ACAud22 Academic Program & Speakers
ACAud22 Workshops - Wednesday 18 May 2022
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.
ACAud HRS & Supervision Workshop
Phonak Roger Masterclass
Wax Removal Workshop
Sonic Equipment Pre-Conference Workshop
Signia Next Level Academy - ACAud 2022
Widex ZEN Therapy Workshop
Wednesday, 18th May 2022
Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre
ACAud22 International & National Speakers
Prof. Raj Shekhawat National Speaker
Biography:
Professor Raj Shekhawat is an internationally recognized award-winning academic, mentor, keynote/TEDx speaker, and scientist. Raj is an inaugural professor in Audiology at Flinders university. He holds conjoint appointments as Honorary Professor at Ear Institute, University College London and Public Relations Manager for Tinnitus Research Initiative, Germany. Raj has a diverse work experience spanning across four continents and six countries (USA, UK, Singapore, India, New Zealand & Australia), touching a plethora of cultural communities with his impeccable knowledge along the way. He has a Ph.D. in Clinical Audiology from the University of Auckland, New Zealand which complements his outstanding international reputation for research and findings, which employ brain stimulation, sounds therapies & hearing aids for tinnitus management. Raj is a passionate academic with several prestigious educational fellowships such as: a senior fellow of HEA, HERDSA, and CMALT, he is also an executive on Higher Education Research & Development Society of Australasia and Chair of the scientific advisory board on Horizon 2020 European Research Grant.
Brent Edwards
National Speaker
Biography:
Brent Edwards, Ph.D., is the Director of the National Acoustic Laboratories, where he is currently leading new innovation initiatives that focus on transforming hearing healthcare. For over 22 years he headed research at major hearing aid companies (GN ReSound, Starkey) and at Silicon Valley startups that have developed innovative technologies and clinical tools used worldwide. Dr. Edwards founded and ran the Starkey Hearing Research Center in Berkeley, California that was a leading site for research in hearing impairment and cognition. Dr. Edwards is a Fellow of the Acoustical Society of America, a Fellow of the International Collegium of Rehabilitative Audiology and an Adjunct Professor at Macquarie University.
Dr James Fielding
National Speaker
Biography:
Founder of 5, father of 2, Dr James Fielding is the CEO and co-founder of Audeara. He studied business management and biomedical science at the University of Queensland (UQ) before starting his medical degree where he was awarded a scholarship to complete MBA Studies. This led to the founding of RER Labs, a medical devices and engineering company that facilitates ideas and products that improve people’s lives. Dr Fielding stepped away from full-time clinical medicine in February 2016 to dedicate himself to Audeara which floated on the ASX in May 2021. He is an avid music fan and the drummer for band ‘The Dashounds’.
Dr. Barbra Timmer
National Speaker
Biography:
Barbra Timmer, PhD, MBA is a Lecturer in Audiology (Teaching & Research) at the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland and Senior Scientist at Sonova AG. Her research interests include the real-world challenges and audiological outcomes for adults with hearing impairment, intervention approaches for adults with tinnitus, the implementation of family-centred care in audiological practice, intervention solutions for presbyvertigo in adults with hearing impairment and optimising teleaudiology outcomes. Prior to starting her academic career, Barbra worked in clinical audiology in Australia and The Netherlands and gained hearing care industry experience in Switzerland. She aims to build a stronger bridge between research and clinical practice and as President of Audiology Australia, the peak professional organisation representing over 3,000 audiologists in Australia, Barbra regularly contributes advice to shape the profession as well as government and health policy.
Dr. Bec Bennett
National Speaker
Biography:
Dr Bec Bennett is a clinical and research audiologist at the Ear Science Institute Australia. Her areas of interest include adult audiological rehabilitation, the social and emotional impacts of hearing loss, and tele-audiology service delivery. She Chairs the Tele audiology Clinical Standards Development group, funded by the Australian Government, to develop guidelines for hearing health care practitioners (Audiologists and Audiometrists) and hearing services providers to support the safe and effective delivery of hearing services through tele-audiology to all Australians
Dr. Phillip Chang
National Speaker
Biography:
Dr Phillip Chang is a specialised ear and cochlear implant surgeon. He is the founder and director of the paediatric cochlear implant programme at Sydney Children’s Hospital and the adult cochlear implant network, Hearing Implants Australia. Dr Chang believes that as a result of major advances in technology and training, cochlear implant awareness and care is now the responsibility of every hearing clinician.
