Our team of pain management specialists
Dr James O’Callaghan
Specialist Pain Medicine Physician
Specialist Anaesthetist
MBBS, FANZCA, FFPMANZCA
Dr O’Callaghan is the most experienced Pain Medicine Specialist in Queensland. He has received the “Distinguished Member Award” from the Australian Pain Society. He pioneered interventional pain techniques in Queensland and has been performing advanced techniques such as radiofrequency neurotomy and spinal cord stimulation for over 30 years.
Dr O’Callaghan continues to be involved in teaching medical students, junior doctors, general practitioners and pain medicine trainees the basic principles of managing chronic pain, the correct use of medications, and how to correctly perform interventional techniques for someone who is suffering severe chronic pain.
Dr O’Callaghan initially trained in Australia as a Specialist Anaesthetist, before becoming a founding member of the Faculty of Pain Medicine, and a Pain Medicine Specialist. He has been on the Regional Committee of the College of Anaesthetists, the Cancer Council Queensland, the Australian Pain Society and the Australian Resuscitation Council. He has numerous publications to his name and has been an invited speaker at many medical meetings.
Dr Brendan Moore
Specialist Pain Medicine Physician
Specialist Anaesthetist
MBBS,FFARCSI, FANZCA, FFPMANZCA
Dr Brendan Moore is a Specialist Pain Medicine Physician and Anaesthetist whose career approaches two decades as an innovator, teacher and clinical leader in this field.
Dr Moore has been a pivotal influence in the leadership of the Faculty of Pain Medicine and College of Anaesthetists in Australia and New Zealand since 2005. Dr Moore was on the board of directors of the Faculty of Pain Medicine from 2005 to 2017 and Council Director of ANZCA from 2012 to 2014.
Dr Moore was dean of the Faculty of Pain Medicine from 2012 to 2014. Dr Moore has honorary and adjunct associate professor positions at University of Queensland and University of Hong Kong in recognition of his long-standing contributions to research, training and advancement of pain medicine.
Dr Konara Sunethra Samarakoon
Specialist Pain Medicine Physician
Specialist Anaesthetist
MBBS,FANZCA, FFPMANZCA
Dr Konara Sunethra Samarakoon is a Pain Medicine Specialist and Specialist Anaesthetist who uses a compassionate and multidisciplinary approach for the care of her patients. With over 20 years of experience in the field, she is dedicated to providing effective pain relief and improving the quality of life for her patients.
During her career, Dr Samarakoon has developed a particular interest in treating persistent post-surgical pain, neuropathic pain, pelvic pain, and pain associated with burns and orthopaedic trauma. She utilizes a range of interventional techniques, such as nerve blocks, epidural injections, and radiofrequency ablation, to target and alleviate her patients’ pain. Her approach also emphasizes the importance of functional restoration, aiming to help individuals regain their physical abilities and improve their overall well-being.
In addition to her clinical work, Dr Samarakoon is actively involved in research and education. She keeps up-to-date with the latest advancements in pain management and regularly attends conferences and workshops to enhance her knowledge and skills. Dr Samarakoon is a member of professional organizations, including the Australasian Pain Society and the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists.
Patients can be confident in Dr Konara Samarakoon’s expertise and dedication to providing effective pain relief. Her commitment to specialised pain management techniques, combined with her compassionate approach, makes her a trusted and respected professional in her field.
Dr Poshitha De Silva
Specialist Pain Medicine Physician
MBBS, DCH, FRACGP, FFPMANZCA
Dr Poshi De Silva is an Australian trained pain medicine physician. He is dual-qualified in Pain Medicine and General Practice. He obtained his MBBS degree in 2005. Having completed his General Practice fellowship in 2018, he has undergone further specialty training in Pain Medicine at Princess Alexandra Hospital and Gold Coast Health Service and was awarded fellowship of the Faculty of Pain Medicine, Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists in 2022.
Dr De Silva does private practice at Brisbane Private Hospital and Sunnybank Private Hospital in addition to his public engagement as a consultant in Pain Medicine at Princess Alexandra Hospital pain clinic.
Dr De Silva has experience in occupational medicine and injury management. He is a member of a number of professional associations including Spinal Interventional Society, European Pain Federation, Australian Pain Society and International Association of the Study of Pain (IASP). He also holds an academic title with University of Queensland as a senior lecturer.
Dr De Silva believes in holistic integrated patient care and utilises multidisciplinary, multimodal and interventional approaches for management of pain. His special interest areas includes management of low back pain, neuropathic pain, complex regional pain syndrome, fibromyalgia and persistent post surgical pain.
Dr Sami Ahmad
Specialist Pain Medicine Physician
MBBS MSc FRACGP EDPM FFPMANZCA
Dr Sami Ahmad is a Specialist Pain Medicine Physician with experience in both public and private practices.
