Board Members
The board members of ausEE Inc.'s Management Committee are:
Sarah Gray OAM
Founder, CEO and Board Member
- Sarah has two daughters, one of which (Bella), lives with eosinophilic oesophagitis (EoE) and was the catalyst for her forming the non-profit organisation in November 2009. Working in a volunteer capacity for 12 years, until 2022, Sarah was the President until being appointed as part time CEO from 2022. Her goal is to make sure that anyone who lives with an eosinophilic gastrointestinal disease can turn to ausEE for support and to help raise awareness for eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases in Australia. For every new member that joins ausEE, Sarah's passion and commitment to the organisation strengthens. She strives to improve the quality of life for all people living with eosinophilic diseases. In January 2023, Sarah was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM), for her service to community health. Sarah is a member of the Institute of Community Directors Australia.
Dr Mercedez Hinchcliff
President
Mercedez Hinchcliff is the Deputy Dean (Education) at the University of Wollongong and President of ausEE Inc. She is a nationally recognised leader in advancing awareness, education, and advocacy for people living with Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Diseases (EGIDs). Mercedez’s involvement with ausEE began through her son Henry’s diagnosis of Eosinophilic Oesophagitis (EoE), an experience that continues to fuel her commitment to improving the lives of those affected by EGIDs. In her leadership role with ausEE, Mercedez drives initiatives that amplify patient voices, strengthen community connections, and influence systemic change across health and education sectors. Her recent research focuses on quality of life outcomes for tube fed individuals, ensuring their lived experiences inform policy, clinical practice, and community-based support. By bridging academic research with real world impact, Mercedez champions evidence informed approaches that advance equity, inclusion, and wellbeing for vulnerable populations.
Medical Advisory Board
Medical information we provide has been contributed by or reviewed by our volunteer Medical Advisory Board. We thank them for their valuable contributions and continued support.
Professor Nicholas J. Talley
AC, MD (NSW), PhD (Syd.), FRACP, FAFPHM, FAHMS, Neurogastroenterologist
Distinguished Laureate Professor Nicholas (Nick) Joseph Talley, is a distinguished neurogastroenterologist, clinician and educator with a research interest in disorders of gut-brain interactions, intestinal inflammation including eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders, and the intestinal mucosa-associated microbiome.
Nick is currently Head, Discipline of Medicine at the University of Newcastle, an NHMRC Leadership Fellow, and Chief Investigator of the NHMRC Centre for Research Excellence in Transforming Gut Health in Newcastle. He is past Emeritus Editor-in-Chief of the Medical Journal of Australia, and a past Editor of the American Journal of Gastroenterology and Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics.
He has over 1000 peer-review publications, is highly cited (>150,000 cites, H-index 202, Google Scholar) and is considered an international authority in the field. Awards include a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) for his contributions to medicine, NSW Scientist of the Year, and the Peter Wills Medal from Research Australia. Nick was previously Chair of the Department of Internal Medicine at Mayo Clinic Florida, and Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology. He is currently an Adjunct Professor at the University of North Carolina, and was a Foreign Guest Professor at the Karolinska Institute for 6 years. His undergraduate textbook Clinical Examination (now 9th edition) won 1st place in the British Medical Association Book Awards in 2018.
Nick is currently Head, Discipline of Medicine at the University of Newcastle, an NHMRC Leadership Fellow, and Chief Investigator of the NHMRC Centre for Research Excellence in Transforming Gut Health in Newcastle. He is past Emeritus Editor-in-Chief of the Medical Journal of Australia, and a past Editor of the American Journal of Gastroenterology and Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics.
He has over 1000 peer-review publications, is highly cited (>150,000 cites, H-index 202, Google Scholar) and is considered an international authority in the field. Awards include a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) for his contributions to medicine, NSW Scientist of the Year, and the Peter Wills Medal from Research Australia. Nick was previously Chair of the Department of Internal Medicine at Mayo Clinic Florida, and Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology. He is currently an Adjunct Professor at the University of North Carolina, and was a Foreign Guest Professor at the Karolinska Institute for 6 years. His undergraduate textbook Clinical Examination (now 9th edition) won 1st place in the British Medical Association Book Awards in 2018.
