University of Sydney
NSW Australia
Kevin Keay is a Professor of Neuroscience and the Chief Anatomist in the School of Medical Sciences Faculty of Medicine and Health. He is co-lead of the Translational Psychopharmacology Team at the Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney.
President, IASP | Imperial College
UK
Andrew Rice is Professor of Pain Research at Imperial College London, where he leads the Pain Research Group. He is currently serving as President of the International Association for the Study of Pain.
His research focusses on translational research in neuropathic pain in the context of infection (HIV, leprosy, HTLV-1 & zoster), diabetes, conflict-related trauma and non-freezing cold injury. Having been active in pre-clinical pain research (esp pathophysiology of HIV neuropathy, animal modelling and cannabinoid pharmacology), he now works on innovating pre-clinical experimental design, validity and evidence synthesis. Andrew’s clinical research includes deep profiling of neuropathic pain patients with a view to elucidating risk and enabling precision medicine, clinical trials and evidence synthesis. He collaborates with historians on aspects of neuropathic pain.
Andrew has authored ~250 publications (H-index 67), many in the leading specialist journal (PAIN). He has published in other notable journals including: Lancet, Brain, Lancet Neurology, Nature Methods, NEJM & BMJ.
Andrew has served as a Councillor of the International Association for the Study of Pain, liaison to South-East and is currently South Asia liaison. He was Chair of the Scientific Programme Committee for the 18th World Congress on Pain and of the Taskforce on Cannabinoid Analgesia. He previously held leadership positions in the IASP Special Interest Group on Neuropathic Pain.
Andrew has received multiple awards including Imperial College’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Animal Research; the Patrick Wall Lecturer at both the British Pain Society and the Faculty of Pain Medicine and the Michael Cousins lecturer at the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists.
University of Sydney
NSW Australia
Fiona is Professor of Public Health and Pain Medicine at the University of Sydney. She is a public health physician and pain epidemiologist. She is also a Principal Hospital Scientist (fractional) at the RNSH Pain Management and Research Institute in the Northern Sydney Local Health District. Fiona is currently the Topical reviews Section Editor for the journal PAIN and is also a member of the IASP Council.
Fiona is internationally recognised for her body of work that positions chronic pain conditions as a major public health problem and contributor to the global burden of disability. In 2018 she was made a Member in the General Division of the Order of Australia (AM). In May 2018 she was awarded an Honorary Fellowship by the Australasian Faculty of Pain Medicine.
She has close collaborative links with local and international groups researching healthy ageing, arthritis/musculoskeletal conditions, and comorbidity/multimorbidity. Fiona also works in health policy areas (global and national pain policy; promoting the use of research evidence in health policy).
She has been involved in studies of chronic pain epidemiology for almost twenty years, including large prospective cohort studies, RCTs, pharmaco-epidemiological studies, and health services research using linked routinely collected datasets. She is internationally recognised for her work conceptualising pain as a public health problem. She has authored or co-authored >270 peer-reviewed articles.
SA Health and Medical Research Unit
SA Australia
Dr Anna Dawson is a Senior Research Fellow at the Wardliparingga Aboriginal Health Equity Unit at the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute. She has a background in physiotherapy and has been working in health research for the last two decades. Her mixed method research focuses on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' health and wellbeing, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workforce, health services research and research translation. Anna has been fortunate to work in intercultural teams and learn from exceptional cultural mentors.
Adelaide University
SA Australia
Professor Mark Hutchinson is a pioneering researcher and academic leader who serves as the Dean of Research for the College of Health for the new Adelaide University. His groundbreaking work in neuroimmunopharmacology has revolutionised our understanding of the "other brain" - the 90% of brain cells known as glia - and their crucial role in pain, addiction, and various neurological conditions. As head of the Neuroimmunopharmacology Laboratory, he has developed innovative approaches to biomarker identification and complex data analytics, successfully bridging the gap between laboratory discoveries and clinical applications.
In recognition of his exceptional contributions to science and leadership, Professor Hutchinson holds several prestigious appointments, including membership on the Prime Minister's National Science and Technology Council and Australia's Economic Accelerator board member. He chairs the Safeguarding Australia through Biotechnology Response and Engagement (SABRE) Alliance and the Australian Pain Solutions Research Alliance board, while his previous roles as President of Science and Technology Australia, review of the ARC Legislation and as Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale BioPhotonics have strengthened Australia's scientific landscape. His research has pioneered novel drug activity at innate immune receptors, leading to transformative clinical applications that have advanced from laboratory concepts to bedside treatments.
Professor Hutchinson's impact extends beyond academic achievements, with his work fostering strong industry partnerships and commercial translations. His leadership has been celebrated through numerous accolades, including being named a 2024 and 2025 Finalist for the Eureka Prize for Leadership in Science and receiving the Vice-Chancellor's Award for Outstanding Achievement in creating a Culture of Impact. Through his research and leadership, he continues to drive innovation in biomedical science while advocating for greater engagement between researchers, industry, and the broader community.
University of South Australia
SA Australia
Erin MacIntyre is a post-doctoral researcher at the Persistent Pain Research Group at Adelaide University. She is an experienced physiotherapist and pain researcher who is interested in how new technology can be harnessed to reduce pain and improve exercise engagement in people living with pain. Her research explores links between pain and visual perception, and how new technology (e.g., virtual reality) can exploit these links to make exercise more enjoyable and engaging for those experiencing pain.
Flinders University
SA Australia
A/Professor Amy Reynolds is a clinical epidemiologist and intern psychologist with research expertise in the relationships between non-standard work schedules (particularly shift work), health and safety. She is also a patient research partner, living with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). She is a member of the BMJ’s International Patient Advisory Panel, which informs the BMJ about patient preferences and priorities. Their most recent international collaboration has focussed on patient partnership in healthcare, and the role of patients in policy decision making.
She is based at the Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute (Sleep Health), where she is an ARC DECRA Fellow. A/Prof Reynolds’ clinical research was showcased on the SBS 3 part documentary, Australia’s Sleep Revolution with Dr Michael Mosley, which can be found on SBS On Demand.
RSL Australia
NSW Australia
Pete Rudland has had nearly three decades of experience in the Australian Army and is a qualified counsellor and fitness instructor who now provides assistance to veterans with post-traumatic stress and physical injuries.
He is a passionate advocate for veterans and their families bringing to the fore his lived experience from his time during service and on deployment to Cambodia, East Timor Iraq and Afghanistan
Pete was medically separated from the Defence Force following a 2010 Blackhawk helicopter crash in Afghanistan that left him with skeletal injuries and a traumatic brain injury.
As part of his rehabilitation, he has gone on to represent the Australian Defence Force in three Invictus Games including one as Australian co-captain. An incredibly versatile athlete, he won two Invictus gold medals in recumbent cycling and one in wheelchair rugby. He also competes in Ironman and marathon events, including the 2023 Gold Coast Marathon as part of the continued evolution of his rehabilitation.
Pete is an Ambassador for RSL Australia, a Pain Champion for Pain Australia, an Ambassador for the Kokoda Project at Liverpool Plains and a board member for RedSix, an app created to assist in defence and veteran mental health. He is also a member of the Australian War Memorial Gallery Redevelopment Advisory Committee and is on the Advisory Committee for the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide.