Council 2022 - 2023

Dr Boulton is an experienced public speaker, conference keynote speaker and sought-after medical commentator, regularly featuring in mainstream media. 

Dr Boulton was named one of the 100 Faces of Small Business Queensland in 2018. She was a finalist in the Brisbane Lord Mayor’s Awards as Businessperson of the Year. In 2019, she was a finalist in the Greater Brisbane Women in Business Awards of Australia. Family Doctors Plus was awarded the Queensland Telstra Business of the Year Award in 2017. 

Dr Boulton has held leadership positions in other organisations and is also a member of the Federal AMA Council of General Practice Committee. 

“Opening Family Doctors Plus increased my awareness of the challenges faced by my GP and non-GP specialist colleagues, motivating me to become involved in creating positive change. Primarily, these challenges revolve around providing quality, evidence-based health care in the face of dwindling funding and inadequate MBS rebates.”
 

Dr Yim has been a member of the AMA Queensland Council since 2016 and the AMA Queensland Board since 2020. He plays an active role in medical education for the University of Queensland Rural Clinical School and GP Registrars. 
 

Dr Yim plays an active role in medical education for the University of Queensland Rural Clinical School and GP Registrars. Locally, he is the President of the Fraser Coast Local Medical Association.

"The last couple of years, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought challenges to our community and the medical profession.  All doctors from medical students, doctors in training, general practitioners and public/private specialists are paramount to ensure that we maintain the health of our community.

"We require active and purposeful interaction between the medical profession and all levels of government.  We require long term planning and not band aid solutions.  Similarly, we require clear and concise messaging to our community."

He has aspirations to complete his Rheumatology training and further expand his interests in medical administration with particular interests in clinical governance, medical regulation and accreditation.

"I am passionate about advocating for a positive training environment that both supports and protects high quality education and training whilst concurrently promoting the wellbeing of doctors and medical students. I appreciate the ever-growing need of the medical profession to take leadership in the Australian Healthcare system: to actively represent ourselves as doctors in concert to passionately advocating for our patients. As the Doctor in Training Representative on AMA Queensland's Council, I hope to empower my fellow DIT colleagues to become involved in AMA Queensland and take charge of our futures." 

Dr Antony Attokaran has contributed to various committees and working groups with various Hospital and Health Services, the Royal Australasian College of Physicians and the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society (ANZIS).

In his career as an Intensivist and general physician, he works across both public and private sectors and actively engages with multiple specialists, general practitioners, and wider community. 

He actively supports and fosters research among the doctors in training and medical students. In his role as Director of Clinical Training, he has been able to support junior doctors and medical students in their careers.

"I am excited to be part of the AMA Queensland Council and look forward to lobbying for policies for betterment of the medical fraternity." 

Dr Bandi has a special interest in andrology, urological oncology, prostate brachytherapy, erectile dysfunction and infertility, endourology and lithotripsy. Dr Bandi develops mobile applications for smart phones and virtual reality applications and simulations. He was one of the members of the committee appointed by the Board of Urology of the Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand to convert the curriculum for trainees to a modular curriculum using current technology due to his expertise in this area. Dr Bandi is the international scientific advisor and marketing director for Urodev and clinical advisor to the multi award winning CancerAid app which is currently the most downloaded cancer app in the US, UK and Australia and won the Best Global Startup and Best Startup for Social Good in 2017 in San Francisco. Dr Bandi has been one of Australia’s most successful fundraisers for the Movember Foundation for the last 11 years and has been the highest individual fundraiser for the last three years. Dr Bandi is the champion, mentor and facilitator of Coder Dojo Mackay – a volunteer group that runs coding classes for children. He is also Clinical Advisor for PHIT (Prescribed Health Initiative Targets) Nutrition and the Chief Medical Officer and one of the Founder Directors of PHIT-LABS, which is developing AI-based applications for promoting an active and healthy lifestyle. Dr Bandi was a member of MackHackers, who won GovHack South Australian Challenge from Commission on Excellence and Innovation in Health. 

“I am looking forward to representing the regional doctors from the Capricornia Area, and those of us who work hard in these trying times to balance work and family commitments. I would like to see doctors be more proactive in influencing their own quality of life and set an example for healthy living. I am keen to be a role model to influence a change in the nutrition and activity practices across the wider community."

She has a special interest in aviation medicine. Dr Bondeson is now a partner in a group practice in Margate on the Redcliffe Peninsula where she works full-time. Dr Bondeson is the President of the Redcliffe and District Local Medical Association and serves on the Council of General Practice.

“My intention is to represent the views and voices of the doctors in the Greater Brisbane area. This includes both public and private doctors, specialist and general practitioners, and doctors in training. I will ensure the concerns of our patients and the public are listened to carefully and advocate for those who do not have a voice. Continuing ongoing monitoring of important local and national medical and political issues.”

