Keynote Speakers
A/Professor Bryan Ashman
A/Professor Bryan Ashman is an orthopaedic spine surgeon in Canberra. He became a member of the Spine Society of Australia in 1991 and was Treasurer from 1999 to 2005. He is currently the Program Director of the AO Global Spine Diploma Program, a 2-year online spine surgery course for recent graduates of orthopaedic and neurosurgical programs who do not have access to formal fellowship programs for spine surgery training.
Dr Mohammed Awad
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 Jonathon Ball
Dr Ball is an Australian Neurosurgeon specialising in surgery of the spine. He is based at the North Shore Hospital Campus in Sydney, where he was previously the Head of the Department of Neurosurgery at Royal North Shore Hospital.
After training in neurosurgery, he completed further specialised training in spine surgery with a combined orthopaedic and neurosurgery fellowship at the University of Calgary in Canada.
Dr Ball’s clinical practice focusses exclusively on spinal surgery with a particular interest in complex surgery for tumours, deformity and trauma. He is one of two neurosurgeons in the RNSH Spinal Injuries Unit, providing services to spinal injured patients from the northern half of NSW. He has additionally qualified with postgraduate qualifications in biomedical engineering.
Dr Ball is committed to various spinal research projects and surgical education, to improve care for patients. He has active interests in clinical outcome research, basic biomechanics studies and acute spinal cord injury research. He has been a keen advocate of spinal surgery navigation technology including the introduction of robotic guided spine surgery in Australia.
Dr Scott Blumenthal
Scott L. Blumenthal, M.D., is a spine surgeon on the medical staff at Texas Health Center for Diagnostics & Surgery and co-medical director for The Center for Disc Replacement. Blumenthal is a Board Certified Orthopedic Surgeon with additional fellowship training in spinal trauma.
Dr Blumenthal is credited with performing the first disc replacement in the United States and has participated in clinical trials for several artificial disc devices. He was the first spine surgeon in the United States to devote his practice solely to the research and application of artificial disc replacement.Dr Blumenthal serves as a clinical assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at the University of Texas Southwestern in Dallas, is the deputy editor of the European Spine Journal and is an ongoing contributor to the first non-profit foundation created for arthroplasty patients. He has published numerous articles in professional spine journals and presents regularly both nationally and internationally.
Dr John Choi
Dr. John Choi is a Melbourne orthopaedic spine surgeon with an international fellowship training in complex spine surgery.
He completed his medical degree at Otago University with Faculty Scholarship. During his final year he was awarded prestigious Otago-Scandinavia Research Fellowship that took him to Karolinska Institute, Stockholm in Sweden to complete a project on hypoxic injuries of neonates at the Alfred Nobel Research lab in Huddinge Hospital.
He began his orthopedic training after completing his internship and surgical residency at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne and during this time, he traveled to several Victorian and Tasmanian hospitals gathering wide variety of surgical experiences.
Prof Robert W. Gaines
Society Session, Friday 26 November, 11.45 - 13.00 AEDT
Prof Gaines has held many esteemed positions throughout his career. Since 1984 he has been Director of Spinal Reconstruction Fellowship Program in University of Missouri School of Medicine.
In 2003 he was granted permanent, Lifetime recertification to the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery. He is also a recipient of the Distinguished Service Award from the Board of Directors of the Scoliosis Research Society for his dedicated leadership of the Hibbs Society, and life-long contributions to international spine care.
Prof Gaines has developed several operative procedures for spinal deformity, which include reconstruction for Spondyloptosis by the “Gaines Procedure”, short segment reconstruction of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis by the “short segment bone-on-bone” technique, short segment anterior-only reconstruction for Scheurmann’s kyphosis”, anterior vertebrectomy for short segment reconstruction for L1 burst fractures, and the use of the Kaneda Device for the short segment reconstruction of burst fractures of the thoracolumbar junction.
He has published over 50 articles and papers and attended conferences around the world as an invited speaker.
Dr Richard D. Guyer, MD
Symposium I, Friday 26 November, 14.30 - 15.30 AEDT
Richard Guyer, M.D. is the Co-founder of the Texas Back Institute and Director of their Spine Fellowship Program. Dr. Guyer is also co-director for the Center for Disc Replacement at Texas Back Institute. Dr. Guyer was instrumental in bringing artificial disc replacement surgery to the United States after its creation and use in Europe.
Dr. Guyer earned his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. He completed his internship at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, TX and continued with his residency program in Orthopedic Surgery at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Guyer then completed two spine fellowships in Ohio and California.
