top of page
Our Team
Dr. Sav Zwickl
They/Them
MSexol PhD
Researcher
Sav has a Masters degree in Sexology and a PhD in Gender, Sexuality and Diversity Studies. They are one of the lead investigators of TRANSform; an Australian Longitudinal Gender Health Study. Passionate about supporting and connecting trans researchers, Sav is the convener of the Emerging Trans Researchers Conference. Sav is also an engaging communicator, speaking with media to share their research and also delivering gender education.
A/Prof Ada Cheung
She/Her
MBBS(Hons) FRACP PhD DipBus(Gov)
Lead, Trans Health Research
Ada is an Endocrinologist at Austin Health and a NHMRC & Dame Kate Campbell Research Fellow at The University of Melbourne. Driven by community need and working with the trans community, she established the Trans Health Research group and is an unwavering ally. She has won a number of national and international awards for research excellence and outstanding community leadership, and is committed to training MD and PhD students and trans researchers.
Tomi Ruggles
She/They
BSN Nursing(Hons), MA Social Work
Researcher
Tomi is a Registered Nurse and proud queer Australian, with an MA in Social Work. Tomi is passionate about supporting the trans community and wishes to address social inequity through advocacy and research. Tomi has worked with marginalised populations, elderly Australians, and Australians who live with a disability for over a decade.
Dr. Alex Wong
He/Him
B-BMED, MD
Researcher
Alex wears multiple hats as a Medical Doctor, researcher, speaker, and a proud LGBT+ community member. He is passionate about improving trans health and engaging with community. Alex is one of the lead investigators of TRANSform; an Australian Longitudinal Gender Health Study. Originally from Singapore, he has chosen Melbourne to be his home.
Dr. Lachlan Angus
He/Him
MBBS FRACP
PhD Candidate and Endocrinologist
Dr. Lachlan Angus is an endocrinologist and PhD candidate at the University of Melbourne. Lachie moved from Adelaide to Melbourne in 2020 to work with the Trans Health Research team. He is currently running a clinical trial investigating the effects of anti-androgen medications on feminisation in people starting hormone therapy. He also works at Austin Health, Northern Health, and in private practice.
Dr. Ingrid Bretherton
She/Her
MBBS FRACP PhD
Researcher and Endocrinologist
Ingrid is an endocrinologist and recently obtained her PhD studying the impact of gender-affirming hormone therapy on bone microarchitecture. Joining Trans Health Research group in 2017, she has been instrumental in growing research in trans health. Ingrid is also a clinician at Austin Gender Clinic, Western Health and in private practice. She is passionate about health professional education in trans health, publishing additional research in this area.
Dr. Brendan Nolan
He/Him
MBBS FRACP
Researcher and Endocrinologist
Brendan is an endocrinologist and PhD student and is originally from Brisbane. Always full of research ideas to better the health of the community, he is working on several projects to understand the safety of gender-affirming hormone therapy.
Dr. Julian Grace
They/Them
BHSc/BAppSc (Osteopathy)
Researcher
Julian is a non-binary researcher, allied health clinician, advocate, and educator with a wealth of experience across the national trans health sector. They're passionate about uplifting health workers with trans lived experience, and building the evidence base for de-pathologised approaches to gender-affirming care across disciplines.
Kylie King
She/Her
RN
Research Nurse
Kylie is a study coordinator for our clinical research studies and exudes warmth towards everyone she meets. She manages most clinical research visits at Austin Health and is passionate about improving trans health and wellbeing.
Clare Headland
She/Her
B App Sc (Chiropractic)
Speaker and Educator
Clare is a trans woman, passionate speaker, and suicide prevention activist. Clare was a past employee at Austin Health where she transitioned, and was an International Woman's Day awardee. She is now dedicating her efforts to advocate for acceptance and understanding of trans people.
Dr. Toan Tang
He/Him
BMedSci, MD, MPHTM
PhD Candidate and Doctor
Toan is a doctor and a PhD candidate at the University of Melbourne. His work focuses on the effect of gender-affirming hormone therapy on scalp hair with the goal of minimising androgenic alopecia.
Dr. Shalem Leemaqz
He/Him
MAppStats
Statistician
Shalem is our dedicated statistician, based at Flinders University, South Australia.
bottom of page