Project working groups

Once implementation of the National Allergy Stratecy commenced, the working groups established to develop the National Allergy Strategy were replaced by project specific working groups which each have Project Co-leads.

To implement the National Allergy Strategy, the National Allergy Council relies on the voluntary contributions of many people to assist with the development of resources and implementation of projects. We are particularly grateful to the working group members who regularly assist. While it is not possible to acknowledge everyone who has contributed their time as a volunteer to assist with implementing the National Allergy Strategy on this website, we are extremely thankful for everyone’s contributions.

Current working groups

Shared care for allergy project working group

• Dr Katie Frith (Project Co-lead, paediatric allergy specialist, ASCIA)
• Maria Said AM (Project Co-lead, National Allergy Council Co-chair; Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia CEO)
• Dr Wendy Freeman (Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia)
• Dr Peter Bourke (Adult allergy specialist, ASCIA)
• Dr Nick Cooling (Royal Australian College of General Practitioners)
• Dr Debbie Frommer (Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia)
• Dr Peter Goss (Australian Paediatric Society)
• Kylie Hollinshead (Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia)
• Dr Henry Ko (Consumers Health Forum of Australia)
• Dallas McKeown (CRANAplus)
• Dr Peter Leman (Australasian College of Emergency Medicine)
• Dr Chris McCue (Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine)
• Corrina Michael (Dietitians Australia)
• Sacha Palmer (Allergy nurse, ASCIA)
• Dr Kahn Preece (Paediatric allergy specialist, ASCIA)
• Katrina Streatfeild (Australian Psychological Society)
• Dr Dominic Mallon (Co-Chair Standards of care subgroup; allergy specialist)
• Dr Ana Dosen (Co-Chair Education and training subgroup; paediatrician)
• Dr Melanie Wong (National Allergy Council Advisory Committee, paediatric allergy specialist)
• Dr Biljana Cvetkovski (Pharmaceutical Society of Australia)
• A/Prof Sandra Salter (Pharmacist educator)
• National Allergy Council staff - Heather Roberts, Sandra Vale, Erin Gilmore

Food service project working group 

• Sally Voukelatos (Project Co-lead, dietitian)
• Dr Vicki McWilliam (Project Co-lead, dietitian)
• Denise Cruickshank (Dietitian, Queensland Health)
• Mary Hannan-Jones (Dietetics, Queensland University of Technology)
• Gary Kennedy (Institute of Hospitality in Health Care)
• Suzanne Kennewell (Dietitians Australia)
• Troy Litzow (Food safety, Queensland Health)
• Libby Matthew (Residential aged care dietitian, WA)
• Val Noble (Clinical nurse consultant - allergy)
• Maria Said AM (National Allergy Council Co-chair; Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia CEO)
• National Allergy Council staff - Ingrid Roche, Sandra Vale, Jillian Kehoe

Drug allergy project working group

• Dr William Smith (Project Co-lead, ASCIA)
• Dr Michaela Lucas (Project Co-lead, ASCIA)
• Tiffany Ma (Project Co-lead, Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia)
• Vikki Jayewardene (Projec Co-lead, Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia)
• Dr Sandra Salter (Pharmacist)
• Dr Joseph De Luca (Clinical immunology/allergy specialist)
• Prof Jason Trubiano (Infectious diseases physician)
• Dr James Yun (Clinical immunology/allergy specialist)
• Dr Frank Thien (Clinical immunology/allergy specialist)
• Annabell Arnold (Allergy nurse)
• Dr Alan Leeb (Allergy GP)
• National Allergy Coucnil staff - Jillian Kehoe, Samantha Stiles, Sandra Vale

Australian Digital Health Agency (My Health Record) project working group

• Dr William Smith (Project Co-lead, ASCIA)
• Dr Michaela Lucas (Clinical immunology/allergy specialist)
• Tiffany Ma (Project Co-lead, Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia)
• Vikki Jayewardene (Projec Co-lead, Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia)
• Dr Dean Tey (Clinical immunology/allergy specialist)
• Dr Pravin Hissaria (Clinical immunology/allergy specialist)
• Dr Frank Thien (Clinical immunology/allergy specialist)
• National Allergy Council staff - Jillian Kehoe, Samantha Stiles, Heather Roberts, Sandra Vale

