My earliest memories of around 2-3 years old involve an insatiable love of the sciences, the human body, insects (!) and a strong desire to learn. This has lasted my whole life. I loved school and university.

Despite gravitating towards science, I also loved performing arts. I played alto sax, studied dance all through school and for the HSC. I went in every play/musical/eisteddfod I could. I was very academic and could not wait to start university. At the end of year 12,  I was lucky with opportunities: work in the UK on a GAP Rotary Scholarship, or on to university. I went straight to uni and graduated with a Bachelor of Medical Science in 2000. It was the best decision I ever made for my future professional life. Those 4 years, plus the scientific roles afterwards have informed and supported every aspect of my work in Complementary Medicine.

Fast forward almost 25 years, and we have health ‘experts’ everywhere we look. I believe a true expert acknowledges these things: 1) You can never know it all 2) Learning is for life 3) Based on 1) and 2), no one is an expert!

At 21, I graduated university as a Medical Scientist, going on to work as a medical researcher in Oncology/Cell Pathology (cervical carcinoma), for the Royal Children’s Hospital (Genetics), The Australian Institute of Sport (AIS Sports Science/Sports Medicine) and both public and private hospital laboratories (Haematology, Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology). It was during a term of hospital clinical biochemistry where I discerned there was more to health outcomes than pharmaceuticals and good genetic fortune.

23 years in Medical Sciences. 15 years in lecturing and clinical practice.

Whilst working as a Medical Scientist, I spent my leave and spare time researching and experiencing the possibility of further professional paths. After volunteering in the Dietetics departments of the Royal Military College (RMC Duntroon), the NSW Institute of Sport (NSWIS), the Human Nutrition Unit (Sydney University) and hospital/private dietetics practices in both Canberra and Sydney, I actually deflected away from a career in dietetics. I chose to study preventive medicine. I graduated as a Naturopath (BHSc- Naturopathy) in 2007. Currently, I am a Masters candidate with the School of Medicine (JCU) in Lifestyle Medicine.

As a scientist, a lecturer and a clinician, the science that underpins Naturopathy is at the heart of everything I do.

• TedX Sydney Fast Ideas speaker
• Prof. Susan Holland Fellowship in Environmental Medicine
• Past Board Member (Examiner) of the Naturopaths and  Herbalists Association of Australia (NHAA)
• Current ambassador, MINDD Foundation of Australia
• 22 years experience
• Hundreds of happy students and clients
• University lecturer
• Published Textbook author: Elsevier Publishing
• Published researcher
• Media recognition: the ABC, SBS TV, Australian radio stations, expert contributor to both print and online media for 15 years
• Post graduate lecturer with the Australian Traditional Medicine Society, The Australasian College of Nutritional and Environmental Medicine, BioMedica Nutraceuticals, FxMedicine, NatEx 2020 conference
• Post graduate student, University of Sydney (Faculty of Medicine/Faculty of Arts)