2025 Spine Society of Australia 36th Annual Scientific Meeting4 - 6 April 2025 | Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre

Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists
New Zealand

Kirsten Fitzpatrick is a policy expert in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare, with over seven years of experience shaping ethical frameworks, standards of practice, and regulatory guidance. As Manager of Policy Development at the RANZCR, she has played a key role in developing policies and positions on AI medical device regulation, autonomous AI, generative AI, and its safe integration into clinical practice. 

Working closely with RANZCR's AI Committee, Kirsten is dedicated to ensuring that AI is implemented in a way that prioritises both patient safety and clinical efficacy. Her expertise and commitment to responsible AI use continue to drive critical future of AI in medical imaging, radiation oncology and beyond.

Beijing Chaoyang Hospital
China

Dr. Yong Hai is the professor and Chairman of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Director of Center for Spine Deformity, Capital Medical University of China.

He obtained his MD degree in Nanfang Medical University in Guangzhou, China in 1986. After finishing his fellowship training in Orthopedic Surgery and Spinal Surgery in the US at UMDNJ and SUNY for Orthopedic Surgery and Spinal Surgery in 1997, Dr. Hai has devoted his basic research and clinical practice in the field of spinal surgery.

He is one of the leading KOL in the treatment of degenerative spinal disorders and complex spinal deformities, not only in China but also well known in the world. Dr. Hai has published more than 280 peer-reviewed scientific articles and was the PI for many national and international research projects. He has contributed significantly in the field of spine care and has won several research achievement awards.

He is a member of many prestige international and domestic professional organizations such as SRS, ISSLS, NASS, SMISS, AOSpine, APSS, COA and served on the board or committees of those organizations. He is the vice president of International Society for the Study of the Lumbar Spine (ISSLS), the president – elect of the Chinese Association of Spine (CAS), the president of the Chinese Society for the Study of the Lumbar Spine (CSSLS)， and the vice president of Chinese Scoliosis Research Society.

Eindhoven University of Technology
Netherlands

Prof.Dr. Keita Ito received his doctorate in Medical Engineering and Medical Physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his medical degree from Harvard Medical School. Currently, he is Vice Dean and full professor in the Dept. of Biomedical Engineering at the Eindhoven University of Technology, where he leads the Orthopaedic Biomechanics group. This group combines numerical/experimental and engineering/biological methods to elucidate degenerative processes in bone, cartilage, disc and tendons/ligaments, as well as regenerative strategies thereof. He also is a professor in the Dept. of Orthopaedics at the University Medical Center Utrecht where he works on the mechanobiology of musculoskeletal regenerative medicine. He currently holds an ERC-AdG to investigate the etiology of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis and he runs a Dutch consortium to develop technologies for large-scale cartilage engineering. He has co-authored over 280 peer-reviewed publications, is Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Orthopaedic Spine and is a counselor and current chair of the World Council for Biomechanics. He and his group have been awarded the Spine Young Investigator Award, the ESB Perren Award, GSJ Best Paper Award, JOR and Wiley, Excellence in Translational Science Award, as well as other conference awards.

Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital
England

Mr Molloy is one of the senior spinal orthopaedic surgeons at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (RNOH) in Stanmore.  He has held the post of clinical lead and also clinical director of the spinal unit at the RNOH

Mr Molloy is a clinical innovator and leader.  He is a world-renowned researcher (Molloy on Research Gate  & Molloy on Google Scholar) and gives invited keynote lectures worldwide.

Mr Molloy introduced Spinal navigation surgery to the United Kingdom and has been instrumental in teaching the next generation of spinal surgeons to utilise this technique. He has recently introduced spinal robotics to the RNOH and did the First Robotic Assisted Surgery in the NHS.  The RNOH has been chosen as the lead European training site in robotic spinal surgery and as a result Mr Molloy will lead the training of UK and European surgeons in this field.

Mr Molloy has patented instruments used in complex spinal surgery and an Orthopaedic Engineering degree. He has also designed new surgical approaches to the spine which have been published in the top spinal journals.

Most of the work Mr Molloy does at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in the NHS is referred from other spinal surgeons and involves complex primary and revision procedures. He specialises in spinal deformity such as scoliosis in children, adolescents and adults and is very skilled in Minimally invasive and computer assisted surgery

Mr Molloy also has a special interest in spinal myeloma and has been the driving force in the development of the national algorithm for the treatment of myeloma in the spine. This may include having a minor procedure such as a Balloon kyphoplasty relieving the significant pain resulting from spinal fractures

Mr Molloy has been a Consultant Spinal Surgeon for 20 years and has a vast experience with an excellent reputation and is a respected leader in the field of spinal surgery.

Mr Molloy is a member of British Association of Spinal Surgeons (BASS), British Scoliosis Society (BSS), Scoliosis Research Society (SRS) and AO Spine

Qualifications:

MBBS FRCS (Tr and Orth) MSc (Eng)

Specialist Clinical Interests:

Minimally invasive spinal surgery, computer navigated surgery, robotic spinal surgery, low back pain, sciatica, adult degenerative disease and deformity, paediatric scoliosis, spinal myeloma