Dr Erosha Premaratne
President
Erosha is a Consultant Endocrinologist and General Physician practicing at Austin Health, Northern Health and Warringal Private Hospital in Melbourne. After graduating from the University of Melbourne in 1996, she received a further Doctor of Medicine degree (MD) from the same university in 2006 and is currently an honorary academic there. She is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians and has been a clinical examiner for the College and an educational supervisor / professional development advisor for junior doctors for the past 8 years. She specializes in the treatment of diabetes and obesity, insulin pump therapy, general endocrinology and obstetric medicine. She continues to be engaged in clinical research in the areas of diabetic kidney disease and gestational diabetes. She has conducted many public health seminars and has provided health advice on ethnic radio programs.
Erosha has initiated and participated in many charities in Sri Lanka over the years, including establishment of a scholarship scheme for students in the Central province of Sri Lanka whose parents are affected by chronic kiney disease, supplying medical textbooks to rural medical schools, raising funds for dialysis machine and installation of water filters in rural schools.
A/Prof Andrew Cochrane
Vice President
Andrew is a cardothoracic surgeon with over 20 years of consultant experience in both adulth and paediatric cardiac surgey. He undertook his advanced training at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, Alfred Hospital and Royal Children’s Hospital, and in the United Kingdom. He was a consultant cardiac surgeon at Prince Charles Hospital, Brisbane (1993 to 1995), and then at the Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne form 1995 to 2008. He has been a surgeon at Monash Medical Centre, Clayton since 2003.
Andrew enjoys managing all aspects of adult and adolescent cardiac and thoracic surgical care. Andres has developed the adolescent and adult congenital heart surgery program at Monash Medical Centre for patents who require either initial or on-going surgery of heart defects present since birth. He is actively involved in research, in particular for kidney impairment after heart surgery. He is an assistant editor for Heart Lung & Circulation, and a reviewer for several other journals. He is extensively involved in surgical training and education, and is the chair of the science and education committee for the Australian and New Zealand Society of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgery.
Andrew has been a regular contributor to the AUSLMAT cause attending several medical missions and performing everything from health checks to surgical procedures.
Dr Quintus De Zylva
Chairman
Quintus is a Consultant Physician practicing at Moorabbin and Epworth Richmond. Prevously a consultant at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and Tutor at the Medical Faculty University of Melbourne. Awarded the Overseas Services Medal by the Commonwealth Government in 2005 for services rendered to Sri Lanka soon after the Asian tsunami of 2004. AUSLMAT have visited Sri Lanka more than 30 times since the first visit two days after the tsunami. His work and AUSLMAT’s has centered on the south and east coast and AUSLMAT were responsible in convicing the Victorian Government of the need to build a new Accident & Emergercy Unit at the Karapitiya Hospital, when the Hon. Steve Bracks was Premier of Victoria.
Dr Pavithra Amadoruge
Secretary
Gordon Miles
Treasurer
Gordon has been in the Information Technology industry for most of his career and became involved in AUSLMAT back in 2005 in building a data link between the Karapitiya Hospital in Gall and Melbourne so that visiting doctors could monitor patients remotely between visits. He visited Sri Lanka for the first time in 2010 and fell in love with the country and its people. He has been AUSLMAT’s Treasurer since late 2015 and has been instrumental in Registering AUSLMAT with the ACNC as recognised charity, attracting the ACNC’s “tick of approval”. He also negotiated with the ATO to have AUSLMAT registered for tax deductible donations, a process otherwise known as achieving Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status.
Dr Hashan Fernando
Media & Communications
Hashan is a Podiatrist & Surgical assistant working privately in Melbourne’s west. Currently studying his Masters in Public Health, Hashan aims to improve health for people and their communities across first and third world countries. Hashan has a key focus on the diabetic foot and management of musculoskeletal injuries. Hashan joined the team at AUSLMAT in 2018 and attended his first medical mission with the team providing aid in Diabetes and Musculoskeletal injury prevention/management.