Professor Pete Smith
MBBS, BMedSci, FRACP PhD, Allergist and Immunologist
Professor Pete Smith is a leading allergist and immunologist in Australia. Pete commenced his medical studies at the University of Tasmania and went on to specialise in paediatrics in Adelaide, before completing his PhD in molecular immunology with Flinders University.
He has worked as an allergy specialist at the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children in London, and was a senior lecturer at the Institute of Child Health, University College London.
In 2002, Pete set up Queensland Allergy Services in Southport, on the Gold Coast. Here he provides patients the highest level of quality medical care in the diagnosis and treatment of allergies.
Pete is a Professor in Clinical Medicine at Griffith University and Bond University. He conducts research studies into the molecular aspects of pain in allergic conditions, eosinophilic oesophagitis, genetic profiling in rhinitis and is part of an international study that is attempting to treat peanut allergy.
Prof Smith is also doing work on NeuroImmunology and Genomic mucosal Immunology. He is Faculty for GA2LEN for Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis and Food Allergy and Immuno-nutrition working parties for the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI), working with international leaders in food allergy to define position papers and guidelines in food allergy. He is also on the advisory board for the UK Allergy Centre of Excellence (ACE).
He has worked as an allergy specialist at the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children in London, and was a senior lecturer at the Institute of Child Health, University College London.
In 2002, Pete set up Queensland Allergy Services in Southport, on the Gold Coast. Here he provides patients the highest level of quality medical care in the diagnosis and treatment of allergies.
Pete is a Professor in Clinical Medicine at Griffith University and Bond University. He conducts research studies into the molecular aspects of pain in allergic conditions, eosinophilic oesophagitis, genetic profiling in rhinitis and is part of an international study that is attempting to treat peanut allergy.
Prof Smith is also doing work on NeuroImmunology and Genomic mucosal Immunology. He is Faculty for GA2LEN for Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis and Food Allergy and Immuno-nutrition working parties for the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI), working with international leaders in food allergy to define position papers and guidelines in food allergy. He is also on the advisory board for the UK Allergy Centre of Excellence (ACE).
Associate Professor Hamish Philpott
MBBS, MRCP, FRACP, AGAF, PhD, Consultant Gastroenterologist
Associate Professor Hamish Philpott has a passion for the clinical care of patients with eosinophilic oesophagitis (EoE), and is also a productive clinical researcher in the field, with almost 15 years of dedication to this task.
Hamish has conducted the principal clinical trials of first line investigations and treatments for EoE in Australia, and has been successful in recruiting more than 50% of all Australian patients to pharma sponsored trials.
Hamish has led research documenting the prevalence of EoE across Australasia, was an early adopter of trans nasal endoscopy and recently Endoflip, and continues to collaborate with international research efforts and on expert panels, leading to publications in high impact journals such as Gastroenterology and The Lancet Gastroenterology and Hepatology in 2025.
Currently, Hamish is completing a large randomised multicentre study comparing topical corticosteroids to PPI in treatment naive patients with EoE, and is considering dose optimisation of EoE pharmacotherapy, as well as leading the development of the GESA (Gastroenterological Society of Australia) guidelines for the management of EoE.
Hamish has conducted the principal clinical trials of first line investigations and treatments for EoE in Australia, and has been successful in recruiting more than 50% of all Australian patients to pharma sponsored trials.
Hamish has led research documenting the prevalence of EoE across Australasia, was an early adopter of trans nasal endoscopy and recently Endoflip, and continues to collaborate with international research efforts and on expert panels, leading to publications in high impact journals such as Gastroenterology and The Lancet Gastroenterology and Hepatology in 2025.
Currently, Hamish is completing a large randomised multicentre study comparing topical corticosteroids to PPI in treatment naive patients with EoE, and is considering dose optimisation of EoE pharmacotherapy, as well as leading the development of the GESA (Gastroenterological Society of Australia) guidelines for the management of EoE.
Associate Professor Ajay Sharma
MBBS, MD, FRACP, Consultant Paediatric Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist
Associate Professor Ajay Sharma is a Consultant in Paediatric Gastroenterology and Hepatologist practising in various locations in Perth, including Fiona Stanley Hospital, Perth Paediatrics, SJOG group of Hospitals and Joondalup Health Campus.
