Conference 2026 - Keynote Speakers
Sharron Flahive
SPECIALIST SPORTS MEDICINE CONSULTANT
Dr Sharron Flahive is a Sport & Exercise Physician having gained Fellowship of the Australasian College of Sport and Exercise Physicians (ACSEP) in 2004 where she was awarded the college medal for highest achievement in her fellowship exams.
Sharron is currently the Chief Medical Officer of the National Rugby League (NRL) and Team Doctor for the Sydney Swans FC.
Sharron was the first female Sports Physician to be appointed to a professional rugby union team in 1999 when she was appointed as the NSW Waratahs Chief Medical Officer, a role she retained for almost 20 years; making her their longest serving member of staff at the time - for this she was honoured with life membership and the Joe French award for her outstanding contribution to rugby.
Outside of her team appointments and private practice, Sharron has a devotion to education, teaching and professional development within the Sport and Exercise Medicine field. She is currently a Non-Executive Director for International Rugby Players (IRP) and Chair of the Education Committee at ACSEP.
Brooke Patterson
PHYSIOTHERAPIST, AUSTRALIAN RESEARCH COUNCIL RESEARCH FELLOW, LA TROBE SPORT AND EXERCISE MEDICINE RESEARCH CENTRE
Dr Brooke Patterson is a physiotherapist and a current Australian Research Council Research Fellow at the La Trobe Sport and Exercise Medicine Research Centre. Her PhD investigated post-traumatic osteoarthritis after ACL reconstruction, while her post-doctoral programme focuses on reducing knee injuries and concussion in women's collision sports.
She has published 68 peer-reviewed articles and obtained >$14 M in competitive research funding. She co-created and evaluated Prep-to-Play, an injury prevention programme now embedded in community women's and girls' Australian Football. Her world-leading work in sport injury prevention implementation has been recognised by multiple awards, including the 2026 Victorian Premier’s Health & Medical Research Excellence Award.
A former elite Australian Football player, and current youth girls coach, Brooke brings credibility spanning research, clinical practice, and the playing field.
Dr Trent Stellingwerff
DIRECTOR OF R&D, WOMEN'S HEALTH, SPORTS & PERFORMANCE (WHSP) INSTITUTE, BOSTON
Dr Trent Stellingwerff is a world-leading sport scientist whose career spans elite performance physiology, sports nutrition, and female athlete health. He holds a PhD in Human Exercise and Skeletal Muscle Physiology (University of Guelph) and a postdoctoral Fellowship from the University of Maastricht, with more than 160 peer-reviewed publications and over 12,000 citations. He holds adjunct faculty positions at the University of Victoria and UBC, and is a faculty member of the IOC Diploma in Sports Nutrition.
As Director of R&D at the WHSP Institute, Trent's current work focuses on female athlete health and performance — including REDs, sports endocrinology, and sex-based differences in physiology. He has been a central contributor to the IOC REDs consensus process for over a decade, serving as lead or co-author on the 2018 and 2023 IOC consensus statements, and led the development and validation of the IOC REDs Clinical Assessment Tool Version 2 (CAT2) — now the standard diagnostic framework used by practitioners worldwide. He co-chairs Canada's national REDs working group.
Throughout his career, Trent has worked directly with national programme athletes across track and field, rowing, triathlon, and mountain biking, attending four Olympic Games, four Commonwealth Games, and more than 15 World Championships as part of integrated performance support teams.
Dr Ole Schmiedel
CONSULTANT ENDOCRINOLOGIST & SERVICE CLINICAL DIRECTOR, AUCKLAND DIABETES CENTRE
Dr Ole Schmiedel is a consultant in Endocrinology, Diabetes, and General Internal Medicine at Te Whatu Ora Auckland, and Service Clinical Director of the Auckland Diabetes Centre. He qualified in medicine from Humboldt University, Berlin, and completed his specialist training in endocrinology and diabetes at Cardiff University, UK, before being awarded his Medical Doctorate for research in diabetes and microvascular complications. He has been practising in New Zealand since 2009.
Ole's clinical and research focus encompasses all areas of endocrinology — including thyroid, adrenal, PCOS, bone health, and hormonal health — with particular expertise in type 2 diabetes, obesity, and medical weight management. He has been an active contributor to New Zealand's evolving approach to GLP-1 receptor agonist therapy, including the practical application of newer agents such as tirzepatide, and has published research on eating behaviour phenotyping and the individualisation of obesity pharmacotherapy. Dr Schmiedel is one of New Zealand's most active clinical voices on GLP-1 receptor agonist therapy, regularly contributing to postgraduate medical education through national podcasts, publications, and CME events, and is frequently sought as an educator and commentator for clinicians navigating the rapidly evolving landscape of obesity pharmacotherapy.
At the SMNZ Conference 2026, Dr Schmiedel will provide sports medicine practitioners with an accessible overview of GLP-1 receptor agonist medications, with a focus on their mechanisms of action, clinical application, and implications for musculoskeletal health.