award of Doctorate of Medicine to Professor Freeman from the University of Nottingham, UK (2006).
Professor Freeman has been in continuous clinical practice as a Spinal Consultant for 16 years. He commenced as Consultant Spinal Surgeon at Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK in 2000. In 2007, he was awarded the position of Special Professor of Spinal Surgery by the University of Nottingham, UK (2007-2010). In 2008 he was appointed Head of Spinal Services at the Royal Adelaide Hospital and Professor of Spinal Surgery at University of Adelaide (2008-present). He was appointed Research Director at the Adelaide Centre for Spinal Research in 2012 and Co-director of the Centre for Orthopaedic and Trauma Research, University of Adelaide in 2012.
Dr Rob Kuru
Dr Rob Kuru is a Fellowship trained (Springfield, Illinois) orthopaedic spinal surgeon who specialises in the treatment of complex trauma and tumour reconstruction as well as paediatric and adult deformity correction. He holds appointments at Lake Macquarie Private Hospital, Newcastle Private Hospital as well as with Hunter New England Area Health Service.Dr Kuru is currently on the executive board of Spine Society of Australia, and is Chair of the Spinal Prosthesis Advisory Group.
Dr Kevin Seex
Dr Kevin Seex is a Neurosurgeon and Spinal Surgeon, born in Ayr, Scotland. He studied medicine at Edinburgh University - MBChB 1985, trained in General Surgery - FRCS 1989, followed by Neurosurgery at the Institute of Neurological Sciences in Glasgow, FRCS (Neurosurgery) 1997. After completing UK specialist training, he undertook a Neurosurgical fellowship in Adelaide, Australia prior to commencing as a Consultant Neurosurgeon at Nepean Public Hospital in NSW in 2000, FRACS (Neurosurgery) 2000.Dr Seex was Head of Department at Nepean Public Hospital from 2000 to 2015 overseeing its growth from 1 to 5 consultants. In 2010, he joined Macquarie Neurosurgery while retaining appointments at Nepean Public and Private Hospitals.
His practice is now exclusively in adult spine surgery, focusing on complex deformity, fusion, non-fusion and minimally invasive spinal technologies. He has invented and commercialised several spinal retractors to reduce retraction injury and holds several patents for retractors and spinal implants. His academic interests include retractor technology and investigating new surgical techniques and technology for less invasive spinal surgery.
Dr Ralph Stanford
Dr Stanford is an orthopaedic surgeon who specialises in surgery of the spine. He deals with all types of spine problems in adults and operates on all levels of the spine from the neck to the low back.He graduated in medicine from the University of Tasmania in 1988 and completed advanced surgical training in orthopaedics with the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in 2000. To further develop his skills, Dr Stanford undertook a spinal fellowship at the University Hospitals of Cleveland in the USA for one year.
Dr Stanford commenced practice as a specialist spine surgeon in 2001. He has appointments at the Prince of Wales and Prince of Wales Private Hospitals in Sydney, Australia. At the Prince of Wales Hospital he runs an outpatient clinic and is on the orthopaedic and spinal injury rosters.
During his advanced training, Dr Stanford researched bone-healing substitutes and was awarded a PhD from the University of New South Wales in 2002. He continues to conduct research and has a conjoint appointment as a Senior Lecturer with the University.