Dr Sami Ahmad is a Specialist Pain Medicine Physician. He began his career in the United Kingdom and gained unparalleled experience at prestigious institutions, including Guy’s and St Thomas’s Hospital, London. He came to Australia in 2008, established himself as a General Practitioner. He has completed his Fellowships in Pain Medicine at the Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane and holds Fellowships of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists – faculty of Pain Medicine (FFPMANZCA) and Royal Australian Collegeof General Practitioners (FRACGP). Dr Ahmad was awarded the Ulf Lindblom Prize for the highest mark in the European Diploma in Pain Medicine (EDPM) held by the European Pain Federation (EFIC) in 2019.
Dr Ahmad has experience with both interventional and non-interventional pain management including lower back and neck pain and joint pains. He has special interest in musculoskeletal pain management and biological therapy for the management of chronic debilitating conditions, like osteoarthritis. He has incorporated Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) in his practice to achieve accurate diagnosis and precision targeted guidance of the Orthbiologics injections.
He has a ‘Senior Lecturer’ academic title at the University of Queensland and is involved in teaching.
Dr Sami Ahmad has private consultation rooms as part of Southside Specialist Medical & Geriatric Centre and consult at Springfield Specialist Suites. Dr Sami Ahmad has visiting rights at Sunnybank Private Hospital and Brisbane Private Hospital. He is fluent in English, Urdu and Hindi.
Dr Charles Chou
Specialist Pain Medicine Physician
MBBS FAFRM (RACP) FPMANZCA NSANZ
Dr. Charles Chou is a Specialist Pain Medicine Physician accredited by the Faculty of Pain Medicine under the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists. He had also participated in the pilot Procedure Endorsement Program innovated by the Faculty of Pain Medicine to solidify his clinical expertise in a wide array interventional management of pain, such as nerve blocks, joint injections, radiofrequency ablations, spinal cord stimulations, etc.
Dr. Chou is also a Rehabilitation Medicine Consultant Specialist board-accredited by the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine. As a dual-specialist – Dr. Charles Chou is able to utilize the combination of his clinical expertise in both fields to deliver gold standard interdisciplinary pain management care and programs.
Dr James Forbes
Specialist Pain Medicine Physician
Specialist Anaesthetist
MBChB, FANZCA, FFPMANZCA
Dr Forbes is a Specialist Pain Medicine Physician and Anaesthetist who originally completed his medical training in the UK and has subsequently gained his anaesthetic fellowship in 2018, and pain fellowship in 2021 in Australia.
Dr Forbes strives to deliver a high standard of care to his patients and believes in the importance of excellent communication with both patients and other medical practitioners. He endeavours to provide evidence-based medical care for all patients. He is trained in interventional pain management techniques such as nerve blocks, pulsed radiofrequency, radiofrequency neurotomy and neuromodulation, including spinal cord stimulation and peripheral nerve stimulation.
Dr Amrita Prasad
Specialist Pain Medicine Physician
Specialist Rehabilitation Medicine Physician
MBBS FAFRM (RACP) FFPMANZCA
After completing medical school in Australia, Dr Amrita Prasad completed dual fellowship training in Rehabilitation Medicine and Pain Medicine. She has worked in many regional and metropolitan hospitals and is actively involved in the mentorship of trainees. She has been an invited speaker at various Pain Conferences and is also on the Faculty of Pain Medicine Board as the New Fellow Representative.
Ms Elena Yusim
Psychologist, BA SOC SCI (PSYCH)
POST GRAD DIP PROF, PSYCHOLOGY
ASSOC MAPS
Elena is a highly skilled and compassionate psychologist based in Brisbane, Australia. With extensive expertise in the field of pain management and mental health, Elena specialises in Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectal Behaviour Therapy (DBT), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).
Elena’s dedication to helping adults and adolescents navigate through their emotional struggles has made her a sought-after professional in the community. She specialises in the areas of addiction, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, grief and loss, pain management and adjustment to injury, personality disorders, PTSD and trauma. Additionally, Elena is well versed in the area of Workcover and insurance based recovery treatments.
Through her empathetic approach and evidence-based interventions, Elena is committed to empowering her clients to heal, grow and achieve a more fulfilling life.
Psychology Services
Addiction | Anxiety | Depression | Eating Disorders | Grief and Loss | Pain Management and Adjustment to Injury | Personality Disorders | Post Traumatic Stress Disorder | Trauma
Telehealth sessions with Ms Yusim are eligible for Medicare rebates under a referral from your GP.
Telehealth sessions are undertaken online and are conducted via video or phone conferencing. All online appointments are fully secure and confidential.
Tricia Volkers
Coordinating Clinical Nurse
Tricia Volkers is the coordinating clinical nurse within the experienced team at Axxon Pain Medicine and the Brisbane Private Hospital. Since joining the team, Tricia has developed a special interest in interventional pain management and neuromodulation. Tricia is integral to the team approach at Axxon Pain Medicine, liaising with patients, coordinating care plans, providing support and is making a patient’s experience of care at Axxon Pain Medicine and Brisbane Private Hospital seamless and unsurpassable.
The Axxon Pain Medicine Admin Team
Molly, Lily, Caroline