My Story

I started My Sleep and Health Scientist because I truly love working with patients to improve their health and wellbeing, and became increasingly aware of the need to access to expert sleep & health medicine services from a highly experienced professional, with appropriate university qualifications, knowledge and extensive clinical experience.

As a young child I loved science experments and medicine - I even performed surgery on my toys! I was born with an inquisitive mind and caring soul.

At 10 years old my father almost died in a huge boat explosion and spent 9 months in hospital. I spent my entire Christmas holidays by his side and every minute I could after that. The nurses taught me how to dress his burns, feed him, and help with his physiotherapy. When he finally came home I looked after him with the same dedication as those wonderul people, including his many surgeries afterwards and therapies afterwards.

Around the same time, my grandfather had quadruple bypass surgery following several massive heart attacks. When he came home I helped walk down the driveway to the mailbox and back, then increasing to down the street, and more as time went on. I felt so much joy watching him improve, I guess I was born a natural carer.

After working in family businesses I moved to the travel industry where I boiked holidays for people, abd again, showed my natural gift of caring so a new position was made for me and I became the complaints handler. This might sound terrible, but to me it was fantastic - I got to help people in distress. My natural caring and understanding nature helped me listen without judgement and provide soulutions for them. Unfortunately in 2001 the horrific events on September 11 caused the travel industry to crash. I was made redundant, and with my $5,000 payment I began my education.

In 2001 I completed a Fitness Leader and Gym Instructor course. However I felt it didnt provide enough knowledge to safely help people if they had any medical issues, so, I applied to university - and was terrified!!

In 2002 I began a double Bachelors degree in Exercise Science, and also Psychology (Arts), however as a mature aged student trying to manage two degrees and working at night was not realistic, so I contined on with the one degree.

In 2005 I graduated a Bachelor of Exercise Science (BExSc) as a physiologist. During my studies I worked as a polysomnologist (sleep technologist) in a sleep laboratory performing overnight sleep studies and initiating CPAP therapy. Thus began my love of sleep medicine.

In 2006 I began working at the largest hospital in the southern hemisphere, The Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital (RBWH), in the Department of Thoracic Medicine as a Clinical Measurements Scientist in Respiratory and Sleep Medicine. I worked alongside some of Australia’s top sleep and respiratory specialist doctors in clinical medicine and research for 12 years, and in private sleep medicine following that.

I developed and implemented the very first sleep technician training program, educating and training staff to become a sleep polysomnologist, I also trained nurses to become sleep nurses, and held regular training and in-services for nurses in the wards in sleep medicine and bi-level therapy.

Each year I trained the Department of Thoracic Medicine Sleep Fellow, which is a respiratory specialist doctor undertaking 12 months further specialist training to become a Sleep Specialist. I also trained hundreds of medical registrars, residents, medical students, new staff and allied health students on university placement in both sleep and respiratory medicine.

I have been involved in countless research studies in not sleep medicine and respiratory medicine, including the Tasmanian Asthma Study, and my most challenging yet rewarding project with Dr Judith Bellapart and Professor Robert Boots trailing melatonin on patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) who were intubated and in a coma, looking at how melatonin improves sleep and therefore health outcomes. This research showed a significant improvement in patient outcomes and became a standard practice in the ICU.

I was on the board for QLD Health CPAP Program where eligible patients are loaned CPAP and Bi-level machines to treat their sleep disorders, where we investigated and chose various tenders to the program.

I provided consultations in the ward for patients on CPAP and Bi-level therapy, assessing and recommending treatment and solutions to any issues they or the nursing staff were having.

I have worked with people with disabilities of all kinds and came up with novel solutions to their complex needs. Not all bodies or minds respond in the same way, and having a creative and never give up attitude I was always able to find something that works.

I have worked with families and care-givers and provided much needed support and education and skills to help them care for their loved ones at home, and have been on-call out of hours to support them when needed many times - even on Christmas day!

I became known as “the patient whisperer” as I formed close bonds with my patients as they could see I genuinely cared AND knew what I was doing. They had trust in my knowledge and care, and as cliche as it might sound, I truly loved helping them be as autonomous and confident and successful in their endeavors. I always went the extra mile, determined to solve whatever challenge they had. I became the ‘go to’ scientist the doctors asked to help their patients with severe or difficult.

Then, life threw me a curve ball, I was assaulted and sustained lifelong injuries, and inevitably was medically retired from my beloved job. My body was no longer able but my mind and heart was - I felt it was such a waste to have so much experience and knowledge going to waste…

So, I started My Sleep Scientist.

I am passionate about providing everyone access to ethical and correct advice, based on the very latest medical science, because I know how hard it is to decipher information regarding sleep and sleep disorders - it seems there are countless “groundbreaking hacks”, and fake “gurus” out there selling things that quite frankly are a rip off.  Even seemingly reputable companies are offering unethical and incorrect advice.

I want to offer my extensive knowledge and experience to you and help make your life better.

If you need support, advise, or even help working out what to do or what is availiable to you, contact me, I’m certain I can help.

I look forward to meeting you!