Dr Shannon De Silva
Media & Communications
Shannon is a dentist from Melbourne who joined AUSLMAT with the vision of improving oral health and raising awareness around dental health amongst underprivileged communities in Sri Lanka. She was a part of the 2018 mission, which was extremely rewarding, and looks forward to contributing to AUSLMAT’s work in the future.
Ross Mudd
Media & Communications
Ross is originally from London and came to Australia to work with Melbourne startups. He had an undergraduate degree in Animation, Multimedia and Web Design, and has experience working with brands such as ANZ, Coles, McLaren, Mercedes-Benz and McDonalds, which allows him to contribute to AUSLMAT’s Media & Communications goals.
Dr Jennifer Johns AM
Committee Member
Jennifer is a renowned Victorian cardiologist with a plethora of accolades. She was elected President of the National Heart Foundation of Australia in 2014 – the first woman to take the role since the charity was established in 1959. Jennifer more recently held the position of Medical Director of Specialty Services CSU at Melbourne’s Austin Hospital, where she has worked since 1987. Jennifer also practices in the Victorian Heart Centre at Epworth Hospital and has been President of the Victorian Heart Foundation Board since 2009. Graduating from the University of Melburne in 1976, Jennifer’s postgraduate training included 2 years at West Suffolk Hospital in thr UK and cardiology training at the Austin Hospital and Alfred Hospital in Melbourne.
She was awarded a National Heart Foundation Clinical Scholarship and continued her studies at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston between 1984 and 1987, studying the role of recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator in the treatment of acute coronary syndromes. Her major interests include the management of valvular heart disease, echocardiography, management of heart failure, health ecnomics and teaching. Jennifer also has strong interest in women’s health issues and is a mentor for female cardiologists.
In 2015, she was recognised for nearly 40 years of work in medicine by being appointed a Member of the Order of Australia. In a long line of achievements, Jennifer received the Premier’s Lifetime Achievement Award at the Victorian Public Health Awards in 2011 and an Australia Day Achievement Award in 2008 for work at the Autin Hospital. Jennifer will make her 14th trip to Sri Lanka this year (2017) as part of the Australia Sri Lanka Medical Team – AUSLMAT. The group has helped vulnerable people following the Boxing Day tsunami, providing medical equipment, education and assistanceat rural hospitals. She is the ex-vice president of AUSLMAT, having stepped down from the role at the end of 2018.
Dr Michelle De Silva
Committee Member
Michelle is a Genetic Counsellor and Research Manager. Michelle has a PhD in molecular genetics and more than 10 years of experience working as a medical researcher in the areas of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, hearing loss and heart disease. Since leaving the laboratory, Michelle has worked as a research centre manager at the University of Melbourne and the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute. She is an associate genetic counsellor at the Victorian Clinical Genetics Service (VCGS). Michelle has been involved with AUSLMAT since 2010, both as an office bearer and an ordinary member.
Roger Fredman
Committee Member
Roger is an IT and business process engineering professional by trade, with significant experience in the private and public sector. He joined AUSLMAT in 2014 and was one of the non-medico attendees on the 2015 medical mission. Both he and his wife Rebecca are from the United States and are now living in Australia, which brought them into the fold of AUSLMAT.
Preethi De Silva
Committee Member
Preethi is a credentialed Diabetes Educator working in the community health setting in Noth Western Victoria. She also has many years of experience in surgical nursing, mostly in urology in senior positions at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and Cabrini. Her current work involves clinic consultations, group education and presentations to community groups. She is also involved in the Stepping Up project in collaboration with Melbourne University, Department of General Practice , to help GPs manage insulin initiation in the community. Preethi has been involved with AUSLMAT for many years.
Dr Nalin Dayawansa
Committee Member
Nalin is a medical doctor currently completing training in Cardiology. He graduated from Monash University prior to undertaking physician training at The Alfred Hospital, followed by advanced training in Cardiology at The Northern Hospital. As the son of Sri Lankan migrants, Nalin is passionate about supporting medical capacity development in Sri Lanka and has been a member of the AUSLMAT committee since 2019.
