PRECISION - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Neurologist and Neurophysiologist
Dr Annabel Pollard is a clinical psychologist with over 20 years experience in health care and health systems, acute and chronic disease management, rehabilitation, pain and symptom management and health behaviour change. Annabel completed a PhD in Behavioural Science at the University of Melbourne which focussed on health behaviour and serious illness.
Annabel has held senior leadership positions in health care as a clinical psychologist, including working as head of the Department of Clinical Psychology at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. Annabel has held consulting roles across Melbourne including health policy development, research, and palliative care. Across her career Annabel has consistently initiated and participated in clinical research, and patient focused service innovations and has published psychosocial research.
Annabel's main area of clinical expertise and interest has been on working with individuals who are coping with the impact and experiences of acute and chronic illness. A significant focus of Annabel's clinical practice is supporting mental health and resilience, and developing health and wellness directed behaviours to better manage the impacts of chronic illness, life stressors and workplace stressors on individual mental health and wellbeing.
In her clinical therapy work Annabel's focus is on working with individuals to support health and mental health concerns, the aim is to deepen insights and understandings of personal dilemmas in order to create possibility and choices which support wellbeing and recovery and enhance quality of life.
She is pleased to see patients with private health insurance, as well as DVA, TAC and Workcover patients.
Dr Chris Tomsett is completing a fellowship with the Faculty of Pain Medicine (ANZCA) and currently seeing patients at Southport.
He also practices at the Princess Alexandra Hospital (Metro South Pain Rehabilitation Centre) and is experienced in multidisciplinary management. He has a background in general practice, is a University of Queensland graduate and prior to medicine was as an exercise physiologist.
After achieving his Fellowship and working as a General Practitioner, Chris developed an interest in Pain Management and has desire to assist his patients achieve a better life and manage their pain, sooner.
Chris is patient focused and has an interest in all areas of pain management.
Job Titles:
- Clinical Psychologist
- Member of the Australian Psychological Society
Dr Christina Furtado is a Clinical Neuropsychologist with special interests in brain injury, memory, dementia, stroke and neurological rehabilitation.
Dr Furtado has completed a Doctorate in Clinical Neuropsychology with Monash University and the Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre. Her thesis focussed on cognition and brain structure in treatment resistant depression before and after a new type of antidepressant therapy called repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship with the Monash Epworth Rehabilitation Research Centre working as the project manager for the NHMRC funded project looking at motivational interviewing and cognitive behaviour therapy for anxiety and depression following traumatic brain injury. She maintains a keen interest in research and has several published articles in international journals.
Dr Furtado is a full member of the Australian Psychological Society and College of Clinical Neuropsychologists. She has endorsement in Clinical Neuropsychology with the Psychology Board of Australia.
Dr Furtado's interests are:
Adult neurology and psychiatry
Aged psychiatry and dementia
Stroke
Brain injury
Alcohol-related brain impairment
Neuropsychological rehabilitation
Dr Furtado's special services are:
Neuropsychological assessments to characterise cognition
Emotional and behavioural functioning post injury to the brain
Diagnostic assessments
Assessments to comment on return to previous activities
Assessments of decision-making capacity
Dr Eman Awad is a specialist Occupational Health Physician. She is fascinated by different cultures and enjoys travelling to different countries. As part of this, she enjoys learning languages. She is passionate about connecting with her patients to achieve their best outcomes.
Dr Awad is an Occupational Health Physician with plentiful experience in private and corporate healthcare having first developed a strong and stable grounding in the public sector working specifically within the NHS England.
Dr Awad has a special interest in stress and the impact on mental health in high pressured environments. She has held the role of Chief Medical Officer for a prestigious and major London law firm; a regulatory body and market leading companies where she established a good understanding of the functioning of corporate workplaces. She played an instrumental role in working to identify and minimise risk to health. She is a Member of the Faculty of Occupational Medicine of the Royal College of Physicians in London.
