Council of
Clinical Advisors

Providing expert guidance, feedback and advocacy to the PiCSA Board and its members.

The Council was put together to

provide expert guidance, feedback and advocacy to the PiCSA Board and its members regarding the development and publishing of profession related clinical guidelines, position statements and any other governance documentation the PiCSA Board aims to publish for the purposes of furthering the Cardiac Physiology profession in Australia.

Council Members are invited Cardiac Physiologists who are peer endorsed and recognised experts in the field of Cardiac Physiology. They have contributed to the development and expansion of the Profession either through education or advocacy activities over the course of their career (either past or present). Council members may or may not be members of PiCSA.

The members of the Council of Clinical Advisors are:

Jason Riley

Jason commenced his initial training in Cardiac Physiology at the Prince Charles Hospital, Brisbane in 1995 and gravitated quickly into the fascinating world of Cardiac Electrophysiology and Pacing. In 1999 he moved to London and spent 3 exciting years as the Senior Technician in Pacing/EP at St Bartholomew’s Hospital, London. Since returning to Brisbane in 2001 Jason has set up 2 companies, Epicentre Medical and CEPIA.

Epicentre Medical is a team of highly skilled cardiac physiologists specialising in electrophysiology and implantable devices. Epicentre Medical provides professional scientific services to hospitals, private cardiology practices and medical device companies in areas such as 2D and 3D mapping and ablation procedures, bradycardia / tachycardia / resynchronisation interventions and follow up, and the management of cardiac device clinics, both in-clinic and remote services.

CEPIA (Cardiac Electrophysiology Institute of Australasia) is an independent government accredited training organisation providing education to medical professionals in the field of cardiac electrophysiology. CEPIA also runs the Australasian Cardiac Devices Conference (ACDC), whose aim is to advance and improve the clinical standards and practice in the field of cardiac devices.

CEPIA also publishes an iTunes app called “PPM Genius – Pacemaker & ICD Companion”, the ultimate device implantation and follow up assistant, developed to assist medical professionals involved in the care of patients with implantable cardiac devices.

Jason is passionate about cardiac electrophysiology and devices, training, education and the improvements in clinical and professional standards.

Tony Forshaw

Tony is the course coordinator for the Graduate Diploma in Cardiac Ultrasound at QUT. Through this role, he is a strong advocate for improved standards in sonography and provides education and training to sonographers throughout Australia and New Zealand.

Tony continues to maintain a clinical role working in private practice at Hearts 1st in Brisbane and is the founder of the Echo Guru educational website. Tony is the current president of the Australasian Sonographers Association.

Sharon Kay

Asc. Professor Sharon Kay is a Cardiac Physiologist, an Assoc. Professor and Program Lead of the BSc/Grd Dip of Cardiac Physiology and Echocardiography at CQU.

She is also a senior lecturer in Echocardiography at University of Sydney Medical Faculty – Northern Clinical School.  Sharon’s main interest and research are cardiotoxicity, athletes and structural heart, she performs this at Charles Perkins Centre and the Kolling institute.

Sharon is the founder of Structural Heart Disease Australia and resides on their board, she coordinates 2 symposiums a year which are streamed nationally and internationally for this association.

Sharon’s clinical employment consists of Australia’s first dedicated CardiOncology clinic catering to the North Shore of Sydney, Royal North Shore Hospital ICU College accredited echo physicians training program (which she wrote and now implements) and various outpatient clinics. She is a national and international invited speaker and regularly designs and implements workshops at these conferences in Echocardiography from novice to advanced techniques.

She qualified in Cardiac Sciences in 1998 from University of Sydney and QUT.

Malcolm Dennis

Malcolm has been a Critical Care Nurse since 1984. He has been involved as an educator for 35 years in hospitals, universities and seminars. Malcolm is currently a Senior Field Technical Expert in Cardiac Rhythm Management with Abbott. He holds a US patent for the first device-based treatment of ventricular tachycardia storm and has developed new techniques in Cardiac Resynchronisation Therapy.

Malcolm has written 5 book chapters covering topics of resuscitation, cardiac arrhythmias and cardiac devices and Malcolm has published original contributions on arrhythmia mechanisms and pacing arrhythmias.

Professional Standards Committee

Bianca Coelho

Bianca is the Chief Cardiac Physiologist at MQHealth Cardiology at Macquarie University. She has graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology and a Graduate Diploma in Cardiac Ultrasound from the Australasian Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine. Bianca has trained at the Royal Hobart Hospital in Tasmania where she worked with cardiac devices as well as in cardiac ultrasound.

In addition to her role at Macquarie University, she is a casual academic in Clinical Echocardiography at Central Queensland University. Education and training have been an area of interest for Bianca, she spends her time getting involved in organising education sessions for trainee cardiac physiologists and cardiac registrars at Macquarie University and has also been a guest writer, reviewing the content discussed at cardiac conferences in Melbourne and Sydney.

Mitchell Cowan

Mitchell is the Senior Cardiac Physiologist at Royal North Shore Hospital. He originally graduated with a Bachelor of Exercise Science and Rehabilitation. He performed his Cardiac Physiology training at Royal North Shore Hospital and has completed a Graduate Diploma in Cardiac Electrophysiology with CEPIA and IBHRE certification for Cardiac Devices whilst training at RNSH.

Mitch’s area of interest is in Cardiac Devices and Electrophysiology and is currently training in 3D mapping for EPS and performing IBHRE Electrophysiology certification. Mitch is passionate about educating newer staff and increasing the professional standards of existing Cardiac Physiologists through the development of educational programs and competency assessments for EPS, ECG’s, cardiac devices and supporting research programs.

Sanja Carrick

Sanja is a Senior Cardiac Physiologist at the Princess Alexandra Hospital (PAH) in Brisbane. With a Bachelor of Biomedical Science and a Masters in Clinical Physiology from Griffith University, Sanja started her career in Cardiac Diagnostics in 1999. Sanja has achieved certifications in both Electrophysiology and Cardiac Devices by the International Board of Heart Rhythm Examiners (IBHRE).

Since 2012 Sanja has also been a sessional lecturer at Griffith University for the Diploma in Cardiac Physiology. Education and training have long been an area of interest for Sanja, through her contributions to training, mentoring and education.

More about our organisation

Our Board of Directors

Overseeing key portfolios of business as well as several invaluable subcommittees.

PiCSA's Affiliate Partners

Actively engaging in partnerships to fulfill goals of national education and support of the profession.

Clinical Practice Guidelines

PiCSA's Clinical Practice Guidelines on various forms of testing in the field of Cardiac Physiology.