VHHITAL – Faculty Biographies
Dr Nicole Allard
Dr Nicole Allard is a general practitioner at cohealth, an experienced hepatitis B s100 prescriber, and a postdoctoral fellow of Doherty Institute Epidemiology Unit. Nicole is not only a clinical advisor and presenter of VHHITAL program, but also a committee member of VHHITAL Governance Group.
Dr Melanie Bissessor
Dr Melanie Bissessor is an experienced sexual health physician and GP working at the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre with extensive experience in sexual health and HIV. She is not only a clinical advisor and educator with VHHITAL program, but also an important committee member of the VHHITAL Governance Group.
Professor Ben Cowie
Professor Benjamin Cowie is an infectious diseases physician and epidemiologist, with appointments at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and the Doherty Institute. He is a Professorial Fellow in the Department of Infectious Diseases at the University of Melbourne Medical School, and serves as Acting Chief Health Officer in the Victorian Department of Health. Ben is a leading clinician in the management of hepatitis B, and serves on national and international committees relating to viral hepatitis clinical management and public health responses. These include the Australian Government’s Ministerial Advisory Committee on Blood Borne Viruses and Sexually Transmissible Infections (MACBBVSTI), the WHO Western Pacific Regional Hepatitis B Expert Resource Panel, and the WHO Global Validation Advisory Committee on the validation of elimination of mother-to-child transmission or vertical transmission of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B virus. In 2015, Ben was named the inaugural director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Viral Hepatitis, located Melbourne’s Doherty Institute.
Dr Tom Dickson
Dr. Tom Dickson (he/they) is a specialist general practitioner, dedicated to advancing sexual health care with a focus on LGBTQIA+ inclusive practice. A fellow of the RACGP with over a decade of experience in HIV and sexual health, Tom holds a Bachelor in Psychology, in Biomedicine, MBBS, and a Masters in Sexual and Reproductive Health. As an s100 HIV prescriber, Tom provides comprehensive sexual health services, including gender-affirming care and sex therapy. Tom is passionate about addressing the intersection of sexual health, STIs, and mental health, creating judgment-free environments where patients can discuss sensitive topics comfortably. He actively works to break down stigma and unhelpful taboos in health care. Tom lectures at Monash University and RACGP on sexual and LGBTQIA+ health, co-hosts the “Meet Q” podcast, and serves on the Victorian Government LGBTIQA Taskforce Health + Wellbeing Working Group. He currently practices at Prahran Market Clinic, providing inclusive, comprehensive care that’s accessible, regardless of identity or orientation.
Sheranne Dobinson
Sheranne Dobinson is a registered nurse/midwife with over 3 decades of experience in BBV/HIV and reproductive and sexual health across four states. She also holds postgraduate certificates in public health from the University of Melbourne and forensic nursing from Monash University. With a background in NGO and WHO work, she has developed initiatives like the ‘Safe House’ scheme for sex workers and initiated street outreach programs for intravenous drug users in the sex industry. In the 1990s, she established sexual health clinics for women and youth in Melbourne’s western suburbs, prioritising marginalised communities for pap testing. Over 15 years at Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, she advocates for collaborative, client-centered care, emphasising a sex-positive approach. Committed to teaching new clinicians, she imparts knowledge drawn from her rich experiences, passion, and lifelong learning.
Mieken Grant
Mieken is a Victorian viral hepatitis educator, a statewide role funded by the Victorian Department of Health. The role is aimed at educating health professionals about hepatitis B and C, and support them in delivering best practice viral hepatitis prevention, testing, treatment and care. Mieken has extensive experience in public health, concentrating mainly on sexual health and blood borne viruses and is passionate about improving the health of marginalised communities. Mieken has worked in public hospitals and sexual health centres as well as in the community setting and remote communities, supporting clients with complex social and medical care needs. Mieken also has experience in policy review, research, education and partner notification/contact tracing.
Professor Jenny Hoy
Professor Jenny Hoy is an infectious disease physician and Professor Director of HIV Medicine at Alfred Health and Monash University. She trained at Fairfield Infectious Diseases in Melbourne, where she directed the HIV clinical research effort. This included leading participation in the evaluation of new antiretrovirals, and overseeing new approaches to opportunistic infection prevention and management. Since moving to the Alfred Hospital in 1996, she has remained involved in HIV patient care and research. She specialises in research to aid the understanding of the pathogenesis, prevention and management of comorbidities associated with ageing and HIV. She is engaged in HIV education for undergraduate students and postgraduate trainees. For 22 years she was a member of the Australian Antiretroviral Guidelines Panel, then in 2012 joined the IAS-USA Antiretroviral Guidelines. She is passionate about quality of care and quality of life for people with HIV.
Dr Lester Mascarenhas
Dr Lester is a GP and the founder of Utopia Refugee and Asylum Seeker Health, located in Melbourne’s west, a non-government organisation that provides primary care to refugees and asylum seekers. He completed medical training at the University of Sheffield in the UK, moving into general practice. He moved to Australia in 2008 and initially worked with First Nations people across central and western regions. He has worked with refugee communities in Melbourne’s west since 2011, and is a compelling advocate for social justice and reducing inequities in access to health care.
Dr Matt Penn
Dr Matt Penn is an experienced HBV and HIV s100 GP prescriber based at North Richmond Community Health, with a special interest in blood borne viruses. He is an educator and mentor in the s100 prescriber program and regularly teaches and updates course materials for VHHITAL.
Dr Jacqui Richmond
Dr Jacqui Richmond has worked in the viral hepatitis sector for 25 years, in nursing, education, social and health services research, and policy development roles. She is a registered nurse and completed her PhD in 2006. She currently works at the Burnet Institute as the Workforce Development and Health Service Delivery Program Manager for the Eliminate Hepatitis C Australia Partnership. She also has a role at the Barwon Public Health Unit as the viral hepatitis clinical nurse consultant. The broad focus of Jacqui’s work is building the capacity of the health workforce to test, treat and manage the health care needs of people living with viral hepatitis.
Associate Professor Joe Sasadeusz
Associate Professor Joe Sasadeusz is an infectious diseases physician and clinical lead of the hepatitis clinic at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, with cross appointments at the Alfred Hospital and Melbourne Sexual Health Centre. In addition, Joe works with regional centres including Mildura and Hamilton. He has a longstanding commitment to medical education, especially in the area of blood borne viruses.
Dr Olga Vujovic
Dr Olga is an infectious diseases physician at The Alfred Hospital, where she is the physician lead of the HIV Outward Program, in which a multidisciplinary team focuses on HIV and complex needs and supporting the care of people with HIV in diverse settings. Dr Olga’s involvement with the HIV s100 course over the last 15 years includes working with ASHM and VHHITAL at the governance, development and delivery level. She mentors many past participants and continues to work towards improving support of new HIV s100 prescribers.