Eman is certified in the following areas and can offer consultations to support your patients:
Job Titles:
- Neurologist and Neurophysiologist
Dr Felix Ng is a fully qualified Australian neurologist with subspecialised training in clinical neurophysiology at Precision Brain Spine and Pain Centre. He also holds a position at numerous hospitals in Melbourne including the Royal Melbourne and Austin Hospitals.
Dr Ng graduated at the University of Melbourne in 2006 and completed specialist training at the Austin Hospital, Eastern Health and Northern Hospital. He has gained experience in paediatric neurology, advanced neurosurgical training and neuroimmunology, and attained a Master of Public Health during his postgraduate training. He further undertook a Clinical Neurophysiology Fellowship at the Austin Hospital with Level 2 Advanced EMG Neurophysiology accreditation.
Dr Ng has strong interest in neurological research and is the recipient of the Australian and New Zealand Association of Neurologists (ANZAN) Jim Mcleod Award and the Stroke Society of Australasia Peter Bladin New Investigator Award in 2016. He is currently undertaking a PhD in stroke neuroimaging with the support of the prestigious National Brain Foundation Grant and the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Postgraduate Scholarship. He has also been awarded the Heart Foundation Health Professional Scholarship, the ANZAN E&RF Scholarship and the Royal Australasian College of Physicians Kincaid-Smith Scholarship.
Dr Ng provides a comprehensive clinical neurophysiology service at the Precision Brain Spine and Pain Centre in Kew. He performs nerve conduction studies and EMG and offers a supplementary clinical opinion to assist further management upon requested.
Job Titles:
- Neurosurgeon and Spinal Surgeon
Job Titles:
- Fellow of the Australasian Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine
Dr Jeena Kim is a fellow of the Australasian Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine (Royal Australian College of Physicians) with more than 10 years experience as a Rehabilitation and Neurorehabilitation specialist.
She has a particular interest in:
Electrodiagnostic Studies (NCS/EMG)
Ultrasound-guided upper and lower limb therapeutic injections
Botox and Intrathecal Baclofen for the treatment of spasticity, pain and headaches
Assessment and treatment of cerebral palsy
Neurorehabilitation
Dr Kim is an accomplished clinician and researcher. She has published widely, with international manuscripts on cerebral palsy, stroke, complex regional pain syndrome, rehabilitation after breast cancer surgery, and numerous other subjects.
Dr Kim's interests are:
Nerve conduction studies (NCS)
Interventional pain and spasticity management
Spinal, musculoskeletal and neuropathic pain
Neurorehabilitation in a multidisciplinary team
Post-surgical pain and rehab (spinal, breast and orthopaedic)
Cerebral palsy
Botox and intrathecal baclofen
Hip and knee pain
Carpal tunnel syndrome diagnosis and treatment
Job Titles:
- Neurologist
- Neurologist and Neuroimmunologist
- Neurologist and Neuroimmunologist / Assoc. Professor Dr Ramesh Sahathevan
Dr Zhong is a neurologist with interest in all neurological conditions. He graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery and Bachelor of Medical Science from The University of Melbourne in 2013, before completing medical and neurological training at Monash Health and St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne. Following this, he undertook further subspecialty training with the Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology Unit at Alfred Health. In 2023, he completed his PhD in the field of multiple sclerosis therapeutics through Monash University. He currently holds consultant positions in numerous hospitals across Melbourne and Victoria, as well as fellowships and memberships with organisations including the RACP, ANZHS, and ANZAN.
Job Titles:
- Member of Royal Australasian College of Physicians
- Neurologist
- Researcher in the Field of Movement Disorders
Dr. Mina Ghaly FRACP is a highly qualified Australian-trained neurologist. He subspecialises in Movement Disorder Neurology - working with MR-Guided Focused Ultrasound and Deep Brain Stimulation teams - and also undertakes General Neurology.
Dr. Ghaly is the lead movement disorder neurologist working with Precision Brain Spine and Pain. He also holds a position at numerous private hospitals in Melbourne.
