Conference speakers
We are pleased to announce the 2026 AHTA Annual Conference speakers!
Keynote speaker
Ann Porretto-Loehrke
PT, DPT, CHT, COMT, CMTPT
Clinical Development Coordinator at the Hand to Shoulder Center of Wisconsin, USA
Ann Porretto-Loehrke is an accomplished clinician and educator specializing in upper extremity disorders. With over 30 years of clinical experience and two decades of teaching continuing education courses, she currently serves as the Clinical Development Coordinator at the Hand to Shoulder Center in Appleton, Wisconsin in the United States.
Ann is a Certified Hand Therapist (CHT) and a Certified Orthopedic Manual Therapist (COMT). She earned her bachelor's degree in physical therapy from Marquette University in 1994 and later completed a post-professional Doctorate in Physical Therapy (DPT) from Drexel University in 2007, focusing on hand and upper quarter rehabilitation.
In addition to her clinical work, Ann has shared her knowledge with teaching over 250 hand therapy courses. She has co-authored a chapter in Rehabilitation of the Hand & Upper Extremity on nerve compression syndromes of the elbow and forearm, and has published notable peer-reviewed articles, including “Clinical Manual Assessment of the Wrist” and “Taping Techniques for the Wrist” in the 2016 Journal of Hand Therapy special edition.
Ann has presented her work at prominent conferences such as the American Society of Hand Therapists (ASHT) annual meetings, Canadian Society of Hand Therapists Annual Conferences, and various regional hand conferences. She also teaches online courses for MedBridge Education.
Founders lecture
Simon Garbellini
BSc (OT), MHSM, PhD
Senior Occupational Therapist
Perth Children's Hospital, WA
Simon Garbellini is a Senior Occupational Therapist in the Cerebral Palsy Service and
Research Coordinator within Kids Rehab WA at Perth Children’s Hospital. Simon provides direct clinical care, using evidence informed practice, to children with cerebral palsy with complex movement disorders, chronic pain and hand and upper limb disorders. He actively generates and participates in educational and research activities to improve the care and health outcomes for children with cerebral palsy.
Invited speakers
Jane Aarons
Occupational Therapist, Accredited Hand Therapist (as awarded by the Australian Hand Therapy Association)
Peninsula Hand Therapy, VIC
Jane started Peninsula Hand Therapy 30 years ago after a very long working holiday in Vancouver, Canada where she worked at a large public hospital, The Arthritis Society of British Columbia and Private Practice before taking a teaching position at the University of British Columbia.
Since that time Jane has developed PHT into Mornington Peninsula’s pre-eminent Hand and Upper Limb Rehabilitation service. As well as leading the team at PHT, Jane continues her clinical work as her primary focus and has a special interest in Rheumatology, musician’s injuries, children with handwriting difficulties and wrist injuries.
Jane has been awarded ‘Accredited Hand Therapist’ status by the Australian Hand Therapy Association and continues to contribute to the profession in presenting and professional development. Jane is also a senior tutor in the ‘Hand Faculty’ Training program. An International training program for early career therapists. Jane is also a volunteer member of Interplast Australia and New Zealand. She has done a number of volunteer programs in developing nations such as Bangladesh and Lao, teaching the local medical and allied health staff management of complex hand injuries.
Simone Cariss
Occupational Therapist
Northern Health, VIC
Simone Cariss is an Occupational Therapist with over 20 years experience working in public health. Simone specialised in hand therapy early in her career before pivoting into leadership and management roles within public health. Simone is currently the Clinical Leader for Occupational Therapy at Northern Health in Victoria, overseeing the Hand Therapy, Community therapy and subacute inpatient streams. Simone has also held Allied Health workforce manager positions and project roles including the Establishment of the Hand Therapy Procedure Unit. Simone has a strong interest service development, innovation and developing high performing teams.
Jessica Chan
Occupational Therapist, Accredited Hand Therapist (as awarded by the Australian Hand Therapy Association)
Specialised Hand Therapy Services, WA
Jessica has worked in private practice hand therapy for 14 years and is currently a Clinical Manager at Specialised Hand Therapy Services. She graduated as an Occupational Therapist in 2009 and obtained both her Certified Hand Therapist (CHT, USA) and Accredited Hand Therapist (AHTA) qualifications in 2017.
