Guest of Honour

GUEST OF HONOUR

Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC

Governor General of New South Wales

Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC is the 39th Governor of New South Wales, and was sworn-in on 2 May 2019.

Prior to her appointment as Governor, Her Excellency enjoyed a long and distinguished law career spanning 43 years, during which time she served as a role model for women in law at both the State and national level.

Appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1989, in 1993 she was made a judge of the Federal Court of Australia, the first woman to sit exclusively in that Court. In 1996, she achieved the distinction of being the first woman appointed to the New South Wales Court of Appeal and, subsequently, as the first woman to be appointed as its President. She served, on a number of occasions, as Administrator of the Government of the State of New South Wales.

She was made a Companion of the Order of Australia in the Australia Day Honours List on 26 January 2020 for "eminent service to the people of New South Wales, particularly through leadership roles in the judiciary, and as a mentor of young women lawyers".

Her Excellency has three children - Erin, Lauren and Anthony Sullivan - and is married to Mr. Dennis Wilson, a barrister, mediator, accredited international arbitrator and Adjunct Professor of Law, at Notre Dame University, Sydney.

Her Excellency brings her deep commitment to education, youth leadership, human rights and social justice to the role in service of the people of New South Wales.

Keynote Speaker

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Kathy Lette

Ambassador, Author, Travel Writer and Commentator

Kathy Lette has made a career out of lightly fictionalising every stage of her life, from puberty to menopause. She is a celebrated and outspoken comic writer who has an inimitable take on serious current issues. She is the author of 15 bestselling novels including Puberty Blues, which was made into a major film and a TV miniseries. She cites her career highlights as once teaching Stephen Fry a word and Salman Rushdie the limbo, and scripting Julian Assange's cameo in the 500th episode of The Simpsons.

Event MC

MC

Ellen Fanning

AUSTRALIAN JOURNALIST AND TELEVISION PRESENTER

Ellen Fanning is a veteran Australian journalist and television presenter, renowned for her nearly 40-year career across major networks, including ABC, Nine Network, and SBS, both domestically and internationally. She began her career in radio before joining the ABC, where she hosted programs such as PM and AM and contributed to The 7.30 Report and Lateline. Known for her incisive reporting, Ellen has conducted interviews with every Australian Prime Minister from John Gorton to Malcolm Turnbull, discussing pivotal national issues. Notable interviews include in-depth conversations with Prime Ministers John Howard and Kevin Rudd, which tackled topics such as extremism in Australia and the 2005 Cronulla riots.

In 1997, she was appointed as one of ABC's North America correspondents based in Washington, D.C., reporting on major international events. Upon her return to Australia, she worked with the Nine Network on 60 Minutes and A Current Affair, later hosting Nightline and the Sunday program. Her dedication to ethical journalism was evident in her six-part documentary series, Fine Line, which explored media ethics for SBS.

More recently, she co-hosted The Drum on ABC TV, a role she held until the show concluded in 2023. Ellen Fanning’s career is marked by her commitment to journalistic integrity, offering Australians insightful coverage of both national and global events.

Speakers

SPEAKER

Professor Jason Abbott

Gynaecologist

Professor Jason Abbott, B Med (Hons), FRANZCOG, FRCOG, PhD, is a leading figure in clinical medicine, with a distinguished career in the field of obstetrics and gynaecology. He holds a prominent position at the School of Clinical Medicine, Division of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of New South Wales, where he combines his expertise with a commitment to advancing women's health.

Professor Abbott is Co-Editor in Chief of the Journal of Minimally Invasive Gynaecology, where he contributes to the dissemination of groundbreaking research in gynaecological surgery. His work in minimally invasive procedures has set a high standard for innovation in the field, enhancing patient outcomes and reducing recovery times.

As the Chair of the National Endometriosis Clinical and Scientific Trials (NECST) Network in Australia, Professor Abbott leads national initiatives to improve treatments and quality of life for individuals affected by endometriosis. His work with the Endometriosis Advisory Group, under the Australian Government's Department of Health, underscores his dedication to influencing policy and advocating for better healthcare support and resources for those with this chronic condition.

In addition, Professor Abbott chairs the Gynaecological Research and Clinical Evaluation (GRACE) group at UNSW, where he directs research aimed at transforming gynaecological care through evidence-based clinical practices and innovative therapeutic approaches.

Through his roles, Professor Abbott has become a trusted expert, mentor, and advocate for advancing gynaecological health, making significant contributions to research, clinical practice, and healthcare policy in Australia and globally.

SPEAKER

Associate Professor Caroline Gurvich

Associate Professor and Clinical Neuropsychologist

Associate Professor Caroline Gurvich is the Deputy Director of HER Centre Australia, Department of Psychiatry, Monash University, Head of the “Cognition and Hormones Group" and Chair of the Victorian College of Clinical Neuropsychologists.

Caroline’s research interests are related to the neuropsychology of women’s mental health. She is particularly interested in how cognition and mental health can be impacted in some women at times of hormonal change, such as menopause. Caroline has over 100 publications that have contributed to a better understanding of cognition in mental health and mental illness. Caroline also works as a clinical neuropsychologist in private practice.