Dr Andrew Cronin served with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) for nine years as an aeronautical engineer. He then was accepted to the University of Queensland Medical School and graduated in 2007. For most of Dr Cronin's medical career, he has been training and working in regional, rural and remote medicine. Dr Cronin currently holds a part-time position with the Royal Flying Doctor Service - Queensland Section, providing primary health care and aeromedical retrieval services to the population of South-West Queensland. Dr Cronin has a special interest in Aviation Medicine, providing aviation medical assessments for the Civil Aviation Safety Authority and the Federal Aviation Administration. Dr Cronin also maintains casual positions within Queensland Health.

"I represent those medical practitioners who hold part-time and casual positions - providing essential increases in workforce capacity if and when required. It is not always possible to work in a full-time capacity for many reasons, I aim to support these options for part-time AMA Queensland members."

Dr. Emilia Dauway is the former Chief of Breast Surgery and director of the Breast Cancer Program at Baylor, Scott and White Healthcare in Texas, USA. She is an American-trained surgeon who has taken the opportunity to practice general, breast and oncologic surgery in Australia. 

She is a graduate of the Johns Hopkins University (1987) and the University of Illinois, College of Medicine (1992).  After completing her internship and residency in general surgery at the Ochsner Clinic (1997), she completed a fellowship in surgical oncology at Moffitt Cancer Institute at the University of South Florida (1999) including specialised training in breast surgery. She gained recognition as a Fellow of the Society of Surgical Oncology in 2000, a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons in 2002 and Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in 2016. She works full-time in Hervey Bay Hospital and serves on the RACS Queensland State Committee.

Dr Dauway identified a need to educate regional women regarding breast cancer treatment options, especially breast preservation and reconstruction after mastectomy. She founded RESTORE More, a non-profit, that raises awareness and provides subsidised funding for reconstructive surgery for regionally disadvantaged women. Dr Dauway was awarded “Inspirational Woman of the Year 2019”, for a holistic approach to surgery and her work with regional women through RESTORE More.

“My goal as the IMG representative on the AMA Council is to represent all doctors, professional and personal well-being, but especially IMGs. In addition to the sacrifices related to relocating themselves and families to a new country, IMGs have the added professional challenges of fulfilling the requirements for fellowship to their respective college with limited registration while providing the best care to their new regional community hospital. Highlighting these challenges, the AMA can provide support to enable IMGs to make the greatest impact on the health care needs of their region. I look forward to representing our members in Queensland, especially those located in regional areas.”

“AMA Queensland is a vital voice safeguarding the healthcare of Queenslanders and advocating for medical professionals. I will use my time on the Council to promote health policy that optimises patient care and supports doctors to provide exceptional healthcare for all Queenslanders.”

Dr Dilum Ekanayake is a generalist trainee based in Brisbane. Completing a majority of his formative years within the greater Brisbane area he has worked across primary through critical care while working towards a fellowship of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners.

Having extensive training in public health and undertaking higher research at a doctoral level in health systems and epidemiology, Dr Ekanayake has an intimate working understanding of the primary and hospital specialist systems. He has pivoted this experience in his advocacy work through the council of doctors in training as a past chair, and general practice to improve conditions for doctors being involved in the  

• MOCA 5 negotiations 
• MOCA 5 oversight committee 
• Various department of health working committees as an employee advocate 
• MOCA 6 negotiations 
• AMA Queenland’s input into the voluntary assisted dying submissions to parliament 
• Numerous Queensland Industrial Relations commission disputes and hearings 
• Fair Work Commission disputes 
• RFDS enterprise bargaining agreements 
• Mater enterprise bargaining

This not being an exhaustive list of his body of work during his time at the AMA Queensland, he has supplemented and augmented this by unequivocally supporting the working rights of doctors through his work with AMAQ’s industrial partner The Doctors’ Union ASMOF. He sits as an experienced senior industrial negotiator with over five years working within the medical employment and industrial space within the state. Dr Ekanayake currently works as clinically as a Medical Officer in Logan and Grafton. 

"In joining the AMA Queensland Council I aim to represent and promote the interests of doctors in training, employed/salaried doctors, especially those based in the Greater Brisbane are, as an area representative within the council.” 

Dr Gannon is currently in her second term on AMA Queensland Council and has recently been appointed as the Council Representative for the AMA Queensland Governance Committee for the Board. 

“I believe the AMA is a powerful, important body and a community of members. Championing leadership and advocacy for members, patients and the community in general, is of paramount importance. Representing members on Council has provided me a platform to not only benefit others, but also allowed me the opportunity to help maintain and uphold the traditions and integrity of the medical profession in which we work. It has been a pleasure to see and be part of the tangible benefits of the governance transformation that has occurred at AMA Queensland since my involvement at Council level."
 

