Wendy Brown (2025) 
Professor Wendy Brown graduated from Monash University with MBBS (hons) first in her class in 1992. She attained her PhD through the Monash University Department of Surgery at the Alfred in 2001 and completed her surgical training in 2002. Her sub-specialist interests are oesophago-gastric cancer, gastro-oesophageal reflux disease and bariatric surgery. Her research interests focus on the health benefits from weight loss, physiology of upper GI procedures, optimal service delivery models for bariatric surgery and registry science.
Professor Brown is the first woman appointed as Program Director of Surgical Services and Professor/Chair of Monash University Department of Surgery at Alfred Health Melbourne. Other appointments include Co-Deputy Head of School of Translational Medicine at Monash University, Clinical Director of the ANZ Bariatric Surgery Registry and Director of the Oesophago-Gastric and Bariatric Unit at Alfred Health.
She has had strong involvement more generally within her profession being the Chair of the Victorian Perioperative Consultative Council Surgical Sub-Committee, Past-President of Obesity Surgery Society of Australia and New Zealand (now ANZMOSS) and Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand Oesophago-Gastric Association, Past-Senior Examiner in General Surgery for the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, Past- Chair of the Scientific Committee and Global Registry of the International Federation for Surgery for Obesity.
Professor Brown has published over 180 peer review articles, and is currently ranked #5 globally for bariatric surgery research (ScholarGPS). She is the only woman awarded the prestigious Royal Australasian College of Surgeons John Mitchell Crouch Fellowship for Research Excellence (2018). She received the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Gold Certificate for Outstanding Service (2018), International Federation for Surgery for Obesity Appreciation award (2022) Presidents Award (2023) and Research Excellence Award (2024) for her contributions to bariatric surgery.
Tony Brancatisano (2025)
Tony is a Senior Bariatric Medical Practitioner, Research Scientist and Surgical Assistant in laparoscopic surgery and has been involved in the area of bariatric metabolic surgery for over 20 years. He is highly experienced in the management of obesity involving both medical and surgical treatments and has always worked within multidisciplinary obesity clinics. He has been able to combine his clinical and surgical expertise and has assisted in over 10,000 bariatric procedures. He graduated from University of Technology in 1981 in science (physiology) and a medical degree in 1994 at Sydney University. He attained his PhD in 1987 and competed his postdoctoral training at the Mayo Clinic. He has a strong research background and has published over 150 research articles in the medical literature, including peer reviewed book chapters, papers and abstracts. He has been involved in a number of clinical trials involving the pursuit of innovation in obesity care.
He is a founding member of the Obesity Management Specific Interest Group for the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, a full member of the Australian and New Zealand Metabolic and Obesity Surgical Society (ANZMOSS), a member of the International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders and a member of the National Association of Clinical Obesity Services. He served on the ANZMOSS executive board and organising committees between 2016 -2022. He is actively involved in the education of primary care physicians in the management of obesity and regularly participates and presents at local and international scientific conferences.
Above all, Tony is relentless in his pursuit of better outcomes for those living with the chronic disease of obesity and a passionate advocate for the best, evidence-based care. He continues to foster collaborative care through his unwavering support for his integrated health colleagues within the ANZMOSS community.
Ken Loi (2023) 
7/7/69 – 28/10/23
Ken was a generational surgeon who was exceptional in his craft and was well-loved by all patients. He was also a deeply cherished member of the bariatric community both locally and worldwide. The strong foundation of The St George Obesity Program is testament to his unwavering commitment in the pursuit of excellence and the quality of care to his patients. In addition to his strong clinical ethos, Ken was an avid teacher who devoted his life to continuous education and mentorship.
Ken’s surgical practice spanned more than ten thousand procedures covering primary and revisional bariatric operations along with management of benign and malignant upper gastro-intestinal diseases. His expertise in bariatric surgery was instrumental in setting up the first Australian Centre of Excellence in St George Private Hospital. He was also accredited the status of Master Surgeon in bariatric surgery based on his extensive scope of bariatric cases.
Beyond his surgical practice, he was a regular speaker at both international and national conferences and has published widely in high impact peer review journals relating to bariatric and hernia surgery. Ken devoted his life to being a strong advocate for bariatric surgery and was heavily involved with both the national and international bariatric organisations. During his time as honorary treasurer of ANZMOSS, he was a key member in helping set up the Bariatric Surgical Registry in Australia and assisting the government in developing the public Medicare funded bariatric service.
Being of Asian background, Ken maintained a strong commitment and passion in developing bariatric surgery within the Asian Pacific region. He had worked tirelessly within the IFSO-APC committee for more than a decade in helping set up and grow bariatric services within Asia. Prior to his passing, Ken was President Elect for IFSO-APC and was in line to become the next IFSO-APC President for 2023 until 2025.
His other major achievements included being the first Asian Chair for RACS-NSW (2019-2021) and has been an Executive Member of RACS (Royal Australasian College of Surgeons) for more than ten years. A substantial part of his role during his time within the college was devoted to advancing diversity within RACS and being part of the Surgical Sustainability Working Party in helping shape the next generation of surgeons. During COVID-19, he was also tasked with leading the college within New South Wales in responding to the management of the COVID crisis through the Community of Surgery Practice.
