In September 2018, the UsherKids Australia Connections Conference brought together over 100 people from the Australian Usher Community to The Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne.

The presentations are now available to purchase and view in your own time.  They provide our community the opportunity to gain insights from clinical guidelines for Usher syndrome, inspiring Usher stories from our ambassadors, as well as the progress of Australian Usher syndrome research.

260 Minutes

Our incredible lineup of speakers includes:

Mark Dunning –The Power of an Usher Syndrome Community

Mark served as the Chairman of the Usher Syndrome Coalition (USA) an organisation dedicated to connecting with and providing support and information to those who have been diagnosed with Usher syndrome and their families.

Jon Ruddle- Genetics of Usher Syndrome

Dr Ruddle is a Paediatric and Genetic Ophthalmologist consulting at Royal Children’s Hospital and Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital,  as well as a Senior Research Fellow with The Centre for Eye Research Australia.

Lisa Kearn– Unravelling the Global Research Efforts into Usher Syndrome

Lisa is a Research Orthoptist and Associate Genetic Counsellor who divides her time between The Centre for Eye Research Australia and The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital.

Megan Munsie– Unravelling the Global Research Efforts into Usher Syndrome

Associate Professor Munsie is the Deputy Director, Centre for Stem Cell Systems and The University of Melbourne and Head of Engagement, Ethics and Policy at Stem Cells Australia.

Dr Valerie Sung– Australasian Guidelines for Investigations for Childhood Hearing Loss

Dr Sung is a Paediatrician and Director of the Caring for Hearing Impaired Children Clinic (CHIC) who recently founded the Childhood Hearing Australasian Medical Professionals (CHAMP) Network.

Associate Professor Susan Carden– Clinical Care of Children with Usher Syndrome

Associate Professor Carden is a Ophthalmologist who works at the Royal Children’s Hospital and the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, as well as running the Education and Vision Assessment Clinic under the auspices of the Victorian State Department of Education.

Katie Kelly- Going for Gold

Katie is the founding Board member of Sport Access Foundation, Katie is an adult living with Usher Syndrome Type 2. She has worked in consumer sports marketing for over 15 years and is passionate about promoting inclusiveness for Australians living with a disability. Katie won a Gold Medal in Paratriathlon at the 2016 Rio Paralympics.

Paula Zalcberg– Building Strong Families

Paula is a Teacher of the Deaf, counsellor and family therapist who specialises in working with Deaf and hard of hearing children, adolescents and their families.

Matt Cameron- Patient Story of Usher Syndrome 

Matt is a young adult with Usher syndrome Type 2 who is taking on the world of sport representing Australia in Blind Cricket and has high ambitions to compete in the Paralympics. He is currently studying Sports Science and Sports Management at The University of Melbourne.

Geoff Bowen – Building Independence and Resilience in our Usher Kids

Geoff is an Educational Psychologist from Statewide Vision Resource Centre (SVRC) and Educational Vision Assessment Clinic (EVAC) who has worked for many years with students in specialist settings with vision impairments.

Alicia San Martin- Orientation and Mobility for Children with Usher Syndrome 

Alicia is an Orientation and Mobility Specialist from Guide Dogs Victoria who has worked for many years with children and teens with low vision and blindness, helping them achieve their independence goals.