After finishing paediatric specialist training in Melbourne, Ajay trained in Paediatric gastroenterology and hepatology from Perth, and the Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Canada.
Ajay served as CHAIR of the Gastroenterology Society of Australia (GESA) - Paediatric Network for 3 years from Oct 2020-till Sep 2023. He has been a faculty executive member of Paediatric Network of GESA till date.
He is also a member of the North American Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (NASPGHAN) since 2013 and holds an appointment as an Adjunct Associate Professor at Curtin University/Medical School, Perth.
Ajay has published scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals and has an active interest in Paediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Eosinophilic oesophagitis (EoE), Coeliac disease, and Functional GI disorders. He also has been Principal investigator in Phase 2 and 3 clinical trials in Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Eosinophilic Esophagitis in Paediatrics.
After finishing paediatric specialist training in Melbourne, Ajay trained in Paediatric gastroenterology and hepatology from Perth, and the Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Canada.
Ajay served as CHAIR of the Gastroenterology Society of Australia (GESA) - Paediatric Network for 3 years from Oct 2020-till Sep 2023. He has been a faculty executive member of Paediatric Network of GESA till date.
He is also a member of the North American Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (NASPGHAN) since 2013 and holds an appointment as an Adjunct Associate Professor at Curtin University/Medical School, Perth.
Ajay has published scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals and has an active interest in Paediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Eosinophilic oesophagitis (EoE), Coeliac disease, and Functional GI disorders. He also has been Principal investigator in Phase 2 and 3 clinical trials in Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Eosinophilic Esophagitis in Paediatrics.
Dr Looi Ee
MBBS, PhD, FRACP, AGAF, FGESA, Paediatric Gastroenterologist
Dr Ee trained in Gastroenterology in Perth, Australia and Cincinnati, USA, and completed her PhD in Brisbane. She is a Fellow of the American Gastroenterology Association and an inaugural Fellow of the Gastroenterological Society of Australia (GESA). She is a member of the Conjoint Committee for Recognition of Training in Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and the Paediatric Gastroenterology Faculty of GESA.
Dr Ee has been involved in the management of children with eosinophilic gastrointestinal disease for many years and is one of the Gastroenterologists in the Eosinophilic Disorders Service at Queensland Children’s Hospital. She is also the Medical Lead for the Intestinal Rehabilitation and Parenteral Nutrition Service, Paediatric Endoscopy Service, and Gastroenterology Lead in Aerodigestive service for Children’s Health Queensland based at Queensland Children’s Hospital.
Dr Ee has been involved in the management of children with eosinophilic gastrointestinal disease for many years and is one of the Gastroenterologists in the Eosinophilic Disorders Service at Queensland Children’s Hospital. She is also the Medical Lead for the Intestinal Rehabilitation and Parenteral Nutrition Service, Paediatric Endoscopy Service, and Gastroenterology Lead in Aerodigestive service for Children’s Health Queensland based at Queensland Children’s Hospital.
Dr Jeremy Rosenbaum
MBBS (Hons) FRACP, Consultant Paediatric Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist
Dr Jeremy Rosenbaum is a consultant Paediatric Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist working at The Royal Children’s Hospital and in private practice. He is clinical lead of endoscopy services at The Royal Children’s Hospital and an honorary research fellow at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute.
He graduated from Monash University in Melbourne with Honours (MBBS, Hons) and then trained in paediatric gastroenterology and hepatology at The Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne. His additional postgraduate training includes a Clinical Academic Fellowship in Paediatric Inflammatory Bowel Diseases at The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada.
Jeremy is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (FRACP) and is an RACP college supervisor for advanced trainees. He is a current member of the Gastroenterological Society of Australia (GESA).
In addition to his clinical roles, Jeremy is also a committee member on the Victorian Medical Council for Safer Care Victoria, the Paediatric Faculty Committee of GESA, the Private Practice Network of GESA and the Australia and New Zealand Gastroenterology International Training Association (ANZGITA).
He graduated from Monash University in Melbourne with Honours (MBBS, Hons) and then trained in paediatric gastroenterology and hepatology at The Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne. His additional postgraduate training includes a Clinical Academic Fellowship in Paediatric Inflammatory Bowel Diseases at The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada.
