Synopsis
Please join us for a thought-provoking International Women’s Day (IWD) Grand Round panel discussion with four exceptional women. As we continue to strive for gender equality and economic empowerment for women and girls, we will explore how best to invest in women and promote women in leadership, taking into account the impacts of the pandemic, with a focus on storytelling and learning from each other.
Speakers
Dr Catherine Olweny (BA(Hons), BMBS, MA, MCoun, FANZCA, AFRACMA, Diploma Clinical Hypnosis, Graduate Certificate Therapeutic Child Play) is a Consultant Paediatric Anaesthetist at The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH), where she has worked since 2009. Her clinical interests focus on the prevention and management of procedural anxiety and distress in children, and on reducing the risk of medical trauma through trauma-informed healthcare practices. Dr Olweny is a strong advocate for trauma-informed systems in healthcare delivery, trauma-informed approaches to clinical education, and wellness-centred leadership in healthcare organisations. She holds a Master of Arts in French Studies from the University of New England and a Master of Counselling from Monash University. She is also trained in Clinical Hypnosis and Therapeutic Child Play.
In addition to her anaesthesia practice, Dr Olweny is a registered counsellor and provides therapy to paediatric patients. She also offers supportive counselling for senior medical staff, international medical graduates, doctors in training, and medical students.
Dr Olweny serves as a Board Director of The Royal Children’s Hospital Foundation and the Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators (RACMA), where she chairs the Finance and Audit Committee. She is an Executive Member of the Society for Paediatric Anaesthesia in New Zealand and Australia (SPANZA). As Quality Lead for the Department of Anaesthesia and Pain Management at RCH and Chair of the SPANZA Guidelines and Statements Committee, she supports the delivery of safe, equitable, and high-quality perioperative care for children.
Ayan Xusen is a Clinic Coordinator in the Outpatients Department at RCH. She is passionate about creating seamless and positive experiences for families accessing healthcare services. In her role, Ayan works closely with clinicians to ensure outpatient clinics run efficiently and strives to foster an environment where both patients and clinicians feel supported and valued. She holds an undergraduate degree in Biomedical Science and has a strong interest in health equity and accessibility. Ayan is committed to ensuring families receive culturally sensitive and inclusive care.
She particularly values building relationships with colleagues and strengthening teams to create collaborative and welcoming clinical environments.
Bianca Devsam is a PhD candidate at the University of Melbourne and a researcher with the Vaccine Uptake Group at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI). Her doctoral research examines special medical exemptions for mandated vaccines and is supported by the MandEval Medical Research Future Fund project. In addition to her research, Bianca works as a neonatal intensive care nurse. She also coordinates the statewide neonatal stroke study NIMBUS (Neonatal Investigation of Multicentre Brain Injury and Stroke), based at MCRI.
Her work sits at the intersection of clinical care, vaccine policy, and population health research.
Dr Zeffie Poulakis is a clinical psychologist and Director of Psychology at RCH. She has previously held clinical roles in the hospital’s Gender Service and Complex Movement Disorder Program, and was the inaugural Director of the Victorian Infant Hearing Screening Program at the Royal Children’s Hospital.
Dr Poulakis has an extensive research career with MCRI spanning more than three decades and holds an honorary appointment with the University of Melbourne.
Her work focuses on evidence-informed clinical practice and research that supports the learning, development, communication, and mental wellbeing of children and young people, particularly those experiencing marginalisation and disadvantage.