About us

ANGMA is a leading organisation for neurogastroentology in Australia, New Zealand and the Asia Pacific region

 

The Australasian Neurogastroenterology and Motility Association Inc – ANGMA – is an organisation for scientists and clinicians with a professional interest in the sub-speciality of gastroenterology that has recently become known as “neurogastroenterology”.

ANGMA members study a wide range of molecules, cells, tissues and mechanisms that influence the sensory, motor, secretory, vascular and immune functions of the gut in both health and disease.

ANGMA aims to facilitate, educate, represent and support scientific research and treatment of disturbances of neural function and motility of the gastrointestinal tract, in the broadest, evidence-based context.

ANGMA Committee

2024-2026

  • Prof Christine Feinle-Bisset

    Prof Christine Feinle-Bisset

    President

    University of Adelaide

    Bio: Prof Christine Feinle-Bisset is a nutritional scientist with an undergraduate degree from the University of Stuttgart-Hohenheim (Germany). Following a PhD at the University of Sheffield, UK, and a post-doc at the University of Zurich, Switzerland, she joined the University of Adelaide in 2000. She is an NHMRC-funded Senior Research Fellow. Her research is clinical and relates to the impact of nutrients on appetite, gastrointestinal motor and hormone function and perception, in health, obesity and functional dyspepsia. It has contributed significantly to current concepts of the role of gastrointestinal mechanisms in the regulation of energy intake in health and obesity, and symptom generation in functional dyspepsia.

    Website: https://researchers.adelaide.edu.au/profile/christine.feinle

    Twitter: https://twitter.com/FFeinle

  • Dr Marlene Hao

    Dr Marlene Hao

    President-Elect

    Department of Anatomy and Physiology, the University of Melbourne

    Bio: Marlene is a developmental neurobiologist, co-heading a research group at the University of Melbourne. Our lab is investigating the development and plasticity of neurons in the enteric nervous system, studying the plasticity of enteric neurons, enteric glia as a source of progenitor cells in the gut and the mechanisms controlling glial proliferation in the adult nervous system. In addition, we are examining the potential of stem cell therapy for treating diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

    Email: hao.m@unimelb.edu.au

    Website: https://tinyurl.com/STAMP-HAO-LAB2

    Twitter: https://twitter.com/StampHaoLab

  • Dr Jessica Biesiekierski

    Dr Jessica Biesiekierski

    Secretary

    Monash University

    Bio: Jess is a registered nutritionist and senior lecturer at Monash University, with an interest in how diet influences gastrointestinal function, particularly for disorders of gut-brain interactions such as irritable bowel syndrome and functional dyspepsia. Her research group aims to improve dietary management of gastrointestinal symptoms through mechanistic insights and clinical outcomes assessing gut-brain signalling and symptom processes.

    Email: jessica.biesiekierski@monash.edu

    Website: https://research.monash.edu/en/persons/jessica-biesiekierski

    Twitter: https://twitter.com/jrbiesiekierski

  • Dr Alyce Martin

    Dr Alyce Martin

    Treasurer

    Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, Flinders University

    Bio: Dr Alyce Martin is an ARC DECRA Fellow in the College of Medicine and Public Health, and Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute at Flinders University. Her research portfolio is centred around characterising the functional biology of hormone producing enteroendocrine cells in the gut, with a particular interest in serotonin producing enterochromaffin (EC) cells. She is using her specialist skills in gut endocrinology to examine how EC cells sense the unique environment of the gut, including dietary nutrients and bacteria, and how this impacts fundamental physiological processes such as gut function, metabolism, fat storage and gut-brain signalling.

    Email: alyce.martin@flinders.edu.au

    Website: www.amartingutlab.com

    Twitter: https://twitter.com/AMartinGutLab

  • A/Prof Rebecca Burgell

    A/Prof Rebecca Burgell

    General Committee

    Alfred Hospital, Melbourne.

    Monash University, Melbourne.