Food allergy prevention project (Nip allergies in the Bub) working group

• Dr Preeti Joshi (Project Co-lead, ASCIA)
• Kylie Hollinshead (Project Co-lead, Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia)
• Prof Dianne Campbell (Clinical immunology/allergy specialist)
• Dr Lara Ford (Clinical immunology/allergy specialist)
• Dr Jennifer Koplin (CFAR and NACE)
• Jemma Weidinger (Nurse practitioner - dermatology)
• National Allergy Council staff - Sandra Vale, Merryn Netting, Ingrid Roche

Allergy 250K project working group

• Dr Melanie Wong (Project Co-lead, Clinical immunology/allergy specialist, ASCIA)
• Maria Said AM (project Co-lead, Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia)
• Robyn Willis (Psychologist)
• Deirdre Brandner (Paediatric Psychologist)
• Dr Sandra Salter (Allergy researcher)
• Dr Tracy Markus (Clinical immunology/allergy specialist)
• Dr Paulina Alhucema (Paediatrician, Clinical immunology/allergy trainee)
• Val Noble (Clinical nurse consultant – Allergy)
• Ashley Wong (Youth advisor)
• Lauren Tabone (Youth advisor)
• National Allergy Council staff - Sandra Vale, Ingrid Roche, Heather Roberts

Previous working groups

Select group name to view. 

• Food allergy management in residential care working group
  • Sally Voukelatos (Project Co-lead, dietitian)
  • Ingrid Roche (Project Co-lead, dietitian)
  • Denise Cruickshank (Dietitian, Queensland Health)
  • Mary Hannan-Jones (Dietetics, Queensland University of Technology)
  • Gary Kennedy (Institute of Hospitality in Health Care)
  • Suzanne Kennewell (Dietitians Australia)
  • Troy Litzow (Food safety, Queensland Health)
  • Libby Matthew (Residential aged care dietitian, WA)
  • Val Noble (Clinical nurse consultant - allergy)
  • Parween Ramsahye (Hotel services manager, residential aged care WA)
  • Maria Said (NAC Co-chair; Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia CEO)
  • NAC staff - Heather Roberts, Sandra Vale
• Food allergy management in schools and CEC working group (2021)

  Food allergy management in schools and CEC working group (2021)

