Board of Directors

President – ​​A/Prof Mark Bloch (NSW)

MBBS; Dip FP; Dip Med Hyp; M Med

Mark has been working in the field of HIV medicine since 1983.  He was a doctor at Sydney Hospital and The Albion Centre AIDS clinic prior to being a Director at Holdsworth House. He has completed his Masters in Medicine, HIV and Sexual Health from the University of Sydney and he is a past President of the Sexual Health Society of NSW. 

Mark is the Director of Clinical Research at Holdsworth House and actively involved in clinical research in HIV and STIs, co-joint Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of NSW and a member of medical advisory boards.

Mark has been an ASHM Board Member since 2009 and the President of ASHM since 2017.

Vice President – ​Dr Nicholas Medland (VIC)

MBBS; BA Hons; PhD; FAChSHM

Nicholas is a senior researcher and NHMRC research fellow with the Surveillance, Evaluation and Research Program of the Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales. He is also a sexual health physician with 22 years of clinical experience in HIV and sexual health medicine. He has been a high caseload GP in Melbourne and has worked extensively in international/regional HIV programs in Asia, in particular in Vietnam. He is currently the co-chair of the Australasian Sexual Health Alliance (ASHA) and on the executive committee of the Chapter of Sexual Health Medicine.

​Vice President – ​Clinical A/Prof Louise Owen (TAS)

MBBS (Hons); FRACGP; FAChSHM

Louise is a Sexual Health Physician who has been working in the area of sexual health for many years.  She is currently the Director of the Statewide Sexual Health Service in Tasmania.  Louise is raising the profile of Sexual Health in Tasmania, along with clinical and education roles.  Raising awareness about STI management in primary care, encouraging GPs to be involved in HIV shared care and involvement in Hepatitis C diagnosis and treatment are also part of her role.

Louise lectures to tertiary, post graduate and undergraduate students around HIV, Hepatitis, sexual health and related topics.  Louise is a member of MACBBVS on HIV and Viral Hepatitis and is on a number of steering committees covering matters such as transgender health, Syphilis & STIs and HIV.​

Conj. A/Prof Michael Burke (NSW)

MBBS; FRACGP; PhD; FAICD

Michael has worked in partnership with patients and communities responding to the many challenges related to HIV in east Africa, east Sydney and more recently western Sydney. 

He works primarily in general practice and also part-time in a hospital sexual health and HIV Clinic in Penrith. He is a senior member of the RACGP Specific Interest Group in Sexual Health Medicine.

Dr Elizabeth Crock (VIC)

RN; ACRN (USA); BSc; PhD; Grad Dip Ed; MPH

Liz has worked in HIV nursing since 1990.  She is an HIV Clinical Nurse Consultant and Nurse Practitioner at Bolton Clarke (formerly RDNS) in Melbourne and Honorary Fellow of the Rural Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Science at the University of Melbourne.

She has a PhD in Nursing Ethics and HIV and Master of Public Health. She is the editor of the Nursing and Midwifery chapter of HIV Management in Australasia: A Guide for Clinical Care and a Member of the Nursing, International and HIV ASHM board sub-committees. She is currently Vice President of ANZANAC, an HIV Nursing ANMF Special Interest Group in Victoria.

Dr Sam Elliott (SA)

MBBS; Master of Public Health and Tropical Medicine; FRACGP

Sam is a principal GP with 29 years of rural and urban General Practice experience incorporating 20 years of HIV and Viral Hepatitis management.

He is committed to participation in HIV and viral hepatitis research.

A/Prof Bradley Forssman (NSW)

MBBS; MPHTM; FAFPHM

Bradley is a Public Health Physician, a GP and a Director of Public Health at Nepean Blue Mountains LHD.  He has skills and knowledge in population health and clinical aspects of HIV/STIs, adult education, population health policy and research. 

He is a Chair of the STIPU GP & Sexual Health Working Group and sits on NSW Health’s HIV & STI Strategies Implementation Committee and Blood-Borne Advisory Panel and the Clinical Council of the Nepean Blue Mountains Primary Health Network.

