RPAH - Institute of Academic Surgery RPAH - Institute of Academic Surgery
Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
Institute of Academic Surgery

Our People

IAS Executive

Michael Solomon - Co-Chair

Professor Michael Solomon is a Consultant Surgeon and Academic Head of the Department of Colorectal Surgery at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney. He is Professor of Surgical Research at the University of Sydney and is a past President of the Colorectal Surgical Society of Australia & New Zealand (CSSANZ) and Chairman of the RACS/CSSANZ Training Board in Colorectal Surgery.

Professor Solomon has extensive experience in clinical surgical research and has published over 400 peer reviewed papers. Professor Solomon has supervised over 50 higher degree students and been awarded for his own career research the highest research doctorate degree.

Professor Solomon has been awarded multiple prestigious awards including the Ruthven Blackburn Medal for Clinical Research 2022 from the University of Sydney, the RPA Research Foundation Medal and Prize for Excellence and Outstanding Achievements in Medical Research in 2014, the Abraham Colles Medal from the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland in 2013, the Henry Windsor Medal of Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in 2021 and many more.

Professor Solomon's surgical expertise is in both minimally and maximally invasive colorectal surgery with specific expertise also in inflammatory bowel disease and complex fistula in ano. He is the Program Director of Advanced Gastrointestinal Surgery including national and statewide referral services for pelvic exenteration and more recently peritonectomy and retroperitoneal sarcomas and recently became the Program Director of Surgery: Strategy & Academia of the Sydney Local Health District.

Michael Solomon
Paul Bannon - Co-Chair

Professor Paul Bannon is a Cardiothoracic Surgeon dedicated to a life of surgery and research taking discoveries from the laboratory bench to the patient's bedside. Professor Bannon completed his surgical training at RPA and, under the guidance of the late Professor Douglas Baird, was encouraged to take up research and has never looked back.

His research interests are extensive and have the potential to result in major breakthroughs for the early detection, prevention and treatment of heart and lung disease. Underpinning this is a dedicated research group at RPA, which is led by Professor Bannon, who reviews leading evidence from around the world to get better outcomes for research and surgery.

In addition to being the inaugural Co-Chair of the IAS, Professor Bannon is the Chairman of the Baird Institute for Applied Heart and Lung Surgical Research, the Professorial Chair of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the University of Sydney, the Vice President, President-elect of the Australia and New Zealand Society of Cardiothoracic Surgeons, the Co-Chair of the Cardiac Devices Committee for the Agency of Clinical Innovation, Ministry of Health NSW, the Head of Department for Cardiothoracic Surgery at RPA and has held various positions in the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and RPA.

Professor Bannon is committed to developing young surgeons into thinkers and leading researchers, and has been a strong leader in academic surgery within the University of Sydney and at RPA. His leadership skills and drive for enhancing academic surgery are a great asset to the IAS.

Paul Bannon
Dr Sophie Hogan - Director, IAS

Dr Sophie Hogan has a strong interest in surgical education and research and is committed to working with multidisciplinary teams effectively to implement evidence based practice. After completing her Masters in Science (Nutrition and Dietetics), she became a clinical dietitian at RPA Hospital, where she specialised in nutrition and lower gastrointestinal surgery. During this time, she went on to complete her PhD in perioperative nutrition management in pelvic exenteration surgery. Sophie's research aimed to investigate whether nutrition assessment tools and methodologies predicted outcomes after pelvic exenteration surgery, and she identified perioperative nutrition support methods that benefit patients and address surgeon concerns.

Sophie Hogan
Sharon Carey - IAS Director of Allied Health Research and Education

Dr Sharon Carey is the inaugural Director of Allied Health Surgical Research and Education within the IAS and is responsible for leading and developing the academic capacity and culture across all allied health professions involved in the provision of surgical care. In addition to this role, Dr Carey is also the Manager of Nutrition and Dietetics at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital involving the day-to-day and strategic management of dietitians and dietitian assistants. Sharon has also been working as a gastrointestinal specialist Dietitian for over 15 years, completing her PhD in 2014. Sharon is currently involved in a number of strategic committees including the current secretary of the Australasian Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (AuSPEN); co-chair of the NSW Agency for Clinical Innovation Home enteral Nutrition Network and selection committee member for the NSW Churchill Fellowship program; and is a clinical Senior Lecturer within the Dietetics Program, University of Sydney. Her research activity includes supervision of PhD students and supervision of over 40 Master research students.

