ORGANISING COMMITTEE

Intensivist and translational researcher, Sydney

Chris ANDERSEN

• Dr Christopher Andersen is an Australian clinician–researcher and intensive care specialist working in a high-volume tertiary centre on Sydney’s North Shore.

• He has also deployed multiple times with the Australian Defence Force, contributing to critical care in austere and operational environments.

• His research focuses on improving outcome selection and measurement in aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage, with a strong emphasis on partnership with patients and lived-experience stakeholders.

• He has published as first author in leading journals including The Lancet Neurology, Stroke, and Translational Stroke Research.

• Dr Andersen leads the multi-centre Critical Illness, Infection and Immunology (CI3) Biobank and serves on the management committees of several large international clinical trials.

Neurointerventionalist and clinician scientist, Melbourne

Ronil Chandra

• Associate Professor Ronil V. Chandra is Head of Neurointervention at Monash Health and a clinician–scientist at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia.

• He leads one of Australia’s largest academic neurointerventional services, delivering comprehensive 24/7 stroke and aneurysm care across Victoria.

• A contributor to landmark international stroke trials published in The New England Journal of Medicine and The Lancet, his research focuses on subarachnoid haemorrhage, unruptured intracranial aneurysms, and stroke systems design.

• He leads national registry initiatives in subarachnoid haemorrhage and contributes to health policy, clinical guideline development, and stroke systems reform at national and international levels.

• His work also includes the development of endovascular robotics and remote neurointervention, aimed at expanding equitable access to time-critical stroke and aneurysm care worldwide.

Neurointerventionalist and Neurologist, Sydney

Alice Ma

• Dr Alice Ma is a vascular and interventional neurologist based in Sydney, Australia, with expertise in endovascular treatment of acute stroke and cerebral aneurysms. 

• She trained in neurology at Royal North Shore Hospital and completed additional intensive care training at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, reflecting a dual background in neurology and critical care. 

• She undertook advanced neurointerventional fellowships at Royal North Shore and Westmead Hospitals, as well as internationally at Boston Medical Center, USA. 

• Dr Ma is actively involved in clinical research, education, and guideline development, with roles in international professional societies including SVIN, AHA, and SNIS, and contributions to peer-reviewed journals and stroke guidelines. 

• Her clinical and academic work focuses on improving outcomes in cerebrovascular disease through endovascular therapies, multidisciplinary care, and international collaboration in stroke and neurointervention. 

Intensivist, Sydney

OLIVER Flower

• Dr Oliver Flower is an intensive care specialist based in Sydney, Australia, with a clinical focus on neurocritical care and complex neurological emergencies.

• Extensive experience running conferences, such as the SMACC, and Coda events

• Clinical lead for Neurocritical Care at Royal North Shore Hospital and North Shore Private Hospital, managing patients with subarachnoid haemorrhage, traumatic brain injury, intracerebral haemorrhage, and advanced neurovascular interventions.

• Academic interests include delayed cerebral ischaemia, multimodal neuromonitoring, and improving outcomes after acute brain injury, alongside quality improvement initiatives in critical care.

• Actively involved in education, digital health, and the development of innovative models for knowledge translation, including podcasts and online platforms in neurocritical care.

• He is co-convenor of ISAH26, bringing together an international multidisciplinary faculty to advance collaboration, research, and clinical care in subarachnoid haemorrhage.

Cerebrovascular and Academic Neurosurgeon, Melbourne

Leon Lai

• Professor of Neurosurgery and Service Medical Director at Monash Health, providing divisional executive oversight of neurosurgery and multiple major tertiary surgical units within one of Australia’s largest surgical services.

• High volume cerebrovascular surgeon specialising in complex intracranial aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations, cerebral bypass, and skull base vascular reconstruction.

• Chief investigator on nationally competitive NHMRC funded research applying artificial intelligence to neurosurgical practice, leading integrated clinical and data driven research programmes in aneurysm surgery and subarachnoid haemorrhage.

• Academic work directed at improving outcomes in complex cerebrovascular surgery, integrating operative science, predictive modelling, and multicentre registry research.

• Adjunct Clinical Professor at Monash University and Associate Editor of the Journal of Clinical Neuroscience, contributing to neurosurgical education, mentorship, and international scholarly standards.

Academic epidemiologist

Seana gall

• Professor Seana Gall is an epidemiologist at the Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania.

• Over more than 20 years, her research has focused on improving the prevention, management, and outcomes of stroke, including aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage.

• She has led epidemiological studies examining the incidence and risk factors for aSAH, as well as the impact of time to treatment and evidence-based care on patient outcomes.

• She has secured over $20 million in research funding and published more than 160 peer-reviewed manuscripts.

• Professor Gall serves on the editorial boards of Stroke, International Journal of Stroke, and Neuroepidemiology, contributing to the advancement of cerebrovascular research globally.