Mina has particular expertise in movement disorder neurology. He has expertise in:
Parkinson's disease
Tremor
Dystonia
Restless legs
‘Device Assisted Therapies' such as Deep Brain Stimulation, Apomorphine, and Duodopa.
Headaches and facial pain
Vertigo, peripheral neuropathy, and multiple sclerosis
Dr Ghaly prides himself on:
An engaging, warm and compassionate bedside manner
A thoughtful and methodological approach to the diagnosis and treatment of frequently complicated neurological conditions
An evidence-based approach to movement disorder neurology
Dr Ghaly is also an active researcher in the field of Movement Disorders particularly, Parkinson's disease.
Dr. Ghaly is a member of Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP), Australian and New Zealand Association of Neurologists (ANZAN), American Academy of Neurology (AAN), International Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Society (IPMDS), Movement Disorders Society of Australia and New Zealand (MDSANZ) and The Australian and New Zealand Headache Society (ANZHS).
LANGUAGES SPOKEN
Job Titles:
- Neurosurgeon & Spinal Surgeon
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 undertook 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.
Job Titles:
- Neurosurgeon and Spinal Surgeon
Job Titles:
- Well - Regarded Orthopaedic Surgeon
Dr Phil Sheard is a well-regarded orthopaedic surgeon with special expertise in managing general orthopaedic conditions, trauma injuries and spinal conditions. Prior to working with Precision and since 2015, Dr Sheard has served as a consultant orthopaedic surgeon at Townsville University Hospital.
After graduating with honours from University College London in 1995, Dr Sheard joined the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 1999 and completed his Tr.& Orth fellowship in 2004.
He completed two six-month fellowships at the world renowned, Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in London in the joint reconstruction unit and spinal unit. He then gained fellowship with the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in 2020.
Dr Sheard keeps his skills up to date by attending professional development programs and courses. He enjoys mentoring and teaching the new generation of trainee orthopaedic surgeons.
Dr Phil Sheard has special expertise in:
Orthopaedics
Hip and knee replacements - incl. revisions
Ulnar nerve decompression and carpal tunnel decompression
Spine
Decompressions, discectomy, fusions
Cervical disc replacement
Lumbar
Trauma and Sports Injuries
Knee ligament reconstructions and meniscal surgery
Dr Sheard offers consults and can perform surgeries for all lower limb orthopaedic complaints.
His academic ability has earned him multiple awards and prizes, including the Arthur Edward Burton Memorial Prize in 2004. He has been published in peer reviewed journals including the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery and the Journal of Thrombosis and Haematosis.
Dr Sheard was a high-profile Orthopaedic surgeon in the UK, both treating high profile sporting clients and giving regular interviews, both live and recorded, for TV, radio and news media.
Job Titles:
- Consultant
- Member of Rehabilitation Medicine Society of Australia
Dr Rachel Teo is a Consultant Physician in Rehabilitation Medicine specialises in spine and brain disorders.
She graduated from Monash University, Melbourne with Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery in 2009. She completed specialist training with major rehabilitation services across Victoria including the prestigious Victorian Spinal Cord Service. She was awarded fellowship of the Australasian Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine.
Rachel has rehabilitation experience in multi-trauma, TAC and Workcover patients. She prides herself in delivery of high-quality integrated and holistic rehabilitation program to optimise the functional outcome for her patients. She works very closely with allied health, physicians and surgeons. She is also fluent in Mandarin.
Rachel is a member of Rehabilitation Medicine Society of Australia and New Zealand and actively involved in the training of rehabilitation doctors.
Job Titles:
- Managing Director of Precision Brain
Dr Bittar is the Managing Director of Precision Brain, Spine and Pain Centre. While Dr Bittar is not currently involved in providing services to clients directly, her interests as a Psychologist encompass the treatment of a wide-range of psychological issues and life difficulties including depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, stress, personality disorders, emotion regulation problems, and adjustment problems.