​Dr Joan Ingram (NZ)

MB ChB 1985 Auckland; FRACP 1993; DTM & H (London) 1990

Joan is an Infectious Diseases Physician working at Auckland City Hospital, responsible for care of all HIV positive patients in the northern region of New Zealand.  She has been involved in the care of HIV patients since 1987.

She is a clinician primarily but has been involved in clinical studies.  Joan attended the University of Auckland and completed her physician training in Auckland, Duke University in North Carolina and then as an HIV Fellow at the University of Maryland.​

Dr David Iser (VIC)

MBBS (Hons); BMedSc; FRACP; PhD

Dr David Iser is a Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist in Melbourne, affiliated with the Department of Gastroenterology at St. Vincent’s Hospital and the Infectious Diseases Unit at The Alfred Hospital.

David has a broad experience treating people living with viral hepatitis in a variety of settings, including those living with advanced cirrhosis, HIV-viral hepatitis co-infection, Rural Australia, Clinical Trials, Opiate Substitution Services and as part of the Statewide Hepatitis Program across Victorian Prisons.

David works closely with colleagues to help improve access to care and simplify treatment pathways for people living with viral hepatitis.​

Penny Kenchington (QLD)

MNsg (NP); Grad Dip PH; Grad Dip Hth Man; Grad Cert Forensic Nsg; Dip app Sc (Nsg)

Memberships: ACNP, FAMSACA; ASHM; ESC; QNU

​Penny has been working in the Sexual Health, HIV and Hepatitis health sector as a specialist nurse since 1995 and is currently the Nurse Practitioner at the Townsville Sexual Health Service. She has extensive knowledge and skills in sexual health, women’s health, reproductive health, genital dermatology and forensic nursing.

Penny sits on ASHM’s nurse’s subcommittee, the ASHM’s Finance, Risk Management and Audit Sub-Committee and ASHM’s (QLD) Expert Reference Committee for the HIV, Viral Hepatitis, Sexual Health and Harm Reduction Workforce Development Program and the QLD Office of the Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer (OCNMO) Nurse Practitioner Reference Group.

Penny has experience in all aspects of HIV case management and was the QPrEPd site coordinator for Townsville.  In addition, Penny is an HCV prescriber and supports the sexual health program in a large Aboriginal Community which includes monitoring and managing patients with chronic Hepatitis B.

Dr James McMahon (VIC)

PhD; Master of Public Health; Fellow RACP; MBBS

Dr McMahon is an Infectious Diseases clinician researcher, Head of Clinical Research at the Alfred Hospital and ID physician at Monash Medical Centre. His research interests are in clinical trials focused on HIV Cure, antiretroviral therapy and the cascade of HIV care. Specific interests include developing non-invasive imaging methods to locate and quantify tissue sites of HIV and clinical trials of interventions targeting the HIV reservoir including latency reversal agents and agents to increase HIV-specific immune responses. He also Chairs the Antiretroviral Guidelines Committee for the Australasian Society for HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Sexual Health Medicine (ASHM) and sits on the ASHM Board.

​A/Prof Gail Matthews (NSW)

MBChB; MRCP (UK); FRACP; PhD

Gail is an ID physician with a strong background in HIV and hepatitis.  She has extensive clinical and research experience in both areas and holds an academic appointment in the Viral Hepatitis program at Kirby Institute as well as a Consultant post in HIV and Infectious Diseases at St Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney. 

She has been involved in many prior ASHM led initiatives and teaching programs including HCV S100 programs, B positive and ASHM Conferences.

​Dr Belinda Wozencroft (WA)

MB; BS

​Dr Belinda Wozencroft is a General Practitioner with a special interest in women’s health, sexual health and HIV medicine. Originally trained as a Registered Nurse where she worked in remote Aboriginal communities, before studying Medicine at UWA. Belinda has completed further post-graduate studies, which include Diploma of Obstetrics, Graduate Certificate in Women’s Health and Diploma of Child Health. Belinda is registered as an S-100 prescriber for antiretroviral medications. She considers herself as a medium case-load GP in terms of PLWHIV. Belinda is the Principal at View Street Medical in North Perth. She undertakes additional relief work in remote Aboriginal communities, with a focus on women's health.