Speakers

Ameer Nor Azhar
Podiatrist and PhD Candidate

Ameer Nor Azhar graduated from La Trobe University with a Bachelor of Applied Science/Master of Podiatric Practice in 2021. Since then, he has worked in private practice in Melbourne, Victoria.

Ameer returned to La Trobe University in a research assistant capacity in 2022, during this time, an opportunity to complete a PhD in footwear and balance arose. Ameer also works as a casual academic, teaching a variety of classes to podiatry students.

Angus is a Pedorthist, Podiatrist and Director of Erina Podiatry and Coastal Orthotics and Pedorthics. Making custom and modified footwear solutions for patients on the Central Coast, NSW. He has worked in the Public and Private sectors as well as in education through the University of Newcastle. Learning footwear modifications from his father Gary and working with Pedorthists at his time with the Sydney Local Health District inspired him to go on further obtain his Bachelor of Pedorthics and become a certified Pedorthist Custom Maker.

Angus holds an honorary position as Pedorthist within the Sydney Local Health District.

Catriona is an Australian Physiotherapy Association Titled Neurological Physiotherapist, and co-founder of a private rehabilitation clinic in the Northern Beaches of Sydney, Australia. Graduating from The University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Applied Science (Physiotherapy) she has worked predominantly with neurological conditions in all stages of rehabilitation in acute, subacute and community settings. Discovering early in her career that she had a genuine passion for providing therapy services to people with neurological conditions, Catriona has gained experience in a wide range of neurological conditions, and is committed to providing quality and holistic care. Catriona has dedicated herself to specialising in her field, completing her Masters of Clinical Rehabilitation (Neurological Physiotherapist) with research into physiotherapy for people with Parkinson’s Disease. Whilst managing a varied caseload of neurological conditions, an area of special interest includes the management of the spastic equinovarus foot, which includes consulting on a variety of conditions affecting the foot and their management.

Catriona has presented academic research at the Australian-Pacific Post-Polio Conference in 2016, and at the most recent Australian Physiotherapy Association Conference in 2019.  Catriona also presented virtually at the 2022 Pedorthic Conference and is excited to be presenting in person at the upcoming Pedorthic Conference on balance.

Daniel Petcu is a footwear engineer with a Ph.D. awarded based on a thesis focused on foot orthoses for diabetic feet. He has developed the new concept of Pedorthic Information Modeling defined as the environment for the digital representation of the aesthetic, physical, and functional characteristics of the information model of medical footwear. The concept was translated into practice through a Grasshopper visual programming code and 3D-printing of foot orthoses and orthopedic footwear. The Pedorthic Information Modeling concept and the Grasshopper code are being continuously developed and tested to be further validated by practice. They have been presented at significant events such as OTWorld in Leipzig, Germany (2022, 2024), IVO-OST in Koln, Germany (2022), FootPRINT3D in Barcelona, Spain (2023), International Rhino User Meeting in Wroclaw, Poland (2024).

David Sutton is a senior Pedorthist at Melbourne based Pedorthic clinic Bilby shoes. He is also a clinical advisor for Victorian state government funding body SWEP and clinical advisor to Tekscan (USA). David often runs training events for Podiatrists and Pedorthists.

David has a strong history in embracing the science of objective data collection and a longer history in Pedorthics, starting his journey as an apprentice shoemaker in 1979.

Associate Professor Ashad Kabir is an expert in data analytics and machine learning in health care. His research focuses on applying advanced technologies, including data mining, artificial intelligence, and smartphone sensing, to solve problems in the domain of health and well-being while considering individuals’ privacy and system security. He is the Deputy Leader of the Data Mining Research Group at Charles Sturt University (CSU). He has extensive experience conducting industry-funded multidisciplinary projects with a total budget of over $7.5 million. He successfully led two projects in partnership with healthcare providers with excellent impact and quality publications. He has published over 120 research articles in top-tier venues, including the IEEE Journal of Biomedical and Health Informatics, Computers in Biology and Medicine, Front. in Public Health, JMIR mHealth and uHealth, and Cancers journals. He is an editorial board member for several journals, including BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making and the Frontiers in Digital Health. He has delivered keynotes at several conferences and been invited as a guest speaker to deliver talks at several prominent universities across the world, including the University of Maryland (USA), Texas A&M University (USA), the University of Toronto (Canada), and the Auckland University of Technology (New Zealand). Dr Kabir is the recipient of the 2023 Vice Chancellor Research Excellence Award - "Researcher Excellence through Partnership", 2022 Vice Chancellor Research Excellence Award - "Researcher of the Year in the Faculty" and the 2021 Charles Sturt Faculty Research Excellence Award in recognition of his research publications, leadership, impact, significance, and entrepreneurial spirit.

