Meet the Team - Board Members
The PCDSA has a board of passionate and committed group of health professionals from diverse backgrounds that are committed to ensuring the mission of the PCDSA is met.
Dr Rajna Ogrin
Dr Ogrin initially trained as a clinical podiatrist, and has worked across the majority of health and aged care sectors: community health, acute hospital, home, private and residential aged care settings. Early in this role, she identified gaps in the delivery of evidence-based clinical practice, particularly in people with diabetes related foot complications.
Her PhD focused on improving wound healing and nerve function in older people and people with diabetes. Since then, she has broadened her field, working and researching in community based, person-centred interprofessional care incorporating co-design, to better facilitate translating evidence into practice, focusing on improving the holistic wellbeing of older people.
Dr Ralph Audehm
Associate Professor Audehm is a general practitioner who has worked for over 30 years in general practice and is experienced in managing all types of patients.
A/Prof Audehm graduated from Melbourne University in 1984 and obtained a Diploma from the Royal Australian College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in 1987. He gained a Graduate Certificate in Clinical Research in 2005. In 2004 he was made an Honorary Research Fellow of the University of Melbourne and became an Honorary Clinical Associate Professor in 2014.
A/Prof Audehm has had a long-standing interest in the management of chronic conditions in General Practice, and has instigated and supported many initiatives to systematically improve health outcomes for people with diabetes and heart disease.
He has had a long association with the University of Melbourne in delivering programs upskilling GPs in detection and management of domestic violence.
A/Prof Audehm has close links to the Department of General Practice, University of Melbourne, and participates in research and teaching of medical students, GP registrars and General Practitioners.
Ivan Chan
Ivan has been working at Diabetes Victoria for the past 12 years, as well as at EACH, an urban community health service in Melbourne’s outer east as a community dietitian for the past 18 years. He relishes working collaboratively with other health professionals to deliver holistic care, and with people from all walks of life who live with diabetes and juggle different, and often complex needs.
Ivan especially loves to work with people who use insulin or diabetes medications. While there is a definite place for lifestyle intervention, he recognises that there is also a place where medications come in, and how various diabetes medications can best complement and support the lifestyle of the person living with diabetes.
As a DAFNE-trained Accredited Practising Dietitian who runs carbohydrate counting workshops for adults with type 1 diabetes as well as provides various training for health professionals, Ivan is also interested in making technology more accessible for all people living with diabetes.
Dr Ashley Ng
Ashley Ng is a diabetes advocate and researcher with an interest in consumer and community involvement. Her lived experience has informed much of her research work and diabetes advocacy efforts around co-designing support resources and services for the diabetes community.
In 2018, Ashley completed her PhD focusing on mHealth use in diabetes education in young adults with diabetes during life transitions. Through her own lived experiences with the healthcare system and research, she has developed a passion in digital health and chronic disease management and education.
Nicole French
Nicole is an Accredited Exercise Physiologist with a special interest metabolic conditions. She is the Founder and Chief Vision Officer at Exercise for Rehabilitation & Health, Essendon Physio Group and the Melbourne Vestibular Clinic all located in Victoria.
A passionate advocate for community health, Nicole is a sought after public speaker and media commentator on health, exercise and chronic disease prevention. She invests her time into the community as a presenter, writer and advisor for a number of health organisations, particularly Diabetes Victoria.
She is a committee member of Parents Voice and Ambassador for the Girls Uniform Agenda. She is former postgraduate lecturer and current member of the Victoria University Clinical Exercise Science and Rehabilitation program advisory committee.
In 2020, Nicole was recognised for her advocacy work and contributions to the Diabetes Community receiving the ESSA female leaders in Exercise and Sports Science Award.
Viktoria Todorovska
Viktoria is a community pharmacist who is passionate about empowering people to achieve optimal health and well-being outcomes. She has a special interest in diabetes and has attained a Graduate Certificate of Diabetes Education to improve her skills in supporting people living with diabetes.
Viktoria also enjoys teaching and mentoring the next generation of pharmacists. She has acted as a preceptor to intern pharmacists and is a sessional teaching associate for the Monash University Intern Training Program.
Michelle Gray
Michelle has been a Registered Nurse for 25 years and a Credentialled Diabetes Educator for 20 years. Michelle obtained her Bachelor of Science (Nursing) at the University of Tasmania. Since then in an endeavour to ensure excellence both personally and professionally she has also completed a Post-Graduate Diploma in Health Science (Diabetes Education) Curtin University, Graduate Diploma of Nutrition Management at Deakin University and has recently completed Masters of Nursing Practice at Deakin University.
Michelle has worked as a Diabetes Educator in the hospital, community and indigenous health, general practice and currently in private practice. Michelle is passionate about helping people with diabetes to see the potential of health improvements through small changes. Supporting people to use the resources available to them to better understand Diabetes. Empowering the person with diabetes to manage the everyday challenges and prevent long term complications.
Dr Amira Howari
Amira is a globally recognised senior clinical optometrist, Health Industry Keynote Speaker and media commentator, transforming health professionals in their approach to diabetes and eye care as an influential leader and futurist in this space. She has taken up a number of roles including Diabetes Australia Ambassador, member of the Diabetes and Endocrine Network at the agency of Clinical Innovation (NSW Health), University of New South Wales guest speaker & clinical supervisor and former Optometry Australia Board Councillor (NSW/ACT).
Amira regularly speaks nationally and internationally on both public and health industry platforms and freelance writes for health industry publications. Having lived with type one diabetes for almost 30 years, co-managed with ophthalmologists, endocrinologists, general practitioners, diabetes nutritionists and educators, her passion in this area has seen her venture into educational and proactive roles with a number of institutions and public health sectors. As a media commentator, Dr Howari has also been interviewed regularly in health magazines, print media, radio, on screen and social media globally.
