Board of Directors, Sub-Committees, Faculties & Networks

Board Sub-committees

GESA’s Board sub-committees provide focused oversight across key strategic and operational areas, supporting informed decision-making, effective governance and the successful delivery of the Society’s objectives and priorities.

• Education Committee

  Chair: John Lubel

  Alice Bennett

  John Chetwood

  Hooi Ee

  Zubin Grover

  John Chetwood

  Trina Keller

  James O’Beirne

  Stephen Pianko

  Trina Keller

  Aviv Pudipeddi

• Finance, Audit and Risk (FAR)

  Chair: Amany Zekry

  Deputy Chair: Andrew Polson

  Alex Thompson

  Matthew Remedios

  Hans Larsson

• AGW Scientific Program Committee (SPC)

  Chair: Miriam Levy

  Neeraj Bhala

  Chamara Basnayake

  Andrew Buckle

  Saurabh Gupta

  Ed Giles

  Georgina Hold

  Ken Liu

  Daniel Lightowler

  Krish Ragunath

  Ashish Srinivasan

  Heidi Staudacher

  Nikhil Thapar

  James Thomas

  Laura Wilmann

  Fotini Bakas (GESA)

  Pat Recki-Muzic (GESA)

• Research and Grants Committee (RGC)

  Chair: Georgina Hold

  Co-Chair: Vicki Whitehall (Cancer)

  Golo Ahlenstiel

  Kim Bridle

  Lochlan Fennell

  Katharine Irvine

  Rabina Giri

  Keith Ooi

  Abhinav Vasudevan

  Susan Woods

  Emily Wright

Credentialling Committees

GESA’s Credentialling Committees uphold professional standards by assessing applications, overseeing certification and recertification processes, and ensuring practitioners meet the rigorous requirements which support safe, high-quality gastroenterology and hepatology care across Australia.

• Conjoint Committee for the Recognition of Training in Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (CCRTGE)

  Chair:Iain Skinner (GESA)

  Daniel Croagh (RACS)

  Looi Ee (Paediatric, RACP)

  Andrew Lee (RACP)

  Sam O’Connor (GESA)

  Melinda Van Oosterum (Rural, RACS)

• Recertification in Colonoscopy Conjoint Committee (RCCC)

  Chair: Brian Kirkby (RACS)

  Gregor Brown (RACP)

  Nitin Gupta (Paediatric, RACP)

  Henry Hicks (Rural, RACS)

  Melissa Jennings (GESA)

  Peter Katelaris (RACP)

  Joshua Lansom (RACS)

  Grace Lim (RACS)

  Ian Norton (GESA)

  Scott Schoeman (RACP)

  David Scott (Rural RACP)

Faculty Committees

The Faculties bring together recognised clinical expertise to guide GESA’s leadership across key areas of gastroenterology and hepatology, providing specialist advice, advancing professional standards, and supporting education, research and member engagement nationwide.

• Endoscopy Faculty

  The Endoscopy Faculty is committed to advancing excellence, safety, and consistency in gastrointestinal endoscopy through leadership in training, standards, and clinical practice. A central focus is strengthening national endoscopy training through the development of both core and advanced curricula, ensuring clear, contemporary, and competency-based pathways for clinicians at all stages of practice and supporting a more unified approach across Australia. The Faculty is also progressing structured advanced and interventional endoscopy training pathways to meet the growing complexity of care and need for specialised skills, while playing a key role in developing national position statements to guide safe and effective clinical practice. Working in partnership with the GESA national board and committees, the Endoscopy Faculty helps shape policy, promote best practice, and support high-quality, patient-centred care, alongside ongoing education, innovation, and professional development across the endoscopy community.

  Chair:Saurabh Gupta

  Shahila Perveen Aslam

  Nicholas Burgess

  Sneha John

  Shara Ket

  Qoc Nam Nguyen

  Krish Ragunath

  Raj Singh

  Michael Swan

  Linda Zhang

• General Luminal GI Faculty

  The Luminal Faculty advocates for excellence in the understanding and management of a broad range of luminal GI conditions, supporting clinicians and the patients they serve. The faculty represents practitioners across conditions, including functional gut disorders, inflammatory conditions, and disorders of gut–brain interaction. The faculty ensures that these areas are appropriately recognised and addressed within the broader national gastroenterology framework. We work collaboratively with GESA’s national board and committees to influence policy, advance evidence-based practice, develop educational resources and publish multiple clinical guidelines, to promote high-quality, equitable, and patient-centred care through advocacy.

