The RCH Gender Service provide holistic family centered care. Specialty teams involved include: medicine (adolescent medicine, endocrinology, gynaecology, general surgery), nursing, psychology, child and adolescent psychiatry, speech pathology, clinical ethics and legal services.

Medical

Dr Cate Rayner MBBS FRACP MPH

Paediatrician and Acting Director, Department of Adolescent Medicine. Acting Director of the RCH Gender Service

Cate joined the RCH Gender Service in 2021. Cate has extensive experience working with children and adolescents, with a particular interest in neurodiversity, developmental differences, and mental health.  She is also passionate about Medical Education and advocating for her patients more broadly, through teaching.  Cate enjoys getting to know each individual young person and their family and is grateful for the opportunity to learn from them and to assist them throughout their journey with the Gender Service.

Associate Professor Michelle Telfer MBBS (Hons.) FRACP GAICD

Paediatrician and Acting Chief of Medicine

Michelle has been instrumental in the development and expansion of the RCH Gender Service since 2012. She is a strong advocate for legal change and improved access to medical and mental health care for transgender and gender diverse children and adolescents in Australia.

Dr Debi Feldman MBBS (Hons) FRACP

Paediatrician

Debi joined the RCH Gender Service in 2013. Debi also has degrees in Law and Arts and an interest in Bioethics,and enjoys the opportunity to work with this remarkable group of children and young people.

Dr Ken Pang MBBS (Hons), BMedSc, FRACP, Cert Child and Adol Psych, PhD

Paediatrician and Research Lead, Department of Adolescent Medicine

Ken joined the Gender Service in December 2015, and brings to the role a strong clinical focus on child and adolescent mental health and extensive research experience. Ken is excited to assist and learn from children, adolescent and families dealing with gender issues, and is leading the service's research efforts which are described here.

Nursing

Donna Eade (BHScNsg, GCertSexHlth, GDipAHlthWelf, MPH)

Clinical Nurse Consultant, Gender Service

Donna has a strong background in adolescent health and sexual health and extensive experience in working with marginalised and disadvantaged youth. In April 2015, Donna joined the Gender Service to establish the role of Clinical Nurse Consultant, a role unique within Australia. Donna aspires to advance her nursing role into one that produces the best health outcomes for the young gender diverse patients who are referred to the RCH. Donna is the recipient of the 2015 - 2016 Dame Elisabeth Murdoch Nursing Development Scholarship which she is using to develop the clinical component of her role so to produce the best outcomes for our patients and their families.

Mental health

Associate Prof Campbell Paul (FRANZCP, Cert Child Aldol Psych)

Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, Gender Service

Associate Prof. Campbell Paul is a consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist who has been at the Royal Children's Hospital for many years, in psychiatry and infant mental health. Over the last 15 years he has worked with many children and young people experiencing gender dysphoria, and their families, and he was involved in the establishment of the original RCH Gender Service.

Dr Tiba Maloof BSc (Med) MB BS MPM FRANZCP

Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist

Tiba developed an interest in the mental health of transgender youth after first working in the area in 2012. She also has a particular interest in autism and the mental health of infants and young children. She enjoys learning more every day from the young people she works with, and is excited about being part of a team which delivers world standard care to this important population. 

Dr Catherine Mollica (D. Psych., Clinical Child, Adolescent and Family Psychology)

Clinical Psychologist

Catherine has extensive experience in the field of child and adolescent mental health, including supporting young people who face challenges with their identity, body image and self-esteem. She takes a broad approach to maximising people’s wellbeing in all aspects of their lives and values the importance of educating and empowering parents. Catherine has expertise in the assessment and treatment of eating disorders and autism spectrum disorders and recognises the need for greater awareness and community supports regarding gender identity issues.

Dr Zeffie Poulakis D.Psych MAPS (CClin) MACPA

Psychologist

Zeffie is a clinical psychologist who, following completion of her undergraduate studies in psychology, commenced a research career at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute. She subsequently undertook training in clinical, child, adolescent and family psychology, and has been practicing as a psychologist for over a decade. Following clinical roles in public child and adolescent services and private practice, Zeffie is now part of the team at the Royal Children’s Hospital Gender Service where she works as a senior clinical psychologist. She is also the Director of the Victorian Infant Hearing Screening Program at the Royal Children's Hospital's Centre for Community Child Health, and Research Officer with the Child Health Services Research Group at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute.

Dr Carmen Pace, DipYthWrk, BA (Hons), MPsych (Clin Child), PhD, MACPA

Clinical Psychologist

Carmen is a clinical psychologist with broad experience working with children, adolescents and their families across both outpatient and inpatient settings. She also has a strong research background and combines her clinical work with a role at the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, specialising in the transfer of research knowledge into clinical and community settings. Carmen is passionate about improving quality of life and wellbeing for all young people, and feels especially privileged to have the opportunity to work with gender diverse young people in her role in the Gender Service.

Dr Tram Nguyen MBBS MPM FRANZCP

Psychiatrist and Mental Health Lead, RCH Gender Service

Tram has had a breath of experience working with young people and their families.  She is a strong advocate for those who are vulnerable and marginalised. She is excited and privileged by the opportunity to work with young gender diverse people and their families through their journey at the Gender Service.     

