Keynote Speakers

Bev Lawton
Founder/Director of Te Tātai Hauora o Hine (the National Centre for Women’s Health Research Aotearoa) at Te Herenga Waka, Victoria University of Wellington

Professor Bev Lawton (ONZM), nō Ngāti Porou, is the founder/director of Te Tātai Hauora o Hine (the National Centre for Women’s Health Research Aotearoa) at Te Herenga Waka, Victoria University of Wellington.
Bev’s significant contribution to advancing Māori health is in the field of cervical cancer prevention. Her advocacy and research in HPV self-testing aims to increase cervical screening uptake for wāhine Māori, and pursues the elimination of cervical cancer amongst wāhine Māori.
She was made a Distinguished Fellow of the Royal College of General Practice in 2017. Bev was awarded the Royal Australia and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists Māori Women’s Health Award in 2020 and won the 2021 Women of Influence Award in the Innovation, Science and Health category.  Last year Bev was the recipient of the HRC’s Beaven Medal for excellence in translational health research.
In 2022 she gave a keynote presentation at the World Indigenous Peoples Conference on Viral Hepatitis on “Māori health inequities in the context of viral hepatitis.
David Carter

Scientia Associate Professor in the Faculty of Law & Justice at UNSW

David Carter is a Scientia Associate Professor in the Faculty of Law & Justice at UNSW. He is an Australian lawyer and expert in the field of medical and health law, applying his legal expertise and research to understand law as a factor in the cause, distribution and prevention of disease and injury while advancing the fair treatment of those living with communicable disease. 
David currently leads the Health+Law Research Partnership which aims to improve access to justice and quality of life for those living with Hepatitis B or HIV in Australia by removing legal barriers to testing and treatment. He serves as a board member of the HIV/AIDS Legal Centre and is Chair of the Ramsay Health Care Human Research Ethics Committee. 

Dee Lee
Director and founder of Inno Community Development Organisation

Director and founder of Inno Community Development Organisation. Inno created the most influential hotline to fight the stigma and hepatitis against people living with hepatitis in China since 2010 and extended the impact in other countries in Asia since 2019. As a person living with hepatitis at the age of 2 because of the iatrogenic infection, Dee has been experiencing discrimination and self-stigma from day one when he had the blood test. He crawled out of the pain and started to make a change. He has been active and vocal for being the
  • Board member of World Hepatitis Alliance of West Pacific Region
  • Chair of Steering Group of International Liver Cancer Movement
  • Member of Patient Advocacy Committee of Global NASH Council
  • Member of CEVHAP
Seng Gee Lim

Director of Hepatology at the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, National University Health System, Singapore

Professor Seng Gee Lim, FRACP, FRCP, FAMS, MD, is Director of Hepatology at the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, National University Health System, Singapore, and was previously Chief of Division.
He is a member of the editorial boards for Liver International, Journal of Viral Hepatitis, Hepatology International, Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology, and Evidence Based Internal Medicine Solutions.
His research includes clinical trials of new treatments for chronic hepatitis B and C, and translational research in viral hepatitis, involving molecular biology and immunology of hepatitis B.

Philippa Easterbrook
Senior Scientist, World Health Organization (WHO)

Professor Philippa Easterbrook is an infectious disease specialist, public health physician, epidemiologist, and researcher who has dedicated more than two decades to scale-up of the global response to the HIV epidemic, and the last 10 years also to the global elimination of hepatitis C and B infection. For eleven years, she was Head of Department, Professor of HIV Medicine, and consultant physician in Infectious Diseases at King´s College London, and also Head of Research at the Infectious Diseases Institute in Uganda.
Edward Gane

Professor of Medicine , University of Auckland and Deputy Director, New Zealand Liver Transplant Unit

Dr. Gane is Professor of Medicine at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, Hepatologist and Deputy Director of the New Zealand Liver Unit at Auckland City Hospital. 
Dr. Gane trained in hepatology and liver transplantation at the Institute of Liver Studies, King’s College School of Medicine, London, where he completed his thesis on pathogenesis of the newly discovered hepatitis C.  On his return to New Zealand, Dr Gane set up a dedicated Phase I research centre that led the development of the first oral treatments for hepatitis C. He is now focused on developing a finite cure for hepatitis B.
Dr Gane has published over 450 papers in peer-reviewed journals and has received many research awards including the NZHRC Beaven and Liley Medals. 
Dr Gane is the Ministry of Health’s Advisor for viral hepatitis and chairs the oversight committee for the Hepatitis C Elimination Strategy. He also is clinical advisor for the Hepatitis Foundation of New Zealand HepB surveillance programme.