  Chair: Rebecca Burgell

  Chamara Basnayake

  Charles Cock

  Magnus Halland

  Gerald Holtmann

  Trina Kellar

  Simon Knowles

  Allison Malcolm

  Ayesha Shah

  Heidi Staudacher

  Abhinav Vasudevan

  May Wong

• GI Cancer Faculty

  The GI Cancer Faculty was established by the Gastroenterological Society of Australia (GESA) in response to the growing burden and complexity of gastrointestinal cancers, bringing together expertise across colorectal, liver, gastric, oesophageal, and pancreatic disease. The Faculty serves to build synergies by uniting clinicians and scientists to advance advocacy, education, research, and clinical practice. Major goals are to drive improvements in cancer screening, early detection, and access to emerging therapies, alongside influencing policy at both clinical and national levels. We very strongly support research as a necessity for innovation, and education as a means to disseminate information and enhance engagement with GESA members.  Our current priorities include addressing challenges in early onset colorectal cancer, earlier detection of colorectal cancer, outcome inequities amongst our Indigenous people, and gastrointestinal complications of immunotherapy. The Faculty also plays an important role in fostering cross-disciplinary collaboration and influence with policy makers. Through its work, we aim to accelerate innovation, strengthen outcomes, and make a meaningful impact on GI cancer care in Australia.

  Chair: Hooi Ee

  Daniel Buchanan

  Andrew Buckle

  Lochlan Fennell

  Erin Symonds

  Michael Wallace

  Vicki Whitehall

  Susan Woods

  Graeme Young 

• IBD Faculty

  The IBD Faculty supports equitable access to high-quality care for people living with inflammatory bowel disease, advocating strongly for improved access to novel and emerging therapies. A key focus of the faculty is national advocacy through ongoing engagement with the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC). Working closely with GESA, the faculty contributes to coordinated advocacy efforts, creating opportunities for multiple groups to present key issues and priorities. Recent successes include improved access to therapies in paediatric care, with contributions from leaders across the field, and continued efforts to expand treatment access for all patients. Along with advocacy, the faculty is committed to advancing education, training, and professional development, including new advanced training roundtables and future conferences with plans to host APAGE 2028.

  Chair: Ray Boyapati

  Crispin Corte

  Nik Ding

  Edward Giles

  Tom Goodsall

  Rupert Leong

  Kate Lynch

  Aviv Pudipeddi

  Ashish Srinivasan

  Emily Wright

• Liver Faculty

  The Liver Faculty is focussed on advancing the prevention, diagnosis, and management of liver disease through leadership in clinical guidance, advocacy, and multidisciplinary collaboration. The Faculty is nearing the completion of the updated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) consensus statement, reflecting the evolving treatment landscape and the integration of new immunotherapies now available through Medicare and the PBS. The Faculty is also leading the update of the national hepatitis B consensus statement, working closely with infectious diseases specialists and consumer groups to ensure consistent, evidence-based recommendations across Australia. Alongside guideline development, advocacy remains a key priority, particularly to improve access to diagnostic testing for viral hepatitis and enable effective implementation of care pathways. The Faculty has also identified the need for funded liver fibrosis assessment pathways to support early detection and timely management. Through these initiatives, the Liver Faculty continues to improve access to care, and support better outcomes for patients with liver disease.

  Chair: Jessica Howell

  Neeraj Bhala

  Purnima Bhat

  Mohamed Asif Ali Chinnaratha

  Madeleine Gill

  Enoka Gonsalkorala

  Katharine Irvine

  Ken Liu

  Ammar Majeed

  Tim Mitchell

  James O'Beirne

• Paediatric GI Faculty

  The Paediatric Faculty advocates for excellence in the care of infants, children, and adolescents with gastrointestinal and liver conditions, supporting clinicians and patients while ensuring the unique needs of paediatric care are recognised within the national gastroenterology framework. Working closely with GESA’s national board and committees, the Faculty advances evidence-based practice, policy, and equitable care, alongside a strong focus on education, research, and professional wellbeing. Education remains a key priority, with expanding national initiatives including webinar series, international grand rounds, conference-linked programs, and new collaborative forums. These are complemented by the development of a national case-based training program for fellows and the forthcoming transition to a competency-based advanced training framework. Together, these initiatives reflect the Faculty’s commitment to innovation, collaboration, and strengthening the future of paediatric gastroenterology.