Professor Hylton Menz graduated with a Bachelor of Podiatry with first class Honours and the University Medal from La Trobe University in 1993 and completed his PhD in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of New South Wales in 2002. He was continually funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (NHMRC) between 2003 and 2022 and has been awarded 5 NHMRC Project Grants. Professor Menz’s broad research disciplines are human movement, rehabilitation and rheumatology, with a particular focus on musculoskeletal foot problems in older people. His research extends from laboratory-based biomechanical studies through to analysis of epidemiological datasets and the conduct of clinical trials. Professor Menz has published 382 journal articles, 3 books and 19 book chapters, and his current research focuses on the epidemiology and management of foot osteoarthritis.

Malia is a Senior Lecturer and Advanced Higher Education Fellow at Monash University teaching into the Doctor of Podiatric Medicine course. She obtained her Bachelor of Podiatry (Hons) from the University of Salford (UK). She subsequently completed her Masters (by research) at the National University of Singapore and her PhD in Physical Education and Sports Science at the Nanyang Technological University (Singapore). She also has a Graduate Certificate in Tertiary and Adult Education from Central Queensland University. She worked as a podiatrist in both public and private health sectors in Singapore and is currently maintaining one day a week as a clinician at Peninsula Health. Malia’s interests are in the use of technology in biomechanical assessments and the management of musculoskeletal injuries of the lower limb.

Dr Sayed Ahmed, PhD, is a foot healthcare professional, entrepreneur, researcher and accomplished leader in pedorthics and medical device innovation. He holds a PhD in Pedorthics from Southern Cross University, focusing on diabetic foot care and personalised footwear prescriptions.

Dr. Ahmed began his career with a Bachelor of Science and Technology in Footwear from the University of Dhaka and later earned an MBA in Management Information Systems. His professional journey includes significant roles as founder and CEO of Foot Balance Technology and OrthoGenix, where he developed innovative solutions for foot health challenges, particularly for individuals with diabetes.

Dr. Ahmed has secured and managed notable grants, including the "National Industry PhD Program," and collaborated extensively with Australian
universities. His research, widely published, covers topics like footwear design for diabetic foot ulcers and AI-driven medical device prescriptions.

Dr. Ahmed is dedicated to advancing foot health through interdisciplinary collaboration, mentorship, and
innovative research in Pedorthics.

Fred Holtkamp has currently the position of Associate Professor of the Chair in Health Innovation of Fontys University of Allied Health Professions in Eindhoven, The Netherlands. He also holds a position as visiting professor at the University of Labor and Social Affairs (ULSA) in Hanoi Vietnam.

He started his career in medical engineering and is now for more than 20 years working in the field of Prosthetics – Orthotics, (Orthopedic Engineering) and Shoe-Technology. He is specialized in biomechanics, gait analysis and cad/cam systems.

He has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and in mechatronics and also a PGdip in gait analysis, biomechanics and orthotics. He received his Master of Science degree in Rehabilitation engineering at Strathclyde University in Glasgow. In 2021 he is distinguished with the title of “Officer in the order of Oranje Nassau’ for his work in education and research in orthopedic engineering and shoe technology.

Hathaichanok Arunsaengsin is a Prosthetist and Orthotist at Sirindhorn School of Prosthetics and Orthotics, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand. With five years of experience in prosthetics and orthotics, she has dedicated the past three years to specializing in pedorthics. Her professional focus is on podiatry and orthotic management, areas in which she is deeply passionate.

Karl is in private Pedorthic practice since 1988 in Sydney Australia running a modern Pedorthic clinic and laboratory. This includes the use of in-shoe plantar pressure mapping and other assessment or scanning technology. Karl has a strong interest in education in Pedorthics. He has conducted training in Australia and Japan over the past 25 years and has been Chairperson of the Pedorthic Association Australia for 10 years, convening the international Pedorthic congress IVO2012. The position of President of the International Association for Pedorthics (IVO) followed for a full 3-year term. He currently
serves as a delegate of the IVO to the WHO.