Jeremy is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (FRACP) and is an RACP college supervisor for advanced trainees. He is a current member of the Gastroenterological Society of Australia (GESA).
In addition to his clinical roles, Jeremy is also a committee member on the Victorian Medical Council for Safer Care Victoria, the Paediatric Faculty Committee of GESA, the Private Practice Network of GESA and the Australia and New Zealand Gastroenterology International Training Association (ANZGITA).
Wendy Birks
Specialist Dietitian – Allergy and Feeding Difficulties
Wendy Birks is a highly experienced clinical dietitian with over 40 years’ expertise in paediatric and adult nutrition, across hospital and community settings. For the past 18 years, she has worked at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead (2007–2025), where she has been a key member of the Department of Allergy and Immunology as the Allergy Dietitian. Wendy has also spent a decade as the dietitian for the Feeding Clinic team and has also worked with children with disabilities.
As a respected educator in the field, Wendy has also been actively involved in training and mentoring other dietitians in food allergy, helping to build workforce capacity and improve care for children with allergic conditions. She is currently a committee member of ASCIA dietitian’s group, contributing to professional development in allergy nutrition.
In addition to her hospital work, Wendy works in private practise at two Sydney clinics alongside Consultant Paediatric Allergists and Immunologists from The Children’s Hospital at Westmead.
Wendy has played an integral role in supporting families navigating the complex dietary management of Eosinophilic Oesophagitis (EoE) and other Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disorders (EGIDs). With decades of firsthand experience, she has witnessed the evolution of dietary therapies and remains committed to a multidisciplinary approach that empowers families and ensures they feel supported throughout their child’s treatment journey.
Wendy has a passion for helping children and families navigate food allergies and feeding challenges. She is committed to a team-based approach and believes in making mealtimes positive, practical, and nourishing. Her extensive knowledge of food preparation, cooking, and meal planning is a vital part of her support to families.
As a respected educator in the field, Wendy has also been actively involved in training and mentoring other dietitians in food allergy, helping to build workforce capacity and improve care for children with allergic conditions. She is currently a committee member of ASCIA dietitian’s group, contributing to professional development in allergy nutrition.
In addition to her hospital work, Wendy works in private practise at two Sydney clinics alongside Consultant Paediatric Allergists and Immunologists from The Children’s Hospital at Westmead.
Wendy has played an integral role in supporting families navigating the complex dietary management of Eosinophilic Oesophagitis (EoE) and other Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disorders (EGIDs). With decades of firsthand experience, she has witnessed the evolution of dietary therapies and remains committed to a multidisciplinary approach that empowers families and ensures they feel supported throughout their child’s treatment journey.
Wendy has a passion for helping children and families navigate food allergies and feeding challenges. She is committed to a team-based approach and believes in making mealtimes positive, practical, and nourishing. Her extensive knowledge of food preparation, cooking, and meal planning is a vital part of her support to families.
Professor Evan S. Dellon
International Medical Advisory Board Member
MD, MPH, Professor of Medicine, Adjunct Professor of Epidemiology
Professor Evan S. Dellon, MD, MPH, is a Professor of Medicine and Adjunct Professor of Epidemiology at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine in Chapel Hill. Dr Dellon received his undergraduate degree from Brown University and his medical degree from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. He completed internship and residency in Internal Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. He performed a clinical and a research fellowship in Adult Gastroenterology at UNC, during which he also received a Masters of Public Health degree in Epidemiology from the UNC School of Public Health.
Dr Dellon joined the UNC faculty and the Center for Esophageal Diseases and Swallowing (CEDAS) in 2008, where his main clinical focus is on disorders of swallowing, and in particular eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). He became Director of CEDAS in 2014, and has served as an Associate Editor for Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology from 2017-2022, and remains on the editorial board of that journal.
Dr Dellon’s research interest is in the epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) and the eosinophilic GI diseases (EGIDs). The goal of his research is to improve the lives of patients with EoE and EGIDs by learning how to better diagnose, treat, and monitor the condition.
