ADIPS Limited Board of Directors (2024-26)

 

President and Chair of the Board 

Dr Matthew Hare MBBS(Hons) BMedSc(Hons) FRACP PhD  

Endocrinologist, Darwin, NT   

Matt is an Endocrinologist at Royal Darwin Hospital, where he is Clinical Lead for Remote Diabetes Services across the Top End of the Northern Territory. As a clinician-researcher with Menzies School of Health Research, his work focuses on working in partnership to understand and address the intergenerational diabetes epidemic among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. He has particular interests and expertise in epidemiology and data-linkage studies. Matt currently also serves on the NT Diabetes Network, the International Diabetes Epidemiology Group Organising Committee, and the Australian Diabetes Society (ADS) Research Advisory Council. His work has been recognised through several awards including the 2024 ADS Skip Martin Fellowship and the 2022 Viertel Foundation Clinical Investigator Award. Matt has served on the ADIPS Board since 2022.

 

Deputy Board Chair

Dr Susan de Jersey, PhD 

Advanced Accredited Practicing Dietitian, Brisbane QLD

Susan de JerseyDr Susan de Jersey is an Advanced Accredited Practicing Dietitian and Clinician Research Fellow within Metro North Hospital and Health Service in Queensland. Susan has been providing care to women with diabetes in pregnancy and gestational diabetes in the antenatal clinic at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital for over 15 years. Susan is a clinical leader to a team of dietitians working in antenatal care across Metro North Hospital and Health Service.

Her program of research is focused on clinically relevant perinatal health concerns and translation into clinical practice. She has a national reputation as an expert and leader in maternal health and early life nutrition. Dr de Jersey leads research to generate new knowledge and implement and evaluate changes to routine care that supports women to have a healthy pregnancy and optimise offspring outcomes. She is particularly passionate about the provision of high value, person centred care that is informed by evidence. Susan supervisors undergraduate and post graduate students and leads several research projects area of gestational diabetes and perinatal health.  

 

 

Immediate Past President

Professor David Simmons - MA (Cantab) MB BS FRCP FRACP MD (Cantab)     

Endocrinologist, Sydney, NSW

David is Professor of Medicine, Macarthur Clinical School, Western Sydney University; Director, Endocrinology Department, Campbelltown Hospital; Director, South Western Sydney Diabetes, Obesity, Metabolism Translational Research Unit (DOMTRU); Professorial Fellow, University of Melbourne and Visiting Professor, University of Örebro, Sweden.  He is a previous President of the Australasian Diabetes In Pregnancy Society (ADIPS), is currently on the ADIPS Board and chairs their Clinical Audit Working Group.  He has led several trials/studies in diabetes in pregnancy, diabetes prevention, diabetes management and diabetes epidemiology.     He has over 300 publications and won several national and international awards for his work on diabetes.

 

 

 

Board Directors

 

Julia Zinga 

Diabetes Dietitian, Melbourne, VIC  

Julia Zinga is a Diabetes Dietitian and obtained a Bachelor of Health Science (Nutrition & Dietetics) from The University of Newcastle in 2001. The majority of Julia’s dietetic career has been in the field of diabetes, providing dietary counselling to people of all ages with diabetes. Since 2014, Julia has worked as Diabetes Dietitian at Royal Women’s Hospital, Melbourne, specialising in the multidisciplinary diabetes unit to support women with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes who are pregnant or planning pregnancy, and women with gestational diabetes. Julia co-authored a chapter on carbohydrate counting in the ADS Insulin Pump Manual, and she is also the producer of a pictorial resource for carbohydrate estimation, called ‘How much Carb in that?’.​

 

 

Dr Rosemary Hall

Endocrinologist, Wellington, NZ Rosemary Hall

Dr Rosemary Hall is an Endocrinologist working in general endocrinology and diabetes at Capital and Coast District Health, where she leads the diabetes in pregnancy clinical service for the Wellington Region.

Her PhD, completed in Cambridge, UK, examined the association between dietary protein, energy regulation and metabolic disease. This research used a variety of techniques to measure energy intake, energy expenditure, body composition and metabolic parameters, including highly controlled physiological studies performed in a whole body calorimeter.

She received an HRC feasibility grant (HRC15/513) to investigate long term outcomes of women from the DIP clinic.

 
 

 

Dr Tang Wong BSc(Med) MBBS (Hons) MPhil 

Endocrinologist, Sydney, NSW Tang Wong

Dr Tang Wong graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (honours) from the University of NSW in 2003 and undertook Advanced Training in Endocrinology at the Concord Repatriation, Prince of Wales and Bankstown-Lidcombe hospitals. He completed a Master of Philosophy in Medicine at the University of Sydney under the supervision of Professors Ngai-Wah Cheung, Jeffrey Flack and Glynis Ross. His research thesis was titled "The Risk stratification of women with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: Can we predict adverse outcomes?", exploring the additive roles of glucose, weight and other factors in the development of negative outcomes in pregnancies affected by Gestational Diabetes. Tang is co-head of the Department of Diabetes and Endocrinology at the Bankstown-Lidcombe hospital and Senior VMO at the Prince of Wales hospital. He sits on the editorial board of the Diabetes Management Journal and is a past member of the Medical Education Scientific Advisory Committee.