Sharon Carey
Brindha Shivalingam - Director of Surgical Education

Dr Shivalingam is a Neurosurgeon highly specialized in brain tumour surgery. Current appointments are Director of Neurosurgery at Chris O'Brien Lifehouse, Neurosurgeon at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and The Mater Hospital. She is a graduate of Sydney University and completed her Neurosurgical training in 2006. Her post fellowship training in neuro oncology and skull base surgery was at Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge, UK. In 2021, Dr Shivalingam completed a Master of Cancer Sciences through the University of Melbourne. Her Neuro oncology practice focuses on Glioma surgery with over a decade's experience with intraoperative MRI surgery. Dr Shivalingam also has a special clinical and research interest in melanoma surgery and is an associate of The Melanoma Institute Australia. Her skull base surgery involves close collaboration with ENT surgeons and focuses on acoustic neuroma surgery and anterior endoscopic surgery. As education lead at RPA's Institute of Academic Surgery, she is actively involved in the teaching and training of medical students, junior medical officers and senior Neurosurgical registrars.

David Storey - Adjunct Director of Surgical Skills Laboratory

Associate Professor David Storey lives and breathes surgical education. The considerable experience and knowledge that he brings to the role of inaugural Director of Surgical Education is a significant asset to the IAS, and the overall advancement of surgical education.

Having been a Hepatobiliary and Upper Gastrointestinal Surgeon at RPA for many years, Associate Professor David Storey is currently the Director of Training for the Sydney South West Surgical Skills Network and a Clinical Advisor to the NSW Clinical Excellence Commission relating to surgical supervision. He has also held numerous positions within the Royal College of Surgeons.

Through the establishment of the Surgical Skills Facility on Level 9 at RPA, Associate Professor David Storey has provided guidance and mentoring to countless budding surgical trainees and the opportunity for ongoing surgical skills training onsite at the hospital. Under his leadership, this facility will be greatly enhanced with the drive to establish new training facilities at RPA.

David Storey
Jonathan Hong - Deputy Director of Surgical Education

Associate Professor Jonathan Hong is a Colorectal Surgeon who has a strong commitment to the continuous improvement of training and standards in surgery. He has been an enthusiastic teacher of medical students, trainee surgeons and colleagues throughout his career. He is particularly interested in assessment of technical and non-technical skills within a competence based surgical education framework. He is a member of the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS) Fundamentals of Rectal Cancer assessment subcommittee.

Associate Professor Hong has undertaken extensive training in both Colorectal and General surgery, predominantly at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. He also has international experience having spent 2 years completing the Colorectal Surgical Fellowship at Mount Sinai Hospital and the University of Toronto, Canada, as well as a visiting Scholar at The Wilson Center for Medical Education at Toronto General Hospital.

In addition to being the Deputy Director of Surgical Education at the IAS, Jonathan undertook a Masters of Philosophy in 2016 exploring the use of MRI to personalise the surgical approach to rectal cancer treatment, as well as a Masters of Surgical Education.

Jonathon Hong
CI Professor Jonathan Clark AM

Professor Clark AM is a head and neck cancer surgeon at Chris O'Brien Lifehouse and Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. He is the Director of Head and Neck Cancer Research at Chris O'Brien Lifehouse, and the Director of Translational Research at the Royal Prince Alfred Institute of Academic Surgery. In 2020, he was appointed as the Inaugural Lang Walker Family Foundation Chair and Professor in Head and Neck Cancer Reconstructive Surgery. Professor Clark is internationally recognised as a leading academic surgeon in the areas of metastatic cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma and oral cancer, where his research has changed the management and staging of both cancers. In recognition of his contributions, he has been made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) and an Honorary Member of the Australian Society of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery (ASOHNS). Professor Clark is the only surgeon to receive a Cancer Institute NSW Translational Program Grant as CIA and the only Australian in the IFHNOS Masters of Surgery Program which invites internationally recognised masters in their respective fields. Professor Clark has received >$31.6M in research funding and published 371 manuscripts including 18 book chapters with >9100 citations and a H-index of 61 (GS).

Jonathan Clark
Charbel Sandroussi - Director of Clinical Research

Associate Professor Charbel Sandroussi is a Hepatobiliary and Upper Gastrointestinal Surgeon with a strong commitment to Clinical Research.