A multidisciplinary team of experts, including Professor Dellon, have created a clinically usable EoE severity scoring system named “I-SEE” and this work was published in Gastroenterology; ‘A Clinical Severity Index for Eosinophilic Esophagitis: Development, Consensus, and Future Directions’.
Dr Dellon is also the founder, with colleagues, of EGID Partners, a global patient registry and patient-powered research network.
Dr Dellon joined the UNC faculty and the Center for Esophageal Diseases and Swallowing (CEDAS) in 2008, where his main clinical focus is on disorders of swallowing, and in particular eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). He became Director of CEDAS in 2014, and has served as an Associate Editor for Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology from 2017-2022, and remains on the editorial board of that journal.
Dr Dellon’s research interest is in the epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) and the eosinophilic GI diseases (EGIDs). The goal of his research is to improve the lives of patients with EoE and EGIDs by learning how to better diagnose, treat, and monitor the condition.
A multidisciplinary team of experts, including Professor Dellon, have created a clinically usable EoE severity scoring system named “I-SEE” and this work was published in Gastroenterology; ‘A Clinical Severity Index for Eosinophilic Esophagitis: Development, Consensus, and Future Directions’.
Dr Dellon is also the founder, with colleagues, of EGID Partners, a global patient registry and patient-powered research network.
Charity Ambassador
Eddie Woo
2018 Australia's Local Hero, mathematics teacher for the NSW Department of Education and TV Host of Teenage Boss, Eddie Woo has become an Australian household name and we are delighted to have him as our Charity Ambassador.
Eddie Woo has been inspiring students across the globe through his YouTube channel, Wootube for nearly 10 years. In 2018, Eddie joined ausEE Inc., as our Charity Ambassador to help raise awareness for eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases (EGID), a cause close to his heart.
Eddie is a proud father with three children who all live with some form of allergic disease. This includes asthma, eczema and multiple immediate food allergies. One of them has an EGID, namely, eosinophilic oesophagitis (EoE). EoE is a rare allergic disease caused by eosinophils, a type of white blood cell, being found in above-normal amounts in the oesophagus which can cause inflammation and tissue damage. This has caused Eddie’s child to live with symptoms such as difficulty swallowing, vomiting, stomach pain and ‘failure to thrive’.
Eddie Woo has been inspiring students across the globe through his YouTube channel, Wootube for nearly 10 years. In 2018, Eddie joined ausEE Inc., as our Charity Ambassador to help raise awareness for eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases (EGID), a cause close to his heart.
Eddie is a proud father with three children who all live with some form of allergic disease. This includes asthma, eczema and multiple immediate food allergies. One of them has an EGID, namely, eosinophilic oesophagitis (EoE). EoE is a rare allergic disease caused by eosinophils, a type of white blood cell, being found in above-normal amounts in the oesophagus which can cause inflammation and tissue damage. This has caused Eddie’s child to live with symptoms such as difficulty swallowing, vomiting, stomach pain and ‘failure to thrive’.
“The difficulties are every day. Eating itself has become a really difficult experience, because eating was associated with an incredible amount of discomfort and pain just to squeeze food and drink down. In addition, there is a social aspect to food that is very difficult for others to understand. Since relationships are often formed through mealtimes, our children have had to struggle with having a complex and cautious relationship to even the simplest social gatherings.” - Eddie Woo, 2018
Eddie has been teaching for 16 years and in 2012 when a student of his had Pancreatic cancer, he felt the urge to help as much as possible and started to record all of his lessons and post them on YouTube. It was astounding to see the amount of views, and his Wootube channel now has more than 1.7 million subscribers and nearly 157 million views. These videos are helping people around the world not only understand maths but find joy in maths. For our ausEE members who have high schoolers, this extra assistance with maths has been invaluable for their students as many have experienced the impact living with a chronic illness can have on school work. On Mathspace you can find Eddie Woo’s maths videos mapped to the Australian and state-specific curricula.
Eddie Woo reads Meet Arabella
In this video you can watch Eddie Woo reading our book Meet Arabella. Made in support of National EOS Awareness Week 2021, it’s a special video to watch with your kids, friends and family to help explain eosinophilic oesophagitis to them. Your child might even like to share the video with their teacher and classmates.
