Dr Patricia Weerakoon
Dr Patricia Weerakoon is a Senior Lecturer at theFaculty of Health Sciences and the Academic Coordinator of the Graduate Program of Sexual Health. Her interest in Sexuality education and research began when she did her graduate training in Hawaii with Professor Milton Diamond in the early 80's. Patricia is one of the new breed of "Sexologists" in Sydney, and her areas of interest include:
- Christianity and Sexuality (as a Christian and a Sexologist she has been involved in the TV documentary "Good Sex" and is on the faculty of the Centre for Apologetic Scholarship and Education (CASE) She is currently developing a series of educational resources for couples, singles and teenagers on “Gods plan for good sex
- Research in the biological and psychosocial aspects of the sexual response and sexual arousal
- Gender issues in Sexual Health. Especially the cultural understanding of norms and management of gender identity disorder and transgender issues
- Sexuality education through the lifespan
- On-line learning
- Sexuality and Disability
View Patricia's Homepage
Dr Gomathi Sitharthan
I trained in Australia and received my PhD in Psychology from the University of Sydney. I am currently a Senior Lecturer in Psychology and the Deputy Coordinator of the Graduate Program in Sexual Health.
I have conducted research in the broad areas of health psychology and am particularly versed in Translational Research and have engaged in research focusing on preventative methods, early / brief /opportunistic / low cost interventions, and clinical trials addressing mental health / addictive behaviours / associated comorbidities, suicide risk reduction and depression management, promoting “self-change” programs in the community, ascertaining the impact of clinical training to deliver effective health care, clinical services evaluations, facilitating the up-take of effective interventions in health services and evaluating training impacts, etc.
Since 2007, I have broadened my research interests and am currently actively pursuing research in the area of Sexual Health – e.g. Sexuality and Body Image, Sex Education, Doctor-Patient communication, and Migrant Sexual Health, etc. I have successfully supervised many research students, to-date, 7 PhD and 4 Masters. I am currently supervising 8 PhD students.
I have received several competitive grants, including 2 from NHMRC. I have reviewed grant applications submitted to NHMRC and other funding agencies. I am a member of the American Psychological Association and the Australian Centre for Addiction Research and an active contributor to its Centre for the Promotion of Self-Change.
view Gomathi's CV
Dr Russell Shuttleworth
Dr. Russell Shuttleworth, a medical anthropologist, has a primary research interest in sexuality and disability and an extensive background in qualitative research. He has a passion for conceptually innovative research that makes a difference! He is developing an interdisciplinary model for international collaborative research in sexuality and disability with the University of Sydney as the hub. Russell is keen to involve both colleagues and postgraduate students in developing a holistic sexuality and disability research agenda that transcends disciplinary differences.
For several years, Russell chaired the San Francisco Bay Area’s Sexuality and Disability Research Consortium, a discussion group on sexuality and disability research issues. He has conducted ethnographic fieldwork with men with cerebral palsy on their search for sexual intimacy, and he has also completed several life histories of notable disabled men focusing on their sexual narratives. Other areas of interest include aging and sexuality; masculinity and disability; culture mental health and aging; anthropology and disability; and qualitative research methods.
Russell has extensive experience in the development of educational programs in sexuality and disability. Russell is currently developing an interdisciplinary unit of study in Sexuality and Disability which will be offered in Web CT in the Graduate Program in Sexual Health. Other courses he will be teaching at Sydney University include Aging and Sexuality, Sexuality and People with Developmental Disability and Qualitative Health and Social Research.
For relaxation Russell enjoys blowing some mean blues harp, doodling with coloured inks, and listening to multi-genre music.
View Dr. Shuttleworth’s CV
Honorary Prof Chris McMahon
Chris G McMahon is a Consultant Sexual Health Physician and Fellow of the Royal Australian College of Physician’s Chapter of Sexual Medicine. He is the Director of the Australian Centre for Sexual Health in Sydney, Australia. Dr McMahon is a committee chairman for the WHO Second Consultation on Erectile and Sexual Dysfunction and a chairman of the International Society of Sexual Medicine’s (ISSM) medical and research standards committee. He is a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Sexual Medicine, Current Sexual Health Reports and the Journal of Men’s Health and an associate section editor of the British Journal of Urology. He is a referee for the Journal of Urology, Urology, European Journal of Urology, the Medical Journal of Australia, the Journal of Sexual Medicine, the British Journal of Urology and Expert Opinion on Investigational Drugs. He is a member of several local, regional and international medical associations and a committee member of the International Society of Sexual Medicine (ISSM). He has been invited to lecture on sexual medicine worldwide and has published extensively on sexual health. He has published over 40 original research and invited review articles in peer reviewed international medical journals, and 9 book chapters. His recent research has focused on drug treatment for patients with refractory erectile dysfunction (ED) and drug treatment of premature ejaculation.
Brett McCann
Brett McCann is the CEO of Impotence Australia and an Honorary Senior Lecturer with the School of Biomedical Sciences.
Margaret Redelman
MBBS (Uni NSW), M Psychotherapy (Uni NSW)
Margaret is a Medical sex therapist and relationship counsellor. In this role she is involved in research and education as well as therapy. She is currently Vice president of ASSERT NSW and President of National ASSERT. Margaret is also the President for the 18th World Association of Sexology Congress to be held in Sydney in 2007.
Richard Hillman
For the past 20 years Richard has been a practising clinician in HIV and Sexual Health Medicine, both in the UK and Australia. In addition, he has a doctorate in sexual health, a number of research publications and is the Joint Editor of "Sexual Health" – an interdisciplinary journal of sexual health and HIV/AIDS and sexually transmissible diseases. Richard runs a variety of face to face and online educational programs in these areas, for the University of Sydney.
Dr Katherine Brown
Katherine is the Director of Sexual Health in the Illawarra, chairs the Education Committee for the Chapter of Sexual Health Medicine in the Royal Australasian College of Physicians and has appointments as a conjoint Senior Lecturer at the Universities of Sydney and NSW and as Principal Fellow at Wollongong. Katherine's interest in rural service provision and medical education contributed to the initial development of this distance learning program.
John Brown
John has worked in the area of disability for about 25 years specialising mainly in intellectual disability. He has a number of professional interests and roles including being the Education Officer for the Australasian Chapter of Sexual Health Medicine (chapter of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians), running my own counselling practice and providing training and consultancy to a number of organisations. John has been involved in the graduate program in sexual health since its conception and is especially interested in sexuality and how it relates to the special needs of people who have a disability or illness.
Maria Ceatano
Maria is a Sex Therapist and relationship counsellor in private practice. Maria is the President of Assert NSW and a member of The Sexual Health Society of NSW. Maria is the Assistant to the CEO at Impotence Australia and on the Board of Impotence Australia. Maria also works for the Elimination of Violence and Sexual Assault against Women Hotline as a counselling supervisor. Maria is currently a postgraduate student at the School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences doing a Research Masters.
Professor Milton Diamond
Dr Lesley Yee
Lesley is a medical sex therapist who works in private practice at Gynaecare in Artarmon, Sydney. She has a background in sexual and reproductive health and psychotherapy, and combines these in her clinical practice.
Dr Michael Lowy
Dr Michael Lowy is a Sexual Health Physician and the Director of the Sydney Centre for Men’s Health. He is also the Chairperson of Impotence Australia.