Plenary speakers

Andrea Robertson

Inflammation hormones and midlife: The osteopath’s role in perimenopause and menopause care

B.Sci.(Clin.Sci),M.H.Sci.(Osteo.),Adv.Dip.(Nat.),Adv.Dip.(Nut.)

Dr Andrea Robertson is an osteopath, naturopath and nutritionist with over 25 years of clinical experience. She previously owned and led Southside Clinic in Adelaide, a large multidisciplinary allied health practice, before selling the clinic in 2022 to focus on education and online programs supporting women in perimenopause and menopause.

Andrea now consults two days per week at Parkdale Osteopathy, while also running global online programs for midlife women. Through this work she has supported more than 400 women navigating hormonal transition using an integrated approach combining nutrition, lifestyle medicine, movement and osteopathic principles.

Andrea specialises in the intersection of hormones, inflammation and musculoskeletal health in midlife, and is passionate about equipping practitioners with practical strategies to better support the complex presentations seen in women during this stage of life.

Elizabeth Howard

Applying contemporary pain science to the osteopathic management of nerve pain

BAppSc(ClinSc), BOstSc, MScMed(PainMgt) Advanced Pain Management Osteopath

Nerve pain and sensitivity present in many forms in the clinic: tingling, itching, burning, tightness, swelling, sharp shooting, deep nagging, ants crawling, and more. Triggers are often complex and multifactorial, and early neural involvement may be subtle, mimicking or co existing with simple mechanical pain. For osteopaths, recognising and addressing the neural component early is crucial to support recovery and reduce the risk of persistent pain and disability.

This plenary outlines an evidence informed osteopathic approach to the neuro endocrine immune system, drawing on contemporary pain science, fascial research, neurodynamics and clinical trials while remaining grounded in traditional osteopathic models. The content demonstrates how refined palpation and treatment of the connective tissues can be safely applied to the peripheral nervous system in a wide range of patients. The aim is to equip clinicians with practical frameworks and hands on principles to take straight back into practice to better help patients with nerve pain. 

Max Hopes

Lived experiences of lower limb tendinopathy: A two-part qualitative investigation

Max is an osteopath, accredited strength and conditioning coach, and a university lecturer at Torrens University. He is also completing his PhD at the University of Technology Sydney, researching hamstring tendinopathy. After completing his Masters of Osteopathy in London in 2012, Max has worked across the UK, Japan, Sydney, and now Melbourne. He takes an active, evidence-informed approach to managing pain and injury, combining exercise-based rehabilitation with osteopathic hands-on techniques, dry needling, and taping. He places a strong emphasis on listening to and understanding each patient’s story, believing this is fundamental to helping people recover effectively.

Outside of work, Max is an avid runner and strength trainer, with a marathon PB of 2:51. He enjoys travelling, learning about different cultures, and has been studying Japanese since living in Japan in 2019. A sports enthusiast at heart, he follows Carlton in the AFL while keeping tabs on Aston Villa in the English Premier League.

Sarah Dryburgh

A modern understanding of pain in endometriosis 

B.App.Sci (Hum.Bio), M.Ost with honours, Fellow of Australian Society of Lifestyle Medicine

Sarah is an osteopath with a passion for supporting people with pelvic pain, especially endometriosis. She believes allied health plays a vital but often overlooked role in managing this complex condition.

She has completed extensive additional training in pain education and contemporary pain science, with a strong emphasis on the neurobiology of pain, central sensitisation, and biopsychosocial contributors to persistent symptoms. She believes that having a modern understanding of pain is essential to understanding pelvic pain. 

Holding a Master’s in Osteopathy and a Fellowship in Lifestyle Medicine, Sarah combines hands-on care with lifestyle strategies to promote long-term health and well-being. She continually builds her expertise, learning from leaders in pelvic health, pain science, and lifestyle medicine.

Sarah is co-director of Brisbane-based clinics Pivot Osteopathy and Pregnancy and Beyond Osteopathy. These clinics are dedicated to excellence in osteopathic care for pelvic pain, pregnancy, post-partum recovery, and pelvic health.

Toby Barker

What can "complex" patients teach us about "simple" management?

M.Osteo PgCertACE

Toby graduated from the British School of Osteopathy, UK, where he returned as part of the teaching faculty as well as being a visiting lecturer on the Master of Advance Physiotherapy program at the University of Hertfordshire, UK. After five years in practice and lecturing, he decided to move to Australia in 2022 for a taste of life down under, where he has been practising in the Illawarra since in both private Osteopathic and multidisciplinary orthopaedic practices. 

Toby works with a range of patients, but has a particular interest in chronic and persistent pain and rehabilitation. He continues to compliment his clinical work with engaging in research, teaching, volunteering and sitting on the Osteopathy Australia Communications and Marketing committee.

Jorge Aranda

The regulated child - Hands on with Heart Foundation 

More information to follow. 

Amanda Sayan

Panellist - Building better care, confidence and credibility

Amanda Sayan is Osteopathy Australia's Research and Grants Project Officer. She is an experienced international education professional with more than 20 years of expertise in global engagement, strategic partnerships, stakeholder relations and research collaboration. She has developed and managed international initiatives and partnerships that connect universities, researchers and government stakeholders to advance research, knowledge exchange and international cooperation.

An accomplished presenter and relationship builder, Amanda is recognised for fostering trusted partnerships, engaging diverse stakeholders and delivering collaborative initiatives that create meaningful and lasting impact across the higher education and research sectors.

Amie Steel

Panellist - Building better care, confidence and credibility

Dr Amie Steel is a Professor in Public Health and Director of the Australian Research Consortium in Complementary and Integrative Medicine at Southern Cross University. She is also an Australian Research Council Future Fellow and currently serves as the research lead for the World Health Organization’s Global Research Priority Setting Exercise in Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine (TCIM). Dr Steel has secured approximately $4.4 million in research funding and holds editorial roles with leading academic journals. With over 300 scholarly publications, her research explores the integration, regulation, and practice of traditional medicine within contemporary health systems.

Her work spans women’s health, particularly fertility, pregnancy, and preconception care, as well as the interface between evidence-based medicine and traditional health practices. Methodologically, she specializes in mixed methods of research, implementation science, knowledge mobilisation, and pragmatic clinical trials within applied health services research.

Jack Feehan

Panellist - Building better care, confidence and credibility

Jack Feehan is a Vice Chancellor's Senior Research Fellow at RMIT University, with additional honorary positions at Victoria University, and the University of Technology, Sydney. He completed his osteopathic training at VU in 2017, before completing a Ph.D. in geriatric immunology at the University of Melbourne in 2021.

He is an emerging leader in chronic disease and healthy ageing research, with research spanning from basic science innovation to clinical intervention, and public health policy.   In particular, his research focusses enabling older adults to live healthy fulfilling lives, through disease prevention and treatment, community and engagement, and equity in aged care. 

Nicholas Tripodi

Panellist - Building better care, confidence and credibility

Nicholas is currently a senior lecturer and research fellow at Victoria University, as well as an adjunct fellow at the Centre for Osteopathic Research and Leadership at Health Sciences University in the UK. In addition, he works in osteopathic private practice at a busy metropolitan multidisciplinary clinic and has extensive experience in working in rural and remote outreach settings.

His research sits at the intersection of health interventions and education and hence seeks to improve not only how we best deliver clinical care, but how do we optimally train and prepare the health workforce of the future. He is honoured to have been appointed as a board director at Osteopathy Australia and looks forward to contributing to the great work that Osteopathy Australia and its members do.