 

 

 

A/Prof Alexis Shub Alexis Shub

Obstetrician & MFM Subspecialist, Melbourne, VIC

A/Prof Alexis Shub is an obstetrician and maternal fetal medicine subspecialist at Mercy Hospital for Women in Melbourne. She has research interests in diabetes and obesity in pregnancy. She heads the diabetes clinic at Mercy. She also has a number of roles in medical student teaching and coordination for the University of Melbourne.  

 

 

Professor Leonie Callaway  Leonie Callaway

Obstetric Physician and General Physician, Brisbane, QLD

Professor Leonie Callaway is an Obstetric Physician, with a longstanding clinical and academic interest in diabetes in pregnancy.  She has enjoyed supervising over 20 research higher degree scholars, many working in the area of diabetes in pregnancy. She has an outstanding academic record as co-author of >190 publications, and more than 20 million dollars in research funding. At present, she is the Co-Chair of the Queensland Maternal and Perinatal Quality Council. In the last few years, she has enjoyed a small private practice at the Wesley Medical Centre, in addition to senior leadership roles within Queensland Health. She has interests in obesity, metabolism, diabetes, hypertension, adverse childhood experiences and weight-based stigma and discrimination. In 2022, Prof Callaway was awarded the Women’s Health Australasia Medal of Distinction for her contribution to Women’s Health. She has Company Director qualifications, and so is eminently suited to senior leadership and mentorship within a Board environment.

 

Dr Shantha Joseph  Shantha Joseph

Endocrinologist and Obstetric Physician, Adelaide, SA

Shantha Joseph is a highly experienced Endocrinologist and Obstetric Physician specialised in diabetes management with a focus on pregnancy. Currently, she is a Staff Specialist at Flinders Medical Centre, Adelaide, SA, where she has contributed to numerous high-impact clinical projects, demonstrating her medical expertise and problem-solving abilities.  Her expertise is underpinned by a Master's degree in Clinical Education, reflecting her deep commitment to teaching and mentorship. Her passion for teaching is evident through her involvement in various educational initiatives, organising workshops and scientific meetings in the field of diabetes in pregnancy.

Representing South Australia, an underrepresented region within the Australian Diabetes in Pregnancy Society (ADIPS), she aims to bring a fresh perspective and regional insights to the society's initiatives.  Shantha’s blend of clinical acumen, educational leadership, collaborative spirit, and dedication to patient-centred care aligns seamlessly with ADIPS's mission to promote excellence in diabetes management during pregnancy across Australia.

 

 

Dr Ian Fulcher  Ian Fulcher

Senior Obstetrician, Sydney, NSW

I am a senior Obstetrician and Head of Department at Liverpool Hospital in Southwestern Sydney, an area of low socioeconomic status and high rates of pre-pregnancy morbidity (pre-diabetes, diabetes, obesity, renal disease). GDM impacts 22-25% of the 12,000 pregnancies each year.  I have been an ADIPs member for 30 years and a previous Board Member. Obstetric input into Board decisions on diabetes and pregnancy clinical pathways and management guidelines is essential.

Pregnancies with pre-gestational diabetes require careful obstetric monitoring and management together with optimal diabetes care. Provision of obstetric and midwifery services to diabetes pregnancies while optimising the pregnancy journey experience within the constraints of limited health resources is challenging requiring strategies to focus services to the highest risk pregnancies.

Early detection of medical and obstetric risk factors pre-pregnancy or in early pregnancy is the focus of antenatal re-design. Aligning current first trimester risk assessment models to incorporate the early detection and management of women with gestational diabetes is required.

 

Secretariat 

Ms Suzie Neylon BSc (Hons)

Executive Officer and Company Secretary

Suzie Neylon is the Executive Officer and Company Secretary for the Australasian Diabetes in Pregnancy Society Limited.  Suzie took over the management of ADIPS in 2009 bringing with her a background in association management, nursing, science, travel, advertising, promotions and public relations.  She completed her Bachelor of Science with Honours in 2004 with a pregnancy based thesis and continues to manage the busy ADIPS secretariat on a part-time basis.

ADIPS Executive Officer
145 Macquarie Street
SYDNEY, NSW 2000

Email  admin@adip.org
Website www.adips.org

 

 

 

ADIPS Committees

 

Finance, Audit and Risk Committee

Arianne Sweeting

Tang Wong

Suzie Neylon

 

Membership Committee

Julia Zinga

Susan de Jersey

Rosemary Hall

Marina Mickleson

Suzie Neylon

 

Therapeutics Committee

Sarah Price

Alexis Shub

Rosemary Hall

 

Communications Committee

David Simmons

Arianne Sweeting

Janet Lagstrom

Suzie Neylon

 

Education Committee

Cecily Foged (Chair)

David Simmons

Julia Zinga

Susan de Jersey

Shantha Joseph

Suzie Neylon