    Bio: Dr Burgell is a consultant gastroenterologist at Alfred Health and Monash University in Melbourne with an interest in functional gastrointestinal disorders, clinical nutrition, inflammatory bowel disease and pelvic floor dysfunction. Dr Burgell completed her Phd at Bart’s Health in London before returning to Melbourne where she is the Head of the Functional Gastrointestinal disorders service at Alfred Health and medical lead of the Home Enteral Nutrition Program.

    At present, her research interests include exploring novel models of care for patients with functional bowel disorders, non-invasive neuromodulation techniques, exploring the intraluminal environment in health and disease and the use of intestinal ultrasound in patients with functional bowel disorders.

  • Dr Charles Cock

    Dr Charles Cock

    General Committee

    Department of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Flinders Medical Centre, Adelaide.

    Bio: Charles is a gastroenterologist with an interest in swallowing disorders and gastrointestinal motility. He is the head of luminal gastroenterology at Flinders Medical Centre and is involved in research collaborations in upper gastrointestinal motility, including pharyngeal and oesophageal manometry and its interrelationship with symptoms and functions and also involved in endoscopy and cancer prevention programs. He sees his role as promoting, through education and other initiatives, neurogastroenterology among clinicians.

    Email: charles.cock@flinders.edu.au

  • Dr May Wong

    Dr May Wong

    General Committee

    Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney

    Bio: Dr Wong is a gastroenterologist working at the Neurogastroenterology Unit as a staff specialist at Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney. She is an Academic Senior Lecturer for the University of Sydney. She performs and interprets oesophageal and pH monitoring. She is interested in oesophageal sensitivity and has subspecialty expertise in motility and functional gastrointestinal conditions.

    Email: may.y.wong@sydney.edu.au

    Website: https://www.drmaywong.com

  • Dr Santosh Sanagapalli

    Dr Santosh Sanagapalli

    General Committee

    St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney; University of New South Wales

    Bio: Dr Santosh Sanagapalli is a gastroenterologist and specialist in swallowing disorders. He undertook a clinical research fellowship in gastrointestinal physiology at University College London and completed his PhD at the University of Sydney. He established the Centre for Swallowing & Oesophageal Disorders at St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney where he runs an active clinical research program. His research is primarily focused on advancing the methodology and utility of the technology used to investigate swallowing disorders and reflux, including high-resolution manometry, endoscopy and barium oesophagography.

    Website: https://www.unsw.edu.au/staff/santosh-sanagapalli

  • Dr Peter Wu

    Dr Peter Wu

    General Committee

    University of NSW

    Bio:

    Email:

    Website:

    Twitter:

Previous ANGMA Committee members

2021-2023

  • Prof Christine Feinle-Bisset

    Prof Christine Feinle-Bisset

    President

    University of Adelaide

  • Dr Luke Grundy

    Dr Luke Grundy

    Treasurer

    College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide.

    Hopwood centre for Neurobiology, SAHMRI, Adelaide.

  • Dr Marlene Hao

    Dr Marlene Hao

    Secretary

    Department of Anatomy and Physiology, the University of Melbourne

  • Dr Simona Carbone

    Dr Simona Carbone

    President Elect

    Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences (MIPS), Melbourne.

  • A/Prof Rebecca Burgell

    A/Prof Rebecca Burgell

    General Committee

    Alfred Hospital, Melbourne.

    Monash University, Melbourne.

  • A/Prof Sebastian King

    A/Prof Sebastian King

    General Committee

    Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne

  • Dr Charles Cock

    Dr Charles Cock

    General Committee

    Department of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Flinders Medical Centre, Adelaide.

  • Dr Lincon Stamp

    Dr Lincon Stamp

    Department of Anatomy and Physiology, the University of Melbourne

  • Dr May Wong

    Dr May Wong

    General Committee

    Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney

  • Dr Santosh Sanagapalli

    Dr Santosh Sanagapalli

    General Committee

    St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney; University of New South Wales