Beyond bariatric surgery, Ken also held a strong passion for hernia surgery and had played a key role in setting up ANZ Hernia Society. He had held the position of Executive Secretary and had been heavily involved with education and publication of Advanced Minimally Invasive Hernia Surgery. This included hosting the regularly held hernia society journal club while playing an integral role in helping set up the Pilot Hernia Surgery Registry.
We bid farewell to a remarkable surgeon and human being in Dr.Ken Loi. In memory of his passing, we celebrate all the brilliant work that he has done for the surgical community. May all of his efforts inspire our country’s surgeons for generations to come.
Harry Frydenberg
Harry Frydenberg AM, Surgeon, Director of the Epworth Centre of Bariatric Surgery in Melbourne, Australia, is a highly experienced Bariatric and General surgeon who has been involved in Bariatric (Obesity) Surgery in Australia for more than 40 years. He performs a wide spectrum of Bariatric Surgery, Gastric Banding, Gastric Bypass and Sleeve Gastrectomy.
He was involved in the early organisation of Bariatric Surgeons in Australia (OSSANZ/ANZMOSS) and is a Past President and Honorary Life Member of the organisation.
He is also involved in the International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders (IFSO), as a Past President and Past Secretary/Treasurer and is a Life Member of the organisation. He is also the Founding President of the IFSO-Asia Pacific Chapter.
Andrew Jamieson
Medical degree from University of Melbourne and Royal Melbourne Hospital Australia 1972. Fellowship of Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and Royal College of Surgeons of England 1980 in General Surgery. Bariatric surgery commenced in 1981 under the mentorship of Michael Long at Royal Melbourne Hospital. Continued public hospital practice in General and Bariatric Surgery at Box Hill Hospital from 1983 to 2005 and also private practice in Melbourne. Founding member of Obesity Surgery Society of Australia and New Zealand and later President (1993-1998). Founding Vice-President of IFSO (1995-2000) and President 2001. Executive Director of IFSO 2003-2006. Foundation Associate Editor of u0027Obesity Surgeryu0027 journal 1991- 2003. Honorary Member of the American Society for Bariatric Surgery 1997. Honorary Member Obesity Surgery Society of India 2003. Life Member Obesity Surgery Society of Australia and New Zealand 2008. Life member IFSO 2011. Retired from bariatric surgery 2005 and all surgery 2016.
Paul O’Brien
Professor Paul O’Brien is the Head of the Centre for Bariatric Surgery in Melbourne, one of the most active clinical centres in Australia. He is Emeritus Professor of Surgery at Monash University after being Head of the University’s Department of Surgery at the Alfred Hospital from 1986 to 2004.
He founded the Centre for Obesity Research and Education (CORE) at Monash University in 2004 and is now the Emeritus Director. His current principal areas of clinical and research interest are in the morbidity of obesity and the health benefits of weight loss.
He has published more than 300 papers in the medical literature and has been actively involved in conducting postgraduate courses and workshops on obesity and its treatments in Australia, Europe, USA, Asia-Pacific countries, South America and Canada for the past 20 years.
He is Advisory Editor for the journal “Obesity Surgery”. He has been elected to Life Membership of the International Federation of Surgery for Obesity (IFSO) and the Obesity Surgery Society of Australia and New Zealand (OSSANZ). He was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in June, 2017
Lillian Kow 
Lilian Kow is the Clinical Director of GI Surgery at Division of Surgery & Perioperative Medicine (SAPOM) at the Southern Adelaide Local Health Network
Flinders Medical Centre and Clinical Associate Professor at Flinders University of South Australia.
She has been involved in training surgeons in bariatric and metabolic surgery nationally and internationally. Lilian is a co-founder/Director of the Adelaide Bariatric Centre which was established in 1995 as the first obesity surgical clinic in Adelaide.
She was the President of IFSO 2019-2022, President of the IFSO-APC 2015-2017, and President of the Obesity Surgical Society of Australia and New Zealand OSSANZ (ANZMOSS) 2009-2012. She was also the President of the Australian Chinese Medical Association (SA) 2021-2023.
She was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) Queen’s Birthday Honours 2022 for service to bariatric and obesity medicine, the International LEAD Award for metabolic and bariatric surgery by TREO Foundation formerly American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Foundation 2023 and the RACS Medal of the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Surgery 2023.
Rob Fris
John Dixon (2018)
Merril Bohn (2023)
Merril has been working in the area of Bariatric surgery as part of her clinical dietetic work for over 30 years. Starting in 2005, Merril was the first Allied Health dietitian representative on the ANZMOSS Executive and has been instrumental in getting the Bariatric Dietitians together and establishing both a networking and clinical program at the ANZMOSS conferences. She has seen enormous growth and changes in bariatric surgery over the past 30 years. From a small group of surgeons (and an even smaller number of Allied Health professionals) doing, now obsolete, surgeries to newer and better operations and an explosion of the patient centered multidisciplinary approach. Merril is thrilled with achieving Life Membership recognition and continues to maintain her interest and expertise in this area.