Jessica has been involved in mentoring and supervision of developing hand therapists and AHT candidates, with a focus on clinical reasoning and evidence-based practice. She was also a member of the 2021 national conference committee.
Angela Chew
Occupational Therapist
Specialised Hand Therapy Services, WA
Graduating in 2001, Angela commenced working at SpHT as an Occupational Therapist. Angela has a Masters of Clinical Science in Hand and Upper Limb Rehabilitation (2009) and has worked as a Hand Therapist in both the public and private sector. She has significant experience in Paediatric Hand Therapy at Princess Margaret Hospital.
Angela has also lectured and tutored Occupational Therapy at Edith Cowan University, including Hand and Upper Limb Rehabilitation. Angela is a Certified Hand Therapist (CHT-USA) and is a Member of the Australian Hand Therapy Association. She particularly enjoys teaching and mentoring Occupational Therapists in the speciality of Hand and Upper Limb Rehabilitation.
Jaslyn Cullen
Occupational Therapist, Accredited Hand Therapist (as awarded by the Australian Hand Therapy Association)
Innervate Occupational Therapy, WA
Jaslyn Cullen is a highly respected Occupational Therapist who graduated from Curtin University (Western Australia) in 1998 with a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy. She is an Accredited Hand Therapist (as awarded by the AHTA).
With more than 25 years of clinical experience across Australia and the United Kingdom, Jaslyn has worked extensively in both public and private hospital and clinic settings. She is the Director of Innervate Occupational Therapy in Wembley, Western Australia, where she specialises in complex hand and upper‑limb rehabilitation. Her clinical expertise includes nerve injuries, brachial plexus injuries, quadriplegia,
neurological conditions, and pain management.
For over a decade, Jaslyn has served as a research investigator in collaboration with Orthocell, contributing to multiple clinical trials and ongoing research programs. Throughout her career she has published peer‑reviewed work, presented nationally and internationally, and supported the development of future clinicians through undergraduate teaching and volunteer teaching internationally.
Lisa De Rosario
Senior Occupational Therapist, Accredited Hand Therapist (as awarded by the Australian Hand Therapy Association)
Specialised Hand Therapy Services, WA
Lisa is an experienced Occupational Therapist who has specialised in hand and upper limb therapy since graduating from Curtin University in 2008. She is an Accredited Hand Therapist (AHT) and Certified Hand Therapist (CHT) whose extensive private practice background is further enriched by recent work in the public sector. Demonstrating a commitment to global health, she has also participated in numerous ‘Rafiki’ plastic surgery missions to Tanzania, providing specialised care in complex clinical environments.
Lisa is passionate about active rehabilitation and strives to empower her patients throughout their recovery process. With a particular interest in chronic pain and complex conditions, she has undertaken training in STOTT Pilates and more recently a Master of Clinical Exercise Physiology at the University of Western Australia. This multidisciplinary expertise reflects her commitment to promoting long-term health outcomes, helping her patients bridge the gap between acute rehabilitation and thriving throughout the lifespan.
Judith Elliott
Occupational Therapist
Royal Perth Hospital, WA
Judy graduated as an Occupational Therapist (B.Sc.OT) in Perth, working in various WA community and hospital settings and in the UK. After returning to Perth, Judy joined Royal Perth Hospital and the rehabilitation annex, Shenton Park Campus (SPC). Developing broad generalist OT clinical skills before focussing on hand therapy and upper limb rehabilitation formed a basis to her holistic best patient care approach.
Judy was involved in the Fiona Stanley Hospital (FSH) new build service design and development consultations and experienced the significant changes of closure of SPC and transition to new hospital and service streams. She worked to develop and establish the Plastic Surgery and Telehealth, and OT-led clinics and rural therapist support within a multi-disciplinary team. Judy’s passion for teaching and equipping emerged through the ongoing delivery of OT rural hand therapy education programme which support Telehealth services. Her focus on enabling the next generation of clinicians to have hand and upper limb skills and confidence to treat their patients continues to be integrated into Judy’s clinical practice and providing best patient care.
Alex Jenkins
Director
WA Data Science Innovation Hub at Curtin University, WA
Alex Jenkins is the Director of the WA Data Science Innovation Hub (WADSIH) at Curtin University and a leading voice in artificial intelligence and data science, with over 15 years of experience developing AI solutions, big data implementations, and data science strategies for prominent organisations across industries including healthcare, mining, and supply chain.