Associate Prof. Kelvin Kong
National Speaker
Biography:
Experienced Surgeon with a demonstrated history of working across the health industry. Involved in clinical research, medical education, medicine, surgery, paediatrics, health policy and Indigenous education. Kelvin graduated from the University of NSW in 1999. Completed internship at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Darlinghurst and streamed early into a surgical career, completing resident medical officer and registrar positions at various attachments. Along the way, his has been privileged in serving the urban, rural and remote communities. Awarded his fellowship with the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in 2007 and pursued further training in Paediatric ENT surgery, being grateful and honoured by his fellowship at The Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne in 2007-8. He is now practising in Newcastle on Awabakal Country, as a Surgeon specializing in Paediatric & Adult Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head & Neck
Dr. Padraig Kitterick
National Speaker
Biography:
Pádraig Kitterick is the Head of Audiological Sciences at the National Acoustic Laboratories, Sydney Australia and leads NAL’s adult hearing loss research portfolio. Padraig recently joined NAL from his previous role as Head of Hearing Sciences at the University of Nottingham, UK where he conducted translational research on severe-profound hearing loss including cochlear implantation. Pádraig gained his PhD in Psychology by examining how the natural ageing process may contribute to listening difficulties in multi-talker environments. He held a post-doctoral research fellowship in the Department of Psychology in the University of York, carrying out research on spatial listening in normally-hearing and hearing-impaired populations, including users of hearing aids and cochlear implants. His current research focusses on the evaluation of hearing health technologies and developing valid diagnostic and outcome assessment tools
Jane MacDonald
National Speaker
Biography:
Jane is an Audiologist and independent hearing care business co-owner, employing a team of Audiologists and Audiometrists across five practices in rural Victoria and NSW. Jane has over 35 years’ experience in the hearing health sector. Jane is Chief Executive Officer of the Hearing Business Alliance, working with HBA since September 2018. She is a passionate advocate in pursuit of ethics in the hearing care industry, for equitable opportunity for small business providers, and for the support of small businesses, in addition to understanding the challenges of clinical service delivery in rural settings. Jane has worked in diagnostic audiology in public hospitals in Australia and the United Kingdom, and in neonatal diagnostic audiology and adult aural rehabilitation in rural Australia, as well as mentoring many graduate intern Audiologists and Audiometrists, and supporting Audiology students through
Dr. Sandra South
National Speaker
Biography:
The Ethics Officer for the Ethics Review Committee, Sandra South, provides support and advice to hearing professionals (audiologists and audiometrists) and members of the public. When needed, the Ethics Officer seeks input from the ERC when providing advice. The Ethics Officer is also the point of contact between the complainants, respondents and the ERC during the handling of complaints.
Chris Carlile
National Speaker
Biography:
Since joining the Commonwealth Department of Health in 2012, Chris has led several portfolio responsibilities including Primary Healthcare Policy, Medicare Benefits and Portfolio Strategy. He is currently responsible for the Hearing Services Program and managing funded measures under the Roadmap for Hearing Health. Chris previously served as a Senior Advisor in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, and also led several programs of work in what is now the Department of Social Services. Before joining the public service, Chris was Director of a torture and trauma rehabilitation service for refugees. His long-term interest in overseas aid and development saw him working in Philippines and Bougainville for four years. His voluntary work includes several years’ service on the National Council for Caritas Australia and the National Advisory Council for Australian Catholic Earthcare. He is currently National Director for ANCOP Australia, a small overseas aid and development organisation. Formal studies include: Bachelor of Theology; Graduate Diploma in Psychology; Master of Science in Guidance and Counselling; Master of Arts in Human Service Management; and a Master of Arts in Social Policy and Social Planning.
Brenton Comerford
National Speaker
Biography:
Brenton holds a Masters of Audiology Studies from University of Queensland (2010). He has experience working in retail and medical audiology models clinically, and has been working within the manufacturing space since 2017 where he is currently the Audiology & Training Manager for Sonova Australia. Brenton’s passions lie in providing high quality service for all, continuing the evolution of the audiology industry into the future, education and training, and has a particular love for helping to troubleshoot and resolve difficult cases. In a former life, Brenton was an active professional musician, so has an innate desire to chase the best sound quality possible in all surroundings and is naturally drawn toward devices that can manipulate sound in numerous ways.