Dr. Guyer holds many honors including founder of the Texas Back Institute Research Foundation and Chairman of the Board for the program. Dr. Guyer has received the Best Doctor Award from D Magazine for multiple years, is past president of the North American Spine Society and winner of the Volvo Award for Low Back Pain Research.
A/Professor
Hamid Hassanzadeh
Society Session, Friday 26 November, 11.45 - 13.00 AEDT
Assoc Prof Hamid Hassanzadeh will be joining Johns Hopkins in February as a Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and Division Chief of the National Capital Region (NCR). Dr. Hassanzadeh comes to us from the University of Virginia (UVA) where he is a tenured Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, Director of Spine Surgery Fellowship, Co-Director of UVA Spine Center, and Director of Spine Research.
Dr. Hassanzadeh received his medical degree from the University of Hamburg, Germany, followed by a two-year neurosurgery residency at Westküstenklinikum Heide, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. He went on to complete his internship and residency here at Johns Hopkins followed by a spine surgery fellowship at Rush University Medical Center and pediatric spine surgery at Shriners Hospital in Chicago.
Dr Steven W. Hwang MD
Society Session, Friday 26 November, 11.45 - 13.00 AEDT
Dr Hwang's specialty training involved completing a fellowship in pediatric scoliosis surgery followed by a fellowship in pediatric neurosurgery. He currently work at Shriner’s Hospital in Philadelphia with a primary objective of dedicating research time to advance our understanding of scoliosis. However, He is a relatively young investigator having spent the first 5 years of practice at Tufts Medical Center more ensconsed in pediatric neurosurgery.
Dr Hwang's current practice is almost entirely dedicated to pediatric spinal deformity surgery and research related to it. The clinical practice allows for innovative and new surgical management of pediatric scoliosis at Shriner’s Philadelphia and is leading advances in clinical care for patients. The practice has an established infrastructure assisting research and actively participate in most of the pediatric spine registries in the country (Pediatric Spine Study Group, Fox Study group, Harms Study group, Shriner’s Spine study group, Pediatric Cervical Study group). The resources and busy clinical volume creates a perfect environment to study rare entities and spinal deformity.
Associate Professor Paige Little
The Getting of Wisdom, Saturday 27 November, 15.45 - 16.45 AEDT
Associate Professor Paige Little is a Principal Fellow in Spine Research, & Research Director, for the QUT Biomechanics and Spine Research Group, a collaborative research group with members from both QUT and the Queensland Children’s Hospital in Brisbane. The Group is based at the Centre for Children’s Health Research, the research facility for the Queensland Children's Hospital.
Assoc/Prof Little’s expertise is in computational modelling for biomedical applications. She has extensive experience in the application of engineering and mathematical simulation techniques to modelling of physiological systems, and in mechanical characterization of spine biomechanics. Her skills are broadly in the use of 3D simulation, finite element modelling, non-invasive patient imaging, and advanced manufacturing to develop fundamental understanding of spine biomechanics and to design bespoke solutions for individual patients (particularly paediatric) with spinal deformity.
Ms Carmel Monaghan
Carmel Monaghan was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Ramsay Health Care’s Australian operations on 1 October 2020. In Australia, Ramsay is a leading private health care operator with 72 hospitals, 60 community pharmacies and more than 30,000 staff.Ms Monaghan has worked across hospital, corporate and global positions in Ramsay for more than two decades.
Prior to her appointment as CEO of Australia, Ms Monaghan was the Group Chief of Staff of Ramsay's global operations, gaining extensive experience and a comprehensive understanding of health care operations and strategy both in Australia and overseas. She also served as the Group Head of Marketing and Public Affairs directing the company’s marketing, brand and communications strategy through a time of several major mergers and acquisitions both within Australia and overseas as it grew from 12 facilities to over 500, becoming one of the leading private health care operators in the world.
In her time with Ramsay, Ms Monaghan has had a strong focus on delivering results through focusing on customers and developing strong doctor relationships. She is a respected leader with the ability to build an experienced and loyal team and her collaborative style and people-focused approach, is closely aligned with ‘The Ramsay Way’. Having worked with the company’s founder Paul Ramsay for many years, she has a strong belief in its organisational culture of ‘people caring for people’.
Dr Michael Selby
Symposium II, Saturday 27 November, 14.00 - 15.00 AEDT
Dr Mike Selby is a Spinal Surgeon with a background in Orthopaedic Surgery, and advanced fellowship training in both Adult and Pediatric Spinal Conditions.Whilst he has expertise in all areas of Spinal Surgery, his focus is on complex spinal problems, in both children and adults.
