PROFESSOR RAM NATARAJA

Director of Paediatric Surgical Simulation

Ram is a consultant paediatric and neonatal surgeon with expertise both in the clinical and educational realms. He is an expert in surgical simulation and novel technologies for surgical care delivery. He also holds a senior lecturer appointment in the Department of Paediatrics, Monash University. He is the project lead for Monash Children’s Hospital International (MCHI) Myanmar and is an experienced award-winning educator that has developed national and international education programs endorsed by the national training bodies for surgery and general practitioners.

DR MARIJKE MTICHELL

Senior Simulation Educator

Dr Mitchell is a highly trained advanced practice nurse with 30+ years of acute paediatric nursing experience in many specialty areas. Dr Mitchell, an education expert, also has worked in a range of clinical teaching and academic roles. Dr Mitchell has expertise in paediatric neurodisability, educational technology and design and simulation-based education. Dr Mitchell has developed state of the art training resources for patients and families and hospital staff and has won a number of awards for these projects including First Prize, The University of Melbourne Research and Innovation Fair; 2020 Grand Finalist, The University of Melbourne Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition and the 2022 Award for Excellence in Research – Early Career, Monash University School of Clinical Sciences. Dr Mitchell’s research is clinically focussed with a long-term interest in optimising the experience of children and young people in hospital and providing innovative training solutions for clinicians working in acute hospital and low resource settings.

NOOR CHAUDHRY

Project Administrator

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Noor Chaudhry is a Project Administrator at Monash Children’s Simulation, where she plays a key role in coordinating programs and ensuring the smooth execution of simulation-based education initiatives. She is the primary point of contact for both internal and external course bookings, as well as global health projects, facilitating seamless collaboration between stakeholders.

With a background in science and certification in work health and safety, Noor specializes in project administration, resource management, and stakeholder engagement. She also manages the development of the LMS site for virtual education projects, supporting innovative learning solutions.

Since 2021, Noor has been actively involved in international healthcare initiatives, including the ANGAU Memorial Hospital Redevelopment and the PIVOTS project, which enhances surgical training in the Pacific Islands. She has extensive experience in research, data evaluation, and reporting, ensuring continuous improvement in simulation-based education.

Beyond her role at MCS, Noor has a strong commitment to community engagement. She successfully developed a social inclusion program at the Refugee Health and Wellbeing Centre and has volunteered with Monash Health for several years.

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IRIS PILARES

Simulation/Telehealth Technician

Iris  is the Simulation/Telehealth Technician for MCHSim.  Iris has Bachelor of Engineering (Electronics) qualifications and has also completed Advanced Diploma of Computer Systems Engineering. Her expertise and knowledge allows her to support all aspects of the simulation centre’s day to day functions which include educational development and delivery, technical support and overall maintenance allowing for innovative health care provision. Iris made the move to the healthcare industry as she wanted her work to be meaningful to others and believes that she can make a difference in the delivery of healthcare to the patients of MCH through her role.

MUHAMMAD ASADULLAH

Simulation/Telehealth Technician

Asad has a degree in engineering and experience in project coordination. In this role, he is contributing in the delivery of simulation-based education as a simulation technician. He uses his skills in maintaining equipment, providing technical support and aiding in the provision of innovative method of education to health care staff both locally and overseas. He finds his work to be purposeful with direct impact on the local and overseas communities.