His specific research interests include transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma, technical outcomes in adult to adult live donor liver transplantation, portal haemodynamics following transplant and liver resection, and multivisceral and major vascular resection in oncology.

Associate Professor Charbel Sandroussi has an extensive track record of successful collaborations with both local and overseas research groups and a genuine enjoyment for teaching and working with others.

In addition to being the inaugural Director of Clinical Research of the IAS, Associate Professor Sandroussi is the Head of the Department of Hepatobiliary and Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery at RPA, the medical director of TPN at RPA, and a Director of the Surgical Outcomes Resource Centre (SOuRCe).

Charbel Sandroussi
Clare O'Rourke – Manager, Marketing & Communications

Clare O’Rourke is the Marketing & Communications Manager and joined the IAS in October 2022. Clare has a diverse range of responsibilities from growing the IAS social media accounts, organising special events, improving systems related to marketing and working with surgeons and the wider SLHD media team to create content.

Clare has a business background, completing a Bachelor of Accounting at the University of Technology Sydney in 2015 and also completed a 2-year Chartered Accounting (ANZ) professional qualification. Clare has previously worked in finance, marketing and communications positions at large multi-national companies and a technology start-up so brings a fresh perspective to the team regarding branding and processes. She has a passion for storytelling, channeling her creativity and social justice issues.

Clare O'Rourke
Rosa Fung - Facility Coordinator

Ms Rosa Fung is an experience Registered Nurse who joined the IAS team as the Facility Coordinator in 2020. Rosa has over 11 experience working in operating theatres across Cardiothoracic, Orthopaedics and Trauma surgery. Rosa has worked at a number of major teaching hospital including Prince of Wales Hospital, The Mater Private Hospital and Royal Prince Alfred. She also has international work experience at John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford.

Along with her undergraduate nursing degree, she holds a Bachelor of Sciences, Postgraduate Certificate in Perioperative Nursing and is currently undertaking a Masters of Clinical Education at the University of Edinburgh.

Rosa brings a wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm to the role, having a real focus on being involving in clinical education and improvement for operating theatre nurses. She was instrumental in the design of the innovative course structure for new graduate nurses training and education program as well as developing many systems and processes for the facility to support departments training needs.

Rosa Fung
Sarah Whereat - Education Support Officer - Sydney South West Surgical Skills Network

Dr Sarah Whereat branched out into medical education 15 years ago after a number of years as an ICU Nurse and Midwife. She was a clinical skills educator with Sydney University Medical School for 13 years, spend time in the later years working on stage 1 and 2 curriculum delivery within in the MEU. During this time she completed a PhD examining medical student learning in critical care areas and was honoured with a national online training (OLT) citation for outstanding contribution to student learning and a Sydney Medical Faculty Academic award.

Dr Whereat joined the Sydney South West Surgical Skills Network in July 2019 as Education Support Officer and is based at the RPA IAS and Center for Education and Workforce Development (CEWD). Within this role her emphasis is on enhancing educational opportunities for the Pre-SET surgical trainees.  Projects include co-development of the 'Foundations of Surgery' course which is now a state wide program, developing the skills of the trainees for teaching as a facilitator of the 'Teaching on the run' program, developing and participating in a number of educational research projects to measure the impact of new educational innovations and provide trainees with opportunities to participate in educational research.

Sarah Whereat
Kai Cheng - Surgical Innovations Research Manager

Kai Cheng is the Surgical Innovation research manager at the IAS. Kai has more than 14 years' experience in 3D modelling, 3D printing, data visualisation, Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality development.

Kai is currently working on a wide range of clinical and educational projects within Sydney Local Health District and Chris O'Brien Lifehouse with the aim to advance healthcare communication, 3d printing for patient specific surgical instrument development and preoperative planning. Some of the projects that Kai has worked on include advanced facial reconstructive surgery and 3D guides for advanced sarcoma.

Kai Cheng
Julia Gullotto - Administrative Officer

Julia Gullotto is the new Administration Officer at the IAS. She recently completed a Bachelor of Health Science at the University of Technology, Sydney, and has previously worked in retail and as a medical secretary at the RPA Hospital Medical Centre. She’s passionate about being part of a collaborative community which aims to improve and deliver high quality outcomes for patients.

Julia Gullotto

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Page Last Updated: 20 July, 2023