He was instrumental in the initiation and set up of the national Pedorthic certification structure in Australia. Karl initiated and runs the Pedorthic bachelor degree program at Southern Cross University in Queensland, Australia.

Katrin Wegener commenced her training to become a qualified orthopaedic shoemaker and orthotic specialist in Germany in 1994.
Katrin received an award for second place in the 1999 State graduate competition. In 2006, she passed the supplementary exam at the state-approved Ralph GROTSTOLLEN School of Podology to achieve the status of a German state-certified Podologe (Podiatrist).

Katrin arrived in Australia in 2009 and qualified as an Australian Certified Pedorthist (CM). She has been involved in providing training as part of the Australian Pedorthic Certification Course Program. She has participated on the certification panel for the Australian Pedorthic Register and has published several articles for a German local newspaper as well as professional articles for a German pedorthic and podiatry magazine. She has presented at several national and international conferences and is the current President of the Pedorthic Association of Australia.

Katrin continues to reside in Australia while further developing her successful career with an established client base within the profession.

Markus Kerkering began his study in Germany in 2011 to become a licenced orthopaedic shoemaker and orthotic expert. He received his German Meister degree in 2018.

Markus has presented at national and international pedorthic conferences and has written professional articles for both a German Pedorthic and Podiatry journal and an English Pedorthic magazine.

He relocated to Australia in 2020 to further develop his career and currently works at Sydney-based pedorthic clinic, Footpower.

Michael Jackson is the Clinical Health Educator for Polio Australia, delivering Late Effects of Polio (LEoP) workshops and information to health professionals across Australia. His work aims to enhance LEoP clinical knowledge and reduce the frustrations experienced by people affected by polio in our healthcare system.

Michael's background spans education and physiotherapy. After six years teaching in Queensland, he pursued a Master of Physical Therapy in California. He then worked for nine years as a physiotherapist and clinical educator in a Colorado rehabilitation hospital.

His training at Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center ignited his passion for treating complex patients, particularly those affected by polio. This interest led him to his current role at Polio Australia, where he has worked for the past five years.

Michael is a podiatrist who works in two very different settings. He has been working at Bilby Shoes for approximately 25 years and his roles include clinical assessments, footwear fitting, footwear modification, footwear manufacture, orthotic manufacture, and last manufacture. He also treats in a standalone podiatry clinic providing a complete footcare service to patients including general care, nail surgeries, musculoskeletal conditions and wound care. One of his main roles at Bilby Shoes has been transitioning from traditional custom last manufacture to our current up-to-date protocol which utilises 3D printing. Part of this process incorporates 10 years of experience in implementing Computer Aided Design.

Nathanit Jirapongpathai CPO, M.Sc. (Pedorthic) is working as a lecturer, researcher and clinician. She has done her bachelor and master's from Sirindhorn School of Prosthetics and is currently working as a lecturer and Certified Prosthetist and Orthotist at Sirindhorn School of Prosthetics, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok. She is involved with research related to various foot complications and foot biomechanics.

Paul Shim is a pedorthist and podiatrist based in Sydney. He holds a Bachelor of Pedorthics from Southern Cross University and began his professional career in 2021. After gaining valuable experience during his initial two years with foot power, Paul now operates his own pedorthic clinic in Kingsgrove, Sydney. He is dedicated to providing comprehensive pedorthic care for a wide range of conditions, from heel pain to high-risk diabetic foot management.

Talysha is an extremely passionate, experienced podiatrist, in addition to being a career coach & mentor.
Having been in practice for over 16 years, her particular area of clinical interest has evolved into the assessment and management of complex & chronic musculoskeletal conditions of the lower extremity, with particular focus on their treatment via exercise & movement-based therapies.

Currently Talysha spreads her time between developing & delivering educational content for The Progressive Podiatry Project education platform, academic lecturing & biomechanics clinical supervision at the University of South Australia, clinical content creation for VALD, musculoskeletal clinical practice, injury management consultancy and contributes to the operations of the Podiatry Board of Australia.