Dr Shahram Sadeghi is a graduate of Australasian Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine (Royal Australasian College of Physicians).
He previously worked overseas as a specialist for 11 years:
In different settings as a consulting physician (private and public sectors)
As a research assistant professor where he published international manuscripts, mostly on muskuloskeletal pain (in musicians, workers, on fibromyalgia) and electrodiagnostic medicine (nerve conduction studies and electromyography)
Dr Sadeghi moved to Australia from Tehran in 2014 and has worked in different hospitals including most recently the Royal Melbourne Hospital between Feb 2014 and late 2018 when he began working with other specialists at Precision Brain, Spine & Pain.
Job Titles:
- FFPMANZCA FRCA FFPMRCA EDRA Cer Cli Res
- Pain Specialist
- S Special Interests Include
Dr Shankar Ramaswamy is a highly trained Pain Specialist and Anaesthetist. He was a five-star rated UK based specialist with substantive appointments at St Bartholomew's and Royal London Hospital (public sector) as well as at leading private hospitals in the prestigious Harley Street and London Bridge areas in Central London and East London. He has also held leadership and academic appointments in Pain Management and Anaesthesia with active involvement in research, undergraduate and postgraduate education. He has numerous publications to his credit including original research articles, review articles and chapters in prominent textbooks. He has also delivered several national and international lectures. He holds an Honorary Senior Lectureship with the University of Edinburgh and is the course director for their MSc Pain Management program.
Dr Ramaswamy has been awarded his full Fellowship as an Australian Pain Fellow FFPMANZCA by Faculty of Pain Medicine Board - ANZCA.
He achieved his medical doctorate in anaesthesia as a medal scholar from Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh, which is a leading Indian postgraduate medical educational centre. He then went on to train at the prestigious South East Scotland rotation based in Edinburgh and undertook an Advanced Pain Fellowship in London, at Imperial Healthcare.
Expertise:
Dr Ramaswamy is vastly experienced in managing patients with acute, chronic and cancer pain. He treats patients with wide variety of conditions such as neck pain, back pain, post-surgical pain, headache, facial pain, chronic musculoskeletal and joint pain, fibromyalgia, CRPS and neuropathic pain, abdomen-pelvic pain, sports injuries, cancer pain and whiplash.
He has considerable expertise in a wide range of pain interventions and anaesthetic procedures including: X-ray and ultrasound-guided interventions, epidural/root block, cervical and lumbar facet joint/medial branch injections, radiofrequency treatment to medial branch/nerve roots or peripheral nerves, complex pain interventions e.g. splanchnic, nerve/ hypogastric plexus block, advanced laser therapies, regenerative medicine techniques and neuromodulation (spinal cord, DRG stimulation and peripheral nerve stimulation).
Dr Ramaswamy conducts a detailed consultation and comes up with a tailor-made treatment plan for each patient. He believes in a holistic approach, educating patients about their condition so that they can self-manage their pain in the longer term.
X-ray and ultrasound guided injections for spinal pain, headaches, joint pain and for other neuropathic pain and MSK conditions.
Neuromodulation (neuraxial and peripheral) for variety of neuropathic pain conditions
Emel Ahmet is a Health Psychologist who completed her Masters in Health Psychology at Monash University. She is a Member of the Australian Psychological Society and a Fellow of the APS College of Health Psychologists.
She has a special interest in working with individuals presenting with psychological factors associated with chronic illness and chronic pain.
Emel is passionate about assisting individuals to cope with their pain and illness and improve their quality of life including their physical and emotional well-being.
She has considerable experience working with clients across the lifespan from childhood to older adulthood. She has experience working in various settings including hospitals, rehabilitation settings, pain management clinics, schools and private practice.
Emel is regarded as a compassionate and warm clinician. She brings warmth and a down to earth manner to her work with her patients.
Emel has an eclectic approach utilizing a variety of therapeutic approaches including Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Interpersonal therapy, Psychodynamic Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy as well as Mindfulness and Relaxation therapies.