A TEDxPerth speaker on the topic of AI in education, Alex regularly engages with media and audiences on how AI works, its ethical implications, and its impact on the future of work and education. He serves on several influential advisory bodies, including the WA Department of Premier & Cabinet AI Advisory Board, the WA Department of Health AI Oversight Committee, and the WA Education Department AI Advisory Group, and chairs the Curtin AI in Research (CAIR) Group. Alex is available to speak on a wide range of topics, from introductory AI for general audiences to AI in governance, healthcare, legal and financial services, and the future of society.
Sharyn Kerr
Occupational Therapist
Royal Perth Hospital, WA
Sharyn completed her Bachelor of Science (Occupational Therapy) degree at Curtin University in the early 1990s. She worked in several private practices around Perth, although most of her career is based in Western Australia’s public health sector. Sharyn has over 30 years’ experience connected to Royal Perth Hospital and Shenton Park Campus (now Royal Perth Bentley Group) with a dedicated interest in hand therapy. Sharyn experienced the new hospital and service streams changes from a consultative role in the Fiona Stanley Hospital (FSH) new build service design and development planning through to experiencing closure of SPC and transition of service delivery.
Sharyn’s clinical expertise developed through the Plastic Surgery hand therapy services, and she was an integral contributor to establishing OT-led clinics and Telehealth service. She remains passionate about providing coordinated, accessible care for country people. Sharyn advocates for equitable patient access and care outcomes, supporting research projects, delivering education to peers and strives for positive change within multidisciplinary teams. She has first-hand experience of the impact of significant change and embraces opportunities to expand her knowledge and skills while supporting and empowering other team members.
A/Prof Matthew Lawson-Smith
Orthopaedic Surgeon, Upper Limb Specialist
Part of Murdoch Orthopaedic Clinic, WA
Associate Professor Matthew Lawson-Smith is an internationally and locally trained hand and upper limb surgeon. A/Prof Lawson-Smith’s training included an upper limb and sports surgery fellowship with the Canberra Orthopaedic Group; a one year hand
and wrist fellowship at the Birmingham Hand Centre (which is one of the largest
hand centres in Europe) and a one year shoulder and upper limb fellowship at
The James Cook University Hospital Middlesbrough, under Professor Rangan. As well as hand fellowships, he obtained the European Diploma in Hand Surgery, one of the only few surgeons in Australia to have done so.
A/Prof Lawson-Smith is also actively involved in medical student and junior doctor training and currently runs a teaching program at Fremantle Hospital where he is the
clinical lead for education at the Hand Surgery Department. A/Prof Lawson-Smith
is currently undertaking a PhD in hand and wrist surgery through the University
of Western Australia.
Clare Macey
Occupational Therapist, Accredited Hand Therapist (as awarded by the Australian Hand Therapy Association)
Royal Perth Hospital, WA
Clare is an experienced Occupational Therapist (B.Sc.OT) with a keen interest in hand therapy as her central focus for several years. She was awarded Accredited Hand Therapist (AHT) in 2020. Clare worked in the NHS and private hand therapy services in WA before joining the hand therapy team at Royal Perth Bentley Group. Her clinical specialist OT role includes delivery of the OT-led fast track clinics and Telehealth within Plastic Surgery outpatients.
Clare’s service level interest in improving treatment pathways for patients led to a Clinical Service Improvement Project which expanded her project management skills and resulted in integral changes to improve efficiencies in the appointment process. She actively pursues opportunities to lead or be involved in evidence-based and quality improvement projects in her clinical role, thereby extending the hand therapy knowledge base of the multidisciplinary team and improving patient outcomes.
Heather MacLaren
Senior Occupational Therapist
Royal Perth Hospital, WA
Heather is research coordinator at Royal Perth Bentley Group (RPBG), with a degree in Occupational Therapy (B.Sc. OT) and post-graduate degree in Health Professionals Education (M.HpEd.). Her experience in public, private and non-government settings includes a significant portion in hand therapy at Royal Perth Hospital (RPH) and Shenton Park Campus (SPC).