Dr Hawson served as Director of Oncology and Palliative Care at Redcliffe Hospital, then served a similar role at Nambour Hospital and was a Foundation Fellow of the Australasian Chapter of Palliative Medicine. In 2008, Queensland Health appointed him as an Eminent Specialist, a title he carried until 2017 when he left public hospital practice. He has worked in private practice intermittently throughout his career as a laboratory haematologist, clinical haematologist and medical oncologist. He continues to practice non-malignant haematology at North lakes and Burpengary. Dr Hawson also offers second opinions in his Cancer Second Opinion practice to patients who are confused by their cancer diagnosis, treatment options, prognosis and the emerging area of personalised medicine.

Dr Hawson was Chair of the Redcliffe and District Medical Association from 1999-2000 and is currently on the executive as Secretary. He is President of the Australian Senior Active Doctors Association. Dr Hawson has served on numerous National and State advisory committees including: FRACP Representative, Pathology Committee, Australian Digital Health Agency (2017-18); Medical Oncology Group of Australia Representative, Medicines Australia Advisory Committee (2011-12); Medical Advisory Committee, Australian Lung Cancer Trials Group (2006-10); Oncology Services Advisory Committee to Queensland Health (1996-2002). 

Outside of medicine he has a black belt in two martial arts and continues to train in Jodo after 18 years. He was appointed to the board of The Compass Institute in 2021.

“I am passionate about ensuring senior medical professionals can continue to contribute to their communities and their profession as they transition to retirement. Senior active and retired doctors are an underutilised asset in advancing the health of the Australian community. It is imperative that a lifetime of training does not go to waste. I hope to be able to lobby on behalf of our senior members. If a retired judge can run a royal commission, why are we considered past our prime just because we hang up our shingle? Many doctors view their profession as a calling which doesn't cease when practice reduces, employment ends, or full registration demands cannot be met. We deserve the option of an encore career. As a board member I wish to assist AMA Queensland represent its members and ensure their wishes are incorporated in our strategic direction.”

He is a passionate advocate and founding member of the North Queensland Doctors Guild who have been deeply involved in the defence of general practice against the ill conceived pharmacy prescribing pilot. 

"I believe that AMA Queensland is an important advocacy group that will speak up for the doctors of Australia. My goal in joining the AMA Queensland Council is to stand up for the doctors of Queensland - advocating for improving our rebate conditions, improving the viability of GP owned businesses and increasing the status of general practice to the community and to inspire our junior doctors
 

Associate Professor Alka Kothari is a Senior Staff Specialist in Obstetrics and Gynaecology and a Conjoint Associate Professor in the Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland.

Assoc Prof Kothari is currently completing a PhD on 'Forgotten Fathers in pregnancy and childbirth' and won the 'Best Oral presentation' for this work at the World Congress in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, London, 2019. She has also won various research excellence, leadership and teaching awards in Metro North Hospital and Health Service as well as University of Queensland. She is an examiner for the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and The University of Queensland.

Assoc Prof Kothari has published multiple research papers in international journals. She is regularly invited to speak at international and national events for various specialist colleges including the Royal Australian College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Royal Australian College of Anaesthetists, Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists and The Society of Obstetric Medicine of Australia and New Zealand and the Australasian Society for Ultrasound in Medicine. She is passionate about encouraging multi-disciplinary research, especially in perinatal mental health, women's imaging and medical education. 

Assoc Prof Kothari is also an active member of the Prince Charles Human Research and Ethics Committee and provide research supervision and guidance to higher degree candidates and medical, nursing, allied health trainees.

"I am extremely impressed by the leadership demonstrated by AMA Queensland leaders and Council and the excellent work done in health advocacy. As I am getting close to completing my PhD, I would like to contribute to the important areas of Maternity Services, extended scope of practice, medical training and ethical issues confronting the profession including voluntary assisted dying. These are all current priorities for AMA Queensland, where I can offer my expertise."

"There are many issues facing our medical system. Doctors are overworked, and frequently undervalued in the workplace. This has a huge effect on medical training. Many doctors in training (DIT) have insurmountable clinical pressures, receive precious little supervision or training throughout their average day, and suffer from burnout and other mental health problems as a result. Many are languishing as PHOs. Responsible for keeping the hospitals running, but unable to progress their careers. My goal is to improve the DIT voice within AMA Queensland so we can better advocate for DITs across the state." 

A/Prof Nydam joined the AMA in 1999 and have forty-five years’ experience in public hospital practice, throughout NSW and Queensland and is currently a Queensland Health Eminent Staff Specialist.

During the early-mid 2000s, A/Prof Nydam witnessed the consequence of public hospital sector governance failures from its epicenter at Bundaberg - the Queensland Public Hospital Commission of Enquiry. This experience buoyed A/Prof Nydam to complete a Masters in Hospital Management (UNSW-2015) which gave him the academic rigor and frameworks that underpin the principles and practice of good public hospital social science and politics in accordance with Virchow’s view.  