Her expertise/interests include:
Depression and Anxiety
Stress Management
Grief and Loss
Chronic Pain and Pain Management
Emotional reaction, depression and anxiety associated with Chronic illness (with a particular interest in Diabetes, Psycho-Oncology, Gastrointestinal problems, Women's Health)
Psychological adjustment to chronic illness and medical diagnoses
Greg Etherington is an experienced Orthopaedic Surgeon who specialises exclusively in Spinal Surgery. He carries out a wide range of procedures, from lumbar microdiscectomy to lumbar and cervical spine fusion. Mr Etherington is also one of a relatively small group of spine surgeons who specialise in the diagnosis and treatment of scoliosis.
Having completed his Medical Degree at the prestigious University of Sydney, he subsequently obtained a Masters' degree in Biomedical Engineering before completing specialist training in Orthopaedic Surgery.
Following his orthopaedic training, Mr Etherington received extensive subspecialty clinical and research training in the United Kingdom, with an emphasis on scoliosis surgery. He established his practice in Sydney, before relocating to Melbourne in 2011.
He remains a consultant spine surgeon at The Alfred Hospital, and participates in a range of clinical meetings, as well as running regular outpatient clinics and operating theatre sessions.
In addition, he provides a regular on-call service to The Alfred, where his expertise is harnessed to treat patients with some of the most serious spinal injuries that can occur. He continues to travel the world to hone his skills, learn new techniques, and to educate younger surgeons in this complex and challenging field.
Greg Etherington's private practice is exclusively in spinal surgery - and he is one of a relatively small number of surgeons in this category. His interests span the full range of spinal conditions, from disc prolapse to spinal stenosis, tumour and instability.
He operates on the cervical spine, as well as the thoracic and lumbar spine. His passion, and his main area of specialisation is in the technically demanding field of scoliosis surgery.
After moving to Melbourne, Greg Etherington initially worked as a solo spine surgeon. He later began consulting with other specialists at Precision Brain Spine and Pain with a strong desire to be able to offer his patients the full range of treatment options, delivered by a team of complimentary specialists who work tirelessly together in their quest for the best outcomes possible.
Greg's approach is to exhaust all reasonable non-surgical treatment options before considering surgery, and when the surgical path is selected, he is able to offer his patients the latest and most effective evidence-based procedures available.
He prides himself on an excellent bedside manner, and takes the time to explain to each patient their condition, treatment options, and likely outcome in as much detail as they desire.
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor
- Consultant
- Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians
He is happy to see all neurology patients and has a special interest in the acute care of patients with stroke, and in the primary and secondary prevention of stroke. Ramesh also has an interest in neurological issues of the elderly, especially in the diagnosis of management of dementia and delirium.
Ramesh is a fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians and the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, and was conferred a PhD by the University of Melbourne in 2013.
Most recently, Ramesh was appointed an Associate Professor by Deakin University, based at the Rural School of Medicine in Ballarat. He has held teaching positions with the National University of Malaysia, Australian National University and University of Melbourne.
He also remains actively involved in research and continues to be involved in national and international research trials. Ramesh is affiliated with the Global Burden of Disease Network and the Lancet Commission on Stroke in low and middle-income countries. He is a faculty member of the Lundbeck Foundation Neurotorium. He used to serve as a co-chair of the World Stroke Organization Education Committee.
Job Titles:
- Titled Pain Physiotherapist
Tumelo Dube is a Titled Pain Physiotherapist whose remarkable journey sets him apart in the world of healthcare. With a solid foundation in pain management and physiotherapy, Tumelo is dedicated to improving the lives of those dealing with pain.
Education:
Tumelo earned a Bachelor's Degree in Exercise Science and Physiotherapy from Griffith University. He then continued his academic journey with a Master's Degree in Medicine Science (Pain Management) from Sydney University.
Job Titles:
- Bundoora Specialist Centre