Heather’s capacity for lateral thinking and innovation, and a continued desire for cohesive, timely and best patient care led to achieving significant changes of practice. She initiated OT clinical staffing increases, established OT-led clinics in Plastic Surgery, co-founded the RPH Plastic Surgery Telehealth service and OT rural hand therapy education practice, and was lead investigator for several telehealth research projects. She later lived in regional WA, being an ‘end-user’ clinician of the Plastic Surgery Telehealth services she had helped establish. After returning to Perth, Heather reconnected with RPBG. Her current role enables the opportunity to support and involve OTs with evidence-based, quality improvement and research projects, accessing grant funding and innovating ideas into practice.
Clare Maple-Brown
Physiotherapist, Accredited Hand Therapist (as awarded by the Australian Hand Therapy Association)
Bondi Junction Hand Therapy, NSW
Clare graduated from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Applied Science (Physiotherapy) in 2000 and worked at The Prince of Wales Hospital as a graduate. There she found her love of Hand Therapy and then proceeded to work in various private practices in Sydney and also in the NHS in the UK. She founded Bondi Junction Hand Therapy in 2010 and acquired the ownership of North Shore Hand Therapy in 2023.
Clare is passionate about building a team culture of excellence, empathy and collaboration. She now dedicates her time to her staff and three children and is not available for patient bookings.
She holds the following qualifications:
- Graduate of Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD) and is currently a Board Member of the Maple-Brown Family Foundation (delete St Judes)
- Accredited Hand Therapist as awarded by the Australian Hand Therapy Association and Certified Hand Therapist as awarded by the Hand Therapy Certification Commission (USA)
- Member of Philanthropy Australia and the Australian Physiotherapy Association
- Registered Physiotherapist with Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency
Luke McCarron
Occupational Therapist, Accredited Hand Therapist (as awarded by the Australian Hand Therapy Association)
Bond University, QLD
Dr Luke McCarron is an Occupational Therapist with experience spanning clinical hand therapy, research, and academia. He is an Accredited Hand Therapist and Certified Hand Therapist, holding a Master of Science in Hand Therapy and a PhD exploring rehabilitation following TFCC repair surgery.
Luke is an Assistant Professor at Bond University and has been lead or co-author on over 20 peer-reviewed journal publications in the past five years. He is also the Founder and Executive Director of Upper Limb Education and presenter of the ‘Ulnar-Sided Wrist Pain’ course, which integrates key insights from his doctoral research into practical, evidence-informed clinical education.
Fiona Moate
Occupational Therapist, Accredited Hand Therapist (as awarded by the Australian Hand Therapy Association)
Northern Health, VIC
Fiona is an Occupational Therapist with over 27 years of experience working in Hand Therapy in both public and private Hand Therapy settings.
Fiona is a Certified Hand Therapist, a world recognised credential demonstrating a high standard of competency to offer patients quality care and the best possible outcome.
Fiona is also an Accredited Hand Therapist as awarded through the Australian Hand Therapy Association.
Fiona’s professional interests include management of tendon injuries and complex extra-articular phalangeal fractures non-surgically.
Fiona has presented at various professional events over the years and has published two journal articles relating to Hand Therapy.
Fiona is committed to providing quality care and keeping up to date with evidence based practice.
Dana Parkin
Advanced Scope Occupational Therapist
Royal Perth Hospital, WA
Dana Parkin is an Advanced Scope Occupational Therapist at Royal Perth Hospital, specialising in plastic surgery and upper limb rehabilitation. With 20 years of clinical experience, Dana has pioneered advanced scope OT roles in Western Australia, notably establishing the "Firsthand" plastic surgery waitlist clinic. This initiative successfully cleared 30% of patients from the referral waitlist through expert triage and independent diagnostic assessment.
Dana’s technical expertise includes the management of complex upper limb trauma, evidence-based protocol development, and service evaluation. As a clinical leader, she is passionate about multidisciplinary collaboration, liaising with plastic surgeons, GPs, and regional health networks to streamline patient pathways across metropolitan and telehealth services.
Dedicated to professional excellence, Dana holds a Master of Health Professions Education and has authored multiple quality improvement projects targeting service efficiency and patient outcomes. Her work continues to focus on integrating research into clinical practice to advocate for the occupational therapy profession and enhance the delivery of specialist surgical services.