As the D/Director of the Rural Training Hub (representing the University of Queensland, Central Queensland University, the Wide Bay Primary Health Network and Wide Bay Hospital Health Service, he has a passion for delivering a sustainable regional medical workforce.

To maintain his own mental health and welfare, A/Prof Nydam is a published poet and singer-songwriter. 

"I live by Virchow’s mantra that Medicine is a social science and politics is nothing else but medicine on a large scale. I see the AMA as the modern-day conveyor of that message. I have recent high-level advocacy and policy developing experience as both a member of the RACP council (six years) and the RACP Chapter of Addiction Medicine Committee (six years). At present, I represent my medical colleagues in Wide Bay (WB)-HHS on the Queensland Health Clinical Senate. I am the North Coast Area representative on AMA Queensland Council (2000-present)."

“I pledge to represent the needs of all doctors, but particularly the role and standing of doctors in our hospital health systems. These doctors are under increasing pressure by a bureaucratic health care system, determined to reduce the vital role of doctors in the delivery of health care. I believe that only medically trained doctors have the skills to make the important decisions regarding the management of our patients. Only doctors can determine the important diagnostic tests and treatments options necessary to obtain the best outcomes for our patients. Only doctors can drive the vital relevant medical research and teaching that our public hospitals require. I will work diligently to achieve the best outcomes for all our members and our patients and resist efforts to diminish the role of doctors in health care delivery.”

Chris has been involved with research with olfactory cells and paraplegia, and is currently involved in head and neck cancer research – his CV includes 50 papers, eight book chapters and 1,600 citations. Chris has done a lot of work in remote Aboriginal communities and was one of the founders of the Deadly Ears program.

"I am now the immediate past-President of AMA Queensland. After two full years of issues such as COVID, Voluntary Assisted Dying and allied health extended scopes of practice (to questionable levels of competence), I have gone to AMA Queensland Council and will stay for a while to help promote AMA Queensland Foundation. I will try to help doctors and the Queensland community as much as I can through AMA Queensland.

I'm available for advice and have many contacts within health and the Queensland Government. I am happy to help in whatever way I can."

“Empowering people to take charge of their own health and well-being is my driving ethos and I consider encouraging young doctors to actively participate in the ‘business’ of medicine equally important. 

I'm proud to be part of a supported, committed and collegiate team which thrives in a workplace that actively focuses on providing continuity of care for all patients and all staff. I enjoy adding my voice to the advocacy of Australia’s general practitioners and helping to keep their interests in the public and government’s line of sight.”

Dr Senthuran is a Senior Staff Intensivist at Townsville Hospital where he is the lead for intensive care research. He was a founding member of the Townsville Medical Staff Society and is Queensland regional Chair of the Australia New Zealand Intensive Care Society and a member of the final fellowship exam committee for College of Intensive Care Medicine. He is the current treasurer for the Australian Salaried Medical Officers Federation Queensland (ASMOFQ). Dr Senthuran is also an anaesthetist and Fellow of Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists and has an interest in perioperative medicine. He has a Masters in Clinical Epidemiology with research interests in critical care with a perioperative focus.

"I believe that medical leadership and engagement between administrators and its front line clinicians needs to underpin any drive for efficiency in an era of increasing health care costs. Such engagement needs to be based on shared values transferred from websites where they are proclaimed into every organisational thought, word and deed."

He has practised in Cairns in both the public and private sector and did a one-year sabbatical to the United Kingdom. He is currently in full-time private practice in Cairns. David has done outreach clinics in Innisfail and Weipa. He is a fellow of the Royal Australian College of Surgeons and a fellow of the Australian Orthopaedic Association. His primary qualification is a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery from the University of Queensland. He has been involved in teaching medical students from James Cook University.

“My intention on the AMA Queensland Council is to represent the views and needs of Far North Queensland doctors by acting as a conduit for communication between them and the AMA organisation.”

"Australia’s medical students are the next generation of world leading doctors. My hope is to tackle issues medical students face throughout their pre-clinical and clinical years – highlighting the need of good mental, physical and spiritual health. By challenging these issues, I hope to unite our future workforce, to ensure our healthcare is as holistic and friendly to patients as possible."

He has been involved with AMA Queensland and AMA Federal committees since graduating medical school in 2013 and is also an active Medical Officer with the Australian Army Reserves. 

"I believe AMA Queensland is an important mouthpiece not only for doctors, but for our patients as well. My goal on the AMA Queensland Council is to represent the doctors of the Downs and Western Queensland - advocating for safe and sustainable working conditions. I am a strong believer in rural generalism and am proud to work in an area of Queensland where this model of care is often celebrated as a positive example for others to follow."