He introduced South Australia to Minimally Invasive Pedicle Screw Fixation in 2011 and Lateral Minimally Invasive Fusion Techniques in 2013, as well as motion preserving surgery in Adolescent Scoliosis.Currently, he has performed the first robotic assisted spinal surgeries in SA and continues to develop and innovate in Spinal Surgical navigation techniques – opening up the option of complex surgery to more patients.
Professor Marcus Stoodley
The Getting of Wisdom, Saturday 27 November, 15.45 - 16.45 AEDT
Professor Stoodley is head of neurosurgery at Macquarie University Hospital and the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. Professor Stoodley’s clinical subspecialty qualification is in neurovascular surgery. In addition to managing aneurysms and vascular malformations, he has become an Australian leader in cerebral bypass surgery, especially in the treatment of moyamoya disease and other occlusive disorders. In addition to his neurovascular expertise, Professor Stoodley is recognised internationally for clinical management of Chiari malformation, syringomyelia, and spinal cord tumours.
He graduated with honours from the University of Queensland Medical School. After completing neurosurgery training in Australia, he undertook further subspecialty training in vascular neurosurgery at Stanford University and the University of Chicago in the United States. Prior to joining Macquarie University, he worked at the Prince of Wales Hospital and the University of New South Wales.
In addition to his clinical interests, Professor Stoodley heads the neurosurgery research team at Macquarie University. This is one of the largest neurosurgery research groups in Australasia, with world-leading research efforts in syringomyelia and CSF physiology, and in the development of new treatments for brain AVMs. This work has attracted over $3 million in research funding, including support from Australia’s major medical research funding body the NHMRC and The Column of Hope, a US-based organisation dedicated to advancing the understanding and treatment of syringomyelia. He has produced more than 100 publications and has supervised over 15 research students. He has delivered over 70 invited lectures at national and international scientific meetings. In 2012, Professor Stoodley was awarded the John Mitchell Crouch Fellowship by the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, the premier surgical research award of the RACS.
A/Professor Michelle Welborn, M.D
Society Session, Friday 26 November, 11.45 - 13.00 AEDT
Michelle Welborn, M.D., received her pediatric orthopaedic surgery fellowship at the University of Utah. She received her undergraduate degrees from the University of California Berkeley and her medical degree from Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine. Dr. Welborn then completed her orthopaedic surgery residency at the University of Illinois Chicago, where she was the recipient of the Robert Ray, M.D., Ph.D., Award for Basic Orthopaedic Research, and the Leonard Weinstein, M.D. Award for Excellence in Patient Care.
Dr. Welborn is a candidate member of the AAOS and POSNA. She is also a member of the Scoliosis Research Society and the Children's Spine Foundation Study Group. Her focus is on pediatric spinal deformity and she has a special interest in the nonoperative management of scoliosis, syndromic scoliosis, early onset scoliosis, congenital scoliosis, Mehta casting, spinal growth modulation and surgery for complex spinal deformity.
Dr Jack E. Zigler MD
Symposium I, Friday 26 November, 14.30 - 15.30 AEDT
Dr. Zigler received a B.S. with Distinction Cornell University in 1973, and received his MD degree cum laude from the Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse, New York.
Following completion of a residency in Orthopaedic Surgery at The Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, Dr. Zigler did a Fellowship in Spine Surgery and Spinal Cord Injury at the Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, with Dr. Henry Bohlman.
After Fellowship, Dr. Zigler served as Chief of the Spinal Injury Service at Rancho Los Amigos, was a Clinical Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Southern California, and maintained a private practice in Orange County, California.
In 1996, Dr. Zigler moved to Dallas to join the Texas Back Institute, where he served as Medical Director. He is a Past-President of the American Spinal Injury Association, a Past-President of ISASS, and served on the Board of the CSRS for more than 10 years.
Dr. Zigler has authored over 80 articles in peer-reviewed journals, 26 textbook chapters, and has edited three textbooks on Spine Trauma and Spine Arthroplasty. He is a frequent international speaker on spine-related topics, and has trained over 120 Spine Fellows. He has been married for 46 years (to the same woman!) and has two children and one grandchild.
Important Dates
Registrations are open
SSA 2021 Virtual Conference
Friday 26 November -
Sunday 28 November 2021
Conference Secretariat
DC Conference & Association Management
Suite 103, Level 1, 3-5 West Street
North Sydney NSW 2060
PO Box 637
North Sydney NSW 2059
P +61 2 9954 4400
E ssa2021@dcconferences.com.au
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