  Chair: Nikhil Thapar

  Andrew Day

  Prerna Diksha

  Looi Ee

  Zubin Grover

  Nitin Gupta

  Keith Chee Ooi

  Mark Safe

  Ajay Sharma

  Sasha Mealing

Network Committees

• Liver Clinical Research Network

  The GESA Liver Clinical Research Network (Liver CRN) serves as a collaborative forum for members engaged in liver-related research. It facilitates national, multi-centre, investigator-initiated studies, including the development of liver disease registries in areas of unmet need.
  The Liver CRN provides a coordinated national framework for clinical and translational research in liver disease by supporting a network of investigators and research sites involved in registries, clinical trials, and other research initiatives.
  In addition, the Liver CRN is committed to fostering interest in liver research and building research capability among emerging gastroenterologists and hepatologists, helping to strengthen the future workforce in this field and advances in the field.

  Chair: Avik Majumdar

  Golo Ahlenstiel

  James O'Beirne

  Neeraj Bhala

  Emily He

  Jacinta Holmes

  Natasha Janko

  Ken Liu

  Kate Muller

  Michael Wallace

• Private Practice Network (PPN)

  The Private Practice Network advocates for the interests, sustainability, and advancement of gastroenterologists in private practice, their practices and their patients. Advocating for practitioners in private practice within the broader national gastroenterology framework, the committee ensures that the unique perspectives and challenges of private practice are recognised and addressed. We work collaboratively with the national board of GESA and other committees in GESA, to influence policy, promote excellence in patient care, and support innovation, equity, sustainability, and professional wellbeing across the profession.

  Chair: Ashley Miller

  Anil Kumar Asthana

  Kwang Chein Yee

  Adam Gordon

  Chris McCue

  Albert Nwaba

  Stephen Pianko

  Ajay Sharma

• Regional, Remote and Indigenous (RRI)

  The Regional, Remote and Indigenous (RRI) Network is dedicated to strengthening connections and improving access to high-quality gastroenterology care across regional and rural communities. Key priorities of the network are identifying and engaging its core members, so that clinicians working outside metropolitan areas are connected, supported, and represented as well as prioritising the GI health needs of First Nations people. To enable this, the RRI Network is establishing accessible communication channels, including direct peer networks, to foster collaboration, knowledge sharing, and support. A current focus is on developing flexible, sustainable education options that improve access to learning, resources, and specialist expertise regardless of location and developing targeted initiatives to address health inequities, including Indigenous health research. Working in collaboration with GESA’s national board and committees, the RRI Network helps ensure that regional, remote, and Indigenous perspectives are embedded in policy, education to support equitable and patient-centred care across Australia.

  Chair: Purnima Bhat

  Alice Bennett

  Lauren Beswick

  Kirsty Campbell

  Andrew Buckle

  Benjamin Gomez

  Stuart Kostalas

  Rajesh Sanjeevi

  Khizar Niazi

• Sustainability Network

  The GESA Sustainability Network supports a commitment to addressing the future sustainability of Australia’s healthcare system and population health. The network focuses on driving practical, evidence-based action to reduce the carbon footprint of gastroenterology, hepatology, and endoscopy across the full lifecycle of care. This includes promoting sustainable practices in clinical settings, supporting innovation, and raising awareness of environmentally responsible approaches across the profession. Working collaboratively with GESA’s national board and committees, the Sustainability Network seeks to embed sustainability into everyday practice, foster education and engagement, and support clinicians to deliver high-quality care in a way that minimises environmental impact and contributes to a more sustainable healthcare system.

  Chair: Krish Ragunath

  Lauren Beswick

  Purnima Bhat

  Chris Hair

  Christopher Leung

  Finlay Macrae

  Geoffrey Metz

  Daniel Schneider

  Nabil Siddique

  Michael Swan

• Young GESA Network

  The Young GESA Network supports advanced trainees and early-career gastroenterologists within eight years of fellowship, fostering a strong, connected, and engaged next generation of the profession. The network is dedicated to supporting the transition from training to independent practice across key domains including clinical education, leadership development, academic advancement, wellbeing, and private practice. It provides a forum for members to build collegial networks, share experiences, and navigate the unique challenges of this important career and life stage. Through mentoring opportunities, professional networking, and active involvement in GESA initiatives, the Young GESA Network strengthens engagement and helps early-career members contribute meaningfully to the broader gastroenterology community.
   

  Chair: Richard Fernandes

  John Chetwood

  Daniel Clayton-Chubb

  Rabina Giri

  Rajit Gilhotra

  Emi Khoo

  Lok Hin Adrian Lee

  Khizar Niazi

  Hunter Wang

  Laura Willman