About
About
About ANZVASC
The Australian and New Zealand Vasculitis Society (ANZVASC) is a collaborative organisation of physicians, scientists, and communities that focuses on research, education, and clinical practices in vasculitis.
ANZVASC aims to:
- Advance research into the causes, management, and effective treatment of vasculitis.
- Establish and oversee a clinical care registry.
- Organise a network of clinical centres that are interested in taking part in research.
- Promote excellent clinical care for vasculitis patients.
- Support consumer and patient groups of vasculitis in Australia and New Zealand.
- Foster and encourage training in both clinical care and research in vasculitis.
- Coordinate meetings, seminars, and lectures in vasculitis.
- Liaise and cooperate with national and international vasculitis organisations.
- Increase public awareness of vasculitis.
- Advocate for the best care for vasculitis patients.
About the Board
Prof Richard Kitching
Chairman (MBChB) (Distinction) FRACP, PhD. FAHMS
His research is focussed on autoimmune kidney disease – particularly vasculitis as the kidney is a critical target, from basic mechanisms of loss of tolerance to how the immune system injures tissues, with a view to using more targeted therapies for vasculitis.
In addition to his role in ANZVASC, he is Co-Chair of the ANZ Society of Nephrology Research Advisory Committee and Co-Chair of the Monash Partners Infection and Immunity Theme. His research is funded largely by the National Health and Medical Research Council.
He has published over 150 peer reviewed articles, many in vasculitis, including papers in Nature, Nature Medicine, Nature Communications, The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, The Journal of Experimental Medicine, Blood, Kidney International, The Journal of the American Society of Nephrology and Arthritis and Rheumatology.
Prof Catherine Hill
Deputy Chair and Director (MBBS, MSc, MD) FRACP
Professor Catherine Hill is a clinical rheumatologist and epidemiologist with clinical training in Adelaide and postgraduate epidemiological and biostatistics training at Boston University. She works as a clinical rheumatologist at The Queen Elizabeth and Royal Adelaide Hospitals and Clinical Professor at University of Adelaide.
She leads the Rheumatology Research Group at the Basil Hetzel Institute with research expertise in population epidemiology, randomised clinical trials, qualitative research, biobanking and quality improvement.
She founded the SA Giant Cell Arteritis Registry in 2009; and has active research interests in large vessel vasculitis and polymyalgia rheumatica; as well as being involved in development of patient reported outcomes in GCA and glucocorticoid impact. She co-chairs the OMERACT Glucocorticoid Impact SIG and Polymyalgia Rheumatica SIG, as well as membership of the OMERACT Technical Advisory Group.
She has been a member of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (2017-2023) and Chair of the South Australian Medicines Evaluation Panel (2011-2023).
Associate Professor Chen Au Peh
Director MBBS FRACP PhD
Chen Au Peh is a Renal Physician at the Royal Adelaide Hospital. He has had a long-standing commitment to improve the care of patients with ANCA-Associated Vasculitis. For many years, he has worked closely with international colleagues to conduct clinical trials for patients with vasculitis such as the RITUXVAS trial and the PEXIVAS trial. Evidence from these clinical trials has given rise to new therapeutic options for our patients.
Rob Edwards
Director (B. Pharm)
Rob currently works in Health Regulation as a regulatory advisor.
He previously worked as a community pharmacist and has interests in patient education, medication management and the role of emerging therapies.
His past roles include working for the Victorian Department of Health and the Victorian Pharmacy Authority.
Dr Daman Langguth
Treasurer (MBChB) FRACP, FRCPA.
Dr Daman Langguth is Director of Immunology at Sullivan Nicolaides Pathology and Clinical Immunologist at the Wesley Hospital.
His clinical interests are in Vasculitis, Myositis, IgG4 disease, and autoimmune blistering skin diseases as well as other complex autoimmune disease.
His laboratory interests are in neuro-immunology, sIGE development for Australian seafood and in therapeutic drug monitoring of auto-immune disease.
Dr Langguth’ s research interests are in identification of novel auto-antibodies in a variety of diseases, flow cytometric assessment of NETosis and immune function in ECMO, and in IF imaging analysis.
Dr Langguth is the chair of BPPQ of RCPA and was chair of recent MBS immunopathology review.
Dr. Tony Sammel
Director
Dr Tony Sammel is a Sydney based rheumatologist with clinical and research interests in vasculitis. He completed rheumatology advanced training in 2017 and undertook a clinical fellowship in vascular medicine at St Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney, then a clinical observership with the vasculitis service at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, USA. His PhD thesis focused on the clinical utility of PET/CT scan and serological biomarkers in giant cell arteritis.
He a staff specialist at Prince of Wales Hospital in Randwick, Sydney and coordinates
the rheumatology vasculitis service, including multidisciplinary clinical and academic work. In addition to his staff specialist appointment at Prince of Wales Hospital, Dr Sammel has appointments at the Sydney Eye Hospital and Royal North Shore Hospitals, and a research
affiliation with the University of New South Wales.
Dr Jessica Ryan
Director (MBBS, PhD) FRACP
Dr Jessica Ryan is a nephrologist and works in the busy Department of Nephrology at Monash Medical Centre, Clayton Victoria and is a senior lecturer at Monash University. Jessica completed a medical degree at Monash University and then a PhD that focused on the role of Spleen Tyrosine Kinase in autoimmune kidney disease.
She is involved in several nephrology inpatient and outpatient services including glomerulonephritis, renal genetics, and the Monash Renal Transplant service.
Jessica is also one of the clinicians who attends the Monash Vasculitis Clinic, which is a multidisciplinary clinic dedicated to the care of patients with vasculitis.