Kathryn Phillips
Occupational Therapist, Accredited Hand Therapist (as awarded by the Australian Hand Therapy Association)
BodyFlex OT, WA
Kathryn Phillips is an Occupational Therapist and Accredited Hand Therapist with over two decades of clinical practice in hand therapy and soft tissue injury management. Since graduating in 1999, she has worked across public health systems and private practice in both Australia and the United Kingdom, developing a strong focus on upper limb rehabilitation. Her caseload has included high performance athletes, professional musicians and performing artists, and individuals of all ages. She is a preferred Occupational Therapy provider for the Western Australian Symphony Orchestra.
Kathryn’s clinical approach combines advanced whole body soft tissue injury management with a broader upper quadrant perspective, and integrative systems approach. She holds postgraduate qualification in soft tissue injury management from James Cook University and has undertaken further training and qualification in Fascial Manipulation (Stecco Method), Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilisation (DNS), Mulligans Concept, and dry needling. Her practice emphasizes early intervention, patient education, and self-management strategies.
In addition to clinical practice, Kathryn has committed to the ongoing provision of professional education, with over a decade of experience teaching undergraduate anatomy and hand therapy. She has also enjoyed teaching multiple private workshops and a variety of course subjects for the AHTA.
Jason Ryan
Senior Physiotherapist
Physio73, WA
Jason is a senior physiotherapist and co-director of Physio73 (Leeming & Palmyra), with over 15 years of clinical experience and a strong focus on shoulder and upper limb management in sporting populations. A former baseball player of 20 years, Jason has spent more than a decade embedded in the sport — serving as Perth Heat Medical Coordinator for the last three ABL seasons. His clinical passion lies in helping athletes of all ages and levels move better, stay on the field longer, and return to sport with confidence. Jason's clinics proudly support the Baseball WA/Aus community, and in 2025 he launched the online brand Your Baseball Physio, with a vision to make professional-level arm care accessible to every player, globally.
Melita Ryan
MBA BSc OT GAICD
Occupational Therapist
Alphington Sports Medicine, VIC
Melita Ryan is a health consultant, occupational therapist and hand therapy practitioner with experience across clinical practice, governance, digital health and service improvement. She is a Senior Manager in Health Consulting at EY and has led major health strategy, operating model, digital transformation and risk projects across Australia.
Melita’s hand therapy experience includes current clinical work in sports-related hand and upper limb injuries, previous leadership roles at The Hand and Upper Limb Centre and The London Hand and Wrist Unit.
She brings a practical perspective on what private practice hand therapists need to navigate today’s operating environment: legal and legislative compliance, privacy, documentation, clinical risk, digital health and emerging AI-enabled workflows.
Melita's strengths in leadership, governance and risk is also evident in her Vice Chair role for Omeo District Health Service and Chair of TravellerAid Australia.
Melita holds an MBA, a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy, Certified Health Informatician Australasia credentials, Fellow of the Australian College of Health Service Management and a Certified Health Executive and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Beth Taylor
Physiotherapist, Accredited Hand Therapist (as awarded by the Australian Hand Therapy Association)
Territory Hands, NT
Beth is passionate about all things related to hands. She is dedicated to excellence across her practice, including how she trains and assists our therapists and staff. Beth has an incredible wealth of experience gained locally and nationally which underpins her work. Beth loves teaching and supporting the growth of her staff and other therapists across the globe.
Wilma Walsh
Occupational Therapist, Accredited Hand Therapist (as awarded by the Australian Hand Therapy Association)
Extend Rehabilitation, QLD
Wilma (Willie) is an Occupational Therapist who has practised hand therapy for over 30 years. Willie was one of the five founding members of the Australian Hand Therapy Association and served as president from 1983-86.
She has lectured extensively and is recognised as an expert in the field of hand/upper limb rehabilitation both in Australia and internationally. She has been the invited keynote speaker at the French and New Zealand Hand Therapy meetings and in 2010 was the invited Honoured Professor at the prestigious Philadelphia Hand Foundation meeting. She has served as an editor of the American Hand Therapy Journal and is the only international therapist to serve as a member of the Hand Therapy Certification Commission Exam Review Committee.
Willie has a special interest in the wrist, sporting injuries, flexor tendon injuries and fractures. Wilma is a life member of the Australian Hand Therapy Association and is a Certified Hand Therapist (USA).