SPEAKER

Dr Susannah Graham

Breast Surgeon

Dr Susannah Graham is a breast surgeon with specialisation in oncoplastic techniques for the treatment of breast cancer. Susannah holds visiting medical officer appointments at Chris O’Brien Lifehouse and RPA Hospital. She is a full member of BreastSurgANZ – the specialty society for surgeons treating breast cancer. Susannah is the current education lead for breast surgery at the RPA Institute of Academic Surgery and she coordinates a unit of study for the University of Sydney Masters of Breast Surgery. She is actively engaged in research. Her current research interest is in prehabilitation for women receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer, and cancer in young women.

SPEAKER

Professor Roger Hart

Gynaecologist, Endocrinologist and Fertility Specialist

Professor Roger Hart is the medical director of Fertility Specialists of Western Australia, National Medical Director of City Fertility Australia and a Director of Menopause Alliance Australia. He is also Professor of Reproductive Medicine, the Deputy Head of Division of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Western Australia head of the reproductive medicine service at King Edward Memorial Hospital. He is responsible for the provision of public fertility services across Western Australia. Professor Hart is an internationally recognised expert in the fields of infertility and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and serves as a Director of Menopause Alliance Australia.

SPEAKER

Dr Talat Uppal

Obstetrician and Gynaecologist

Dr Talat Uppal works at Macquarie University and Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospitals as a Visiting Medical Officer. She has additional training using ultrasound in gynaecology.

She is the Director of Women’s Health Road (an RACGP accredited practice) and has set up an innovative integrated multidisciplinary model with a strong patient centred approach to women’s health care.

Her niche interest is the management of women with abnormal menstrual bleeding (AUB) and has founded Australia’s first AUB management hub – a hybrid, digitally enhanced model of care. She has also organised a co-located charity that that is advocating for an International Heavy Menstrual Bleeding Day to raise awareness of HMB that affects 25% of women of reproductive age.

Dr Uppal is a Clinical Senior Lecturer in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Macquarie University. A Fellow of the Australian Association for Quality in Health Care and the Australasian College of Health Service Management, her interests include digital health, and she serves as a Heidi Health ambassador.

As a clinical educator, Dr Uppal is passionate about supporting the role of General Practitioners in the women’s health context. In addition, she is one of the RANZCOG media spokespersons and is fluent in three languages.

SPEAKER

Dr Rebecca South

General Practitioner

Dr South qualified as a doctor at The University of NSW in 1995. She is a fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and holds a Diploma with The Royal Australian College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and is a member of the Australasian Menopause Society. With a strong interest in sexual and reproductive health, Dr South worked for many years at Family Planning NSW as a clinician and as a medical educator. She is now the clinical lead at Inner West Women’s Health in suburban Sydney and provides specialised care for those experiencing perimenopause/menopause and beyond.

Rebecca really enjoys teaching and she has developed and delivered training modules for health care professionals in menopause, cervical screening and contraception. She has also published educational content on women’s health topics for Medicine Today and HealthEd.

SPEAKER

Associate Professor Bernadette McElhinney

Gynaecologist

Associate Professor Bernadette McElhinney is a specialist gynaecologist and holds a consultant appointment at King Edward Memorial Hospital for Women WA, where she remains a senior lecturer at the University of Notre Dame. She is also a Director of Menopause Alliance Australia. Her special interests are endometriosis, fibroids, abnormal uterine bleeding, menopause and pre-invasive disease of the lower genital tract (colposcopy).

SPEAKER

Dr Dean Conrad

Gynaecologist

Dr Conrad completed specialist training at St George and Royal Women’s Hospitals before undertaking a two-year Australasian Gynaecological Endoscopy and Surgery Society (AGES) fellowship in minimally invasive surgery with Sydney Women’s Endosurgery Centre (SWEC).

Dr Conrad is a staff specialist at the Sutherland Hospital and a conjoint lecturer with the University of New South Wales. As an AGES training supervisor for the Sydney Minimally Invasive Gynaecological Surgery (SMIGS) unit and a member of the AGES Education committee, he actively contributes to the education and training of the next generation of surgeons.

SPEAKER

Dr Jennifer Hacker Pearson

PhD – Neuroscientist and Women’s Mental Wellbeing Consultant

Dr Jennifer Hacker Pearson holds a PhD in Medicine (Neuroscience and Pharmacology) from the University of Sydney and a Graduate Diploma in Psychotherapy from Auckland University of Technology. Her work has been published in top peer-reviewed scientific journals such as Nature Neuroscience. She is passionate about giving women information on how the hormonal transition of menopause changes a woman’s brain, her mind and her sense of self, and how this is a gift that can be used to thrive, in life and work, through perimenopause and beyond. She provides neuroscience-based education and personalised science-backed tools to individuals and organisations globally, so women can boost their brain health and mental wellbeing.

 

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