Eliza Burnie BPsySc (Hons), MPsych (Clinical), MAPS

 Psychologist (Clinical Psychology Registrar)

Eliza (she/her) is a psychologist with training in the field of clinical psychology,and has experience working with children, adolescents, adults and families in public and community mental health spaces.  She has a keen interest in working with and supporting the LGBTIQA+ community, and is excited about being a strong advocate for young gender diverse people and their families at the Gender Service.     

Dr Niki Nawaratne MBBS, MPM, FRANZCP

Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist

Niki is a child and adolescent psychiatrist who enjoys working with young people and their families in providing holistic care.  She has much experience supporting the gender diverse population and also has particular interests in working with young people with disordered eating patterns.  She is excited to be part of the Gender Service team, in promoting wellbeing and mental health in the transgender youth.  

Genevieve Williams BPsychSci (Hons), MPsych (Clinical), MAPS

Clinical Psychologist

Genevieve (she/her) is a clinically trained psychologist who is passionate about working with children and adolescents, particularly those in the queer community.  Genevieve has a breadth of experience in intervention and assessment in public, private and community mental health sectors, across both inpatient and outpatient settings. Genevieve feels honoured to be part of the Gender Service team, and to have the opportunity to work with trans and gender diverse young people and their families.

Madeleine Bourke-Ibbs BAppSci (Psych) (Hons), MPsych (Clinical), MAPS

Psychologist (Clinical Psychology Registrar)

Maddy (she/her) has several years of experience working with young people and their families in public and community mental health settings.  She is guided by strong social justice values and practices using a warm, genuine and collaborative approach.  Maddy is driven to be a strong advocate and ally to trans and gender diverse people and their families and feels privileged to be part of the RCH Gender Service team. Outside of work, Maddy enjoys gardening, poor quality reality TV and cuddling her dog Peggy. 

Emmy Fitz-Gerald BAppSc Psych (Hons), MPsych (Clinical)

Clinical Psychologist

Emmy (they/them) is a clinical psychologist with a background in developmental assessment and therapy.  Having worked with diverse populations across their career, Emmy is a passionate advocate for community education and the introduction and maintenance of supports across all domains of a young person's life.  Their experience and interests are particularly focused in neurodivergence, trauma and LGBTQIA+ spaces. 

Dr Robbie Eres BPsySci, MPsych (Clinical), PhD

Clinical Psychology Registrar 

Robbie (he/him) is a psychologist and scholar with experience in youth mental health.  He has worked in inpatient and outpatient settings within public and private hospitals, and enjoys supporting young people through challenging transitions in life and identity. Robbie is a strong LGBTQIA+ advocate and firmly believes in the role of connective communities in preventing emotional distress.  He is passionate about working with young trans and gender diverse people as well as their families, and feels privileged to share a portion of the young people's gender journeys through the RCH Gender Service.   

Medical Endocrinology

Dr Michele O’Connell MB BCh BAO (Hons), MRCPI, FRACP, MD

Paediatric Endocrinologist

Clinical Lead Endocrinology and Diabetes

Michele is a Paediatric Endocrinologist at the Royal Children’s Hospital who has been involved in the care of transgender adolescents since late 2011. Together with the Adolescent Medicine paediatricians, Michele has helped to develop the Gender Service’s information statements and guidelines for use of hormonal therapies in transgender youth. As part of her ongoing role with the Gender Service, Michele is keen to assess outcomes of youth seen at our clinic, to optimise care pathways.

Professor Garry Warne AM MBBS FRACP

Garry Warne was a consultant paediatric endocrinologist at the Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne for 34 years, from 1977 until 2012, including 19 years (1980-1999) as Director of Endocrinology and Diabetes. Throughout his career, he carried out basic and clinical research into disorders of sex development and co-edited a textbook on intersex disorders in 2011. In 1998 Professor Warne was appointed the founding director of Royal Children’s Hospital International, an externally funded department which provided major capacity building projects in collaboration with hospitals in India, Indonesia and Vietnam. With Professor Campbell Paul, he co-founded the Gender Dysphoria service at RCH in 2003. Garry retired in January 2012.

Research

Dr Michelle Tollit PhD, MEdPsych, BPsych (Hons)

Evaluator Co-ordinator and Postdoctoral Research Officer

Michelle is a Postdoctoral Research Officer at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute and is the Evaluation Co-ordinator at the Gender Service.  With over 15 years experience,  Michelle brings extensive expertise in child and adolescent health and wellbeing research.  Through her research, Michelle endeavours to better understand the health profile of transgender and gender diverse children and adolescents and outcomes of treatment provision to inform future clinical care.

Administration 

Shantelle Hendy (BBusiness)

Administrator Coordinator Department of Adolescent Medicine

Shantelle has worked as the Senior Admin Co-ordinator for the Gender Service since its expansion in 2013. She is passionate about helping young children and adolescents on their journey to finding their true self and is dedicated to supporting the team that help patients on this journey.   

Corinne Meunier

Administrator Assistant Department of Adolescent Medicine

Corinne has worked in the Gender Service since 2017.  She is passionate about the work she does in the service and is committed to helping patients and families,  providing as much assistance and support as she can.