Sarah Bukulatjpi
Senior Aboriginal Health Practitioner, Miwatj Health Aboriginal Corporation

I am an Aboriginal Health Practitioner working at Ngalkanbuy and Marthakal Health Services in Galiwin’ku, Elcho Island, East Arnhem Land, Australia, as well as an emerging researcher in the field of hepatitis B. I am a Yolŋu woman and the clinical lead for hepatitis B services within Elcho Island and the driving force behind the development of the Menzies School of Health Research HBV research program. I completed my Aboriginal Health Practitioner training (certificate IV) in 2010, mental health non-clinical certificate IV in 2008, Aboriginal health worker training (certificate III) in 2005 and Community Based Research (cert II) in 2016. In 2015 I completed a diploma of management through BCA National. In 2015 I won three awards at the Northern Territory Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioner excellence awards. I am a founding member of the Menzies School of Health Research Indigenous Reference Group which guides research in a culturally appropriate direction. 
Teresa De Santi

Aboriginal Health Practitioner (AHP) Coordinator in Population & Primary Health Care, NT Health

Teresa is a proud Tiwi woman, working and living on Larrakia Country in the Northern Territory. 
Teresa is an Aboriginal Health Practitioner (AHP) Coordinator in Population & Primary Health Care, NT Health and has been an AHP for 20 years. 
Teresa has been a part of the Hepatitis B (HBV) research program for 5 years through her work as an AHP Coordinator. She has been pivotal in the co-design, development and implementation of the Accredited First Nations Workers (FNW) course and is an ongoing course presenter and facilitator as well as an author on the manuscript describing the course development and evaluation. She is an author on a Hepatology review paper “Pathway to Hepatitis B elimination, cure is just the first step” and a member of the Commonwealth commissioned team establishing a roadmap to liver cancer control for Australia. In both settings Teresa has been invited as a cultural and HBV content expert.    
Teresa continues to contribute her cultural knowledge to ensuring that messages are communicated in a culturally safe way. Teresa will also continue to input into the Menzies Infectious Disease Indigenous Reference Group. Teresa is continually striving to improve health outcomes for Aboriginal people. 
What Teresa loves most about her role as an AHP Coordinator is working with AHP’s and Trainees. She strives to be a positive role model to guide the trainees during their learning journey, through to completion and registration, to then go on and be confident, competent Aboriginal Health Practitioners.  



Stuart Yiwarr McGrath 
Aboriginal Health Practitioner/Registered Nurse (Chronic Disease), Miwatj Health Aboriginal Corporation, Galiwin’ku,
Research Assistant (Communicate study), Menzies School of Health Research

Stuart Yiwarr McGrath is a Gumatj man from the Yolngu nation and an inspiring figure in the field of Indigenous healthcare. As an Aboriginal Health Practitioner, Stuart has dedicated his career to improving the health outcomes of Aboriginal communities. Stuart recently made history by becoming the first Yolngu registered nurse. He brings unique perspectives from his diverse life experiences, including a nomadic upbringing in remote Indigenous communities, schooling in Canberra, and studying in Darwin. 
Stuart co-produced the multi-award-winning podcast "Ask the Specialist: Larrakia, Tiwi, and Yolŋu stories to inspire better healthcare." This podcast features leaders from the Larrakia, Tiwi, and Yolngu communities sharing insights to help healthcare professionals better understand and care for Aboriginal patients. 

Conference Collaborators

We acknowledge that the conference is being held on the traditional lands of the Larrakia people. We recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' continuing connection to land, water, and community and we pay our respects to Elders past and present. ASHM acknowledges Sovereignty in this country has never been ceded. It always was, and always will be, Aboriginal land.