  • Dr Wendy Norton (Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia)
  • Dr Merryn Netting (Allergy dietitian)
  • Ingrid Roche (Allergy dietitian)
  • Jody Aiken (Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia)
  • Sally Voukelatos (Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia)
  • Margot Parkinson (Goodstart Early Learning)
  • Todd Dawson (Goodstart Early Learning)
  • Briony Tyquin (Clinical nurse consultant - allergy)
  • Val Noble (Clinical nurse consultant - allergy)
  • Gary Kennedy (Food safety auditor)
  • Megan Sauzier / Anthea Brand (Federation of Canteens in Schools)
  • NAC staff – Heather Roberts, Sandra Vale
• Allergy 250K youth project - Perth fun day (2020) and Perth camp (2022) volunteers
  • Dr Melanie Wong (Project Co-lead, paediatric allergy specialist)
  • Eleanor Thackrey (Project Co-lead, Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia)
  • Maria Said AM (NAC Co-chair, Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia)
  • Val Noble (Clinical nurse consultant – Allergy)
  • Emma Murray (Nutritionist)
  • Ben McGettigan (Adult allergy specialist)
  • Tracy Markus (Paediatric allergy specialist)
  • Andrew McLean-Tooke (Adult allergy specialist)
  • Tamara Farrell (Allergy dietitian)
  • Charlotte Allen (Clinical nurse consultant - Asthma)
  • Jemma Weidinger (Nurse practitioner - Dermatology)
  • Jasmin Wademan (Allergy dietitian)
  • Kath Harrigan (Allergy dietitian)
  • Kayla Taylor (Allergy nurse)
  • NAC staff - Sandra Vale, Heather Roberts, Ingrid Roche, Merryn Netting 
• Food allergy management in hospitals working group (2020)
  • Ingrid Roche (Project Co-lead, dietitian)
  • Sally Voukelatos (Project Co-lead, dietitian)
  • Kirsten Grinter (Project Co-lead)
  • Maria Said (NAC Co-chair/Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia CEO)
  • Gary Kennedy (Institute of Hospitality in Health Care)
  • Denise Cruickshank (Dietitian, Queensland Health)
  • Suzanne Kennewell (Dietitians Australia)
  • Janine von Retzlaf (Dietitian, WA private hospital)
  • Lisa Greedy (Residential dietitian, aged care facility NSW)
  • Kylie Hollinshead (Clinical nurse specialist (allergy), NSW Health)
  • Melanie Kuser (Dietitian, private WA hospital)
  • Troy Litzow (Queensland Health)
  • Vicki McWilliam (Paediatric allergy dietitian, VIC Health)
  • Val Noble (Clinical nurse consultant (allergy), WA Health)
  • NAC staff - Heather Roberts, Sandra Vale
• Allergy 250K youth project – Melbourne camp staff and volunteers (2019)
  • Maria Said (Project Co-lead, NAC Co-chair, Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia CEO)
  • Merryn Netting (Project Co-lead, allergy dietitian)
  • Dr Preeti Joshi (NAC Co-chair, clinical immunology/allergy specialist)
  • Pete Griffiths (Australian Camps Association)
  • Sally Voukelatos (Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia)
  • Dr Melanie Wong (clinical immunology/allergy specialist)
  • Helen Czech (clinical nurse specialist - allergy)
  • Dr Vicki McWilliam (allergy dietitian)
  • Dr Dean Tey (clinical immunology/allergy specialist)
  • Deirdre Brandner (psychologist)
  • NAC staff - Sandra Vale, Heather Roberts, Rikki Dunstall
• Allergy 250K youth project – Sydney camp staff and volunteers (2018)
  • Maria Said (Project Co-lead, NAC Co-chair, Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia CEO)
  • Pete Griffiths (Australian Camps Association)
  • Sally Voukelatos (Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia)
  • Dr Merryn Netting (Project Co-lead, Allergy dietitian)
  • Dr Melanie Wong (Clinical immunology/allergy specialist)
  • Briony Tyquin (Allergy nurse)
  • Nadi Fernando (Psychologist)
  • 250K Youth Advisory Team
  • NAC staff - Sandra Vale, Rikki Dunstall
• Food allergy prevention project - pilot phase 2017-19
  • Dr Preeti Joshi (NAC Co-chair and Project Co-lead)
  • Maria Said (NAC Co-chair/Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia CEO)
  • A/Prof Richard Loh (Clinical immunology/allergy specialist)
  • Dr Michael O’Sullivan (Clinical immunology/allergy specialist)
  • Prof Dianne Campbell (Clinical immunology/allergy specialist)
  • Dr Merryn Netting (Dietitian)
  • Prof Katie Allen (Centre for Food & Allergy Research)
  • Ms Jody Aiken (Allergy &Anaphylaxis Australia)
  • Ms Jill Smith (Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy CEO)
  • Dr Alan Leeb (Royal Australian College of General Practitioners)
  • Bernice Boland (Maternal Child and Family Health Nurse Association)
  • Dr Peter Goss (Australian Paediatric Society and Royal Australasian College of Physicians)
  • Jemma Weidinger (Nurse practitioner - dermatology)
  • Deryn Thompson (Nurse - dermatology)
  • Emma King (Nurse practitioner – dermatology)
  • NAC staff - Sandra Vale, Rikki Dunstall

Content updated June 2024