Our Board

Melissa Locke has over 35 years’ experience as an Australian physiotherapist, where she has gained diverse and broad physiotherapy expertise. She specialises in Paediatrics physiotherapy, being recognised as a Fellow of the Australian College of Physiotherapists, and is passionate about global health and health literacy.

As Managing Director and co-owner of Movement Solutions Physiotherapy based in Queensland, Melissa and her team of highly skilled physiotherapists treat children, teens and young adults of all abilities.

Melissa has made significant contributions to enhancing the physiotherapy profession, both in Australia and internationally. She has held leadership and governance positions such as former Chair and President of the Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) Board, and currently serves as Vice President and Chair of the Finance Committee of World Physiotherapy.

Melissa is passionate and committed to community education, improving health outcomes, advocating for those with a disability to engage richly, equitably and seamlessly in society.

Her current role as Chair of the Australian Physiotherapy Council, provides one avenue for Melissa to give back to the profession which she has committed her working life to, and enables her to champion the future excellence, professionalism and growth of the physiotherapy profession in serving the community.

Associate Professor Michael Reynolds has over 20 years of experience as a physiotherapist during which he has developed extensive expertise in the management of sporting injuries. He has a strong involvement in football (soccer) serving for many years as head physiotherapist at Northern Tigers FC and, has physiotherapy involvement at numerous sporting events including the 2018 Commonwealth Games Polyclinic.

In addition to his clinical work, Michael has enjoyed teaching in the university sector over the last 10 years in anatomy, clinical exercise physiology and musculoskeletal science. He has lectured at various universities on cultural awareness and Australian First Peoples’ health and was appointed as an Associate Professor at Australian Catholic University in 2021 to assist in embedding First Peoples’ knowledges and perspectives within the physiotherapy curriculum and provide guidance on the pedagogical approaches required.

Prior to joining the Council’s Board of Directors, Michael contributed to the development of the Council’s Reconciliation Plan (RAP) in 2019. He was similarly involved in the development of the Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) RAPs over the last 10 years. Michael is the recent outgoing Chair of the APA Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Committee, charged with guiding the association in its reconciliation efforts, and supporting the growing network of Australian First Nations Physiotherapists.

As a proud Wiradjuri man, Michael’s diverse background bridging clinical practice, academia and the physiotherapy industry more broadly, brings unique perspectives to the Council to continue to strive for excellence in assessment and accreditation.

Roma Forbes is a New Zealand trained APA titled musculoskeletal physiotherapist with over 17 years clinical experience across the private sector. Roma has worked extensively as a clinical educator in musculoskeletal practice and is currently a Senior Lecturer and Program Director of the Bachelor of Physiotherapy program at The University of Queensland. She is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, a HERDSA Fellow, and represents Australia on the World Physiotherapy Education Committee. Since 2015, Roma has worked with the Australian Physiotherapy Council as a member of the accreditation panel and the accreditation committee.

Roma is passionate about physiotherapy education and graduate preparedness for the workforce. She leads a program of research exploring the workforce readiness and experiences of physiotherapy graduates across diverse settings. This research also aims to understand the impacts of workplace mentoring and support on the career intentions of health professionals. Roma has published over 70 peer-reviewed publications, most in the area of physiotherapy education.

Roma’s teaching and research is driven by a passion for ensuring graduates enter the workforce with confidence about who they are and the value they provide to the health of all Australians. Roma has won national and international awards for her teaching including an Australian Award for University Teaching and an Advance Higher education Global Impact Award for her impact on teaching patient education skills to students across health professions and internationally.

Associate Professor Belinda Lange is a registered physiotherapist and researcher, with 20 years of experience in the co-design, development and evaluation of digital health technologies across military and civilian populations. She is a Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Digital Health, Chair of the Flinders University Human Research Ethics Committee, and Deputy Chair of the Southern Adelaide Clinical Human Research Ethics Committee.

Based in the College of Nursing and Health Sciences at Flinders University in Adelaide, Belinda has held research leadership positions in the Caring Futures Institute and the Medical Device Research Institute. Previously she was Academic Lead of Physiotherapy and has supervised and mentored students and researchers from different disciplines. Her teaching and research interests include digital health, telehealth, game-based rehabilitation, virtual reality, healthy aging, research methods and design, and neurological rehabilitation.

Belinda’s research is driven by her passion to work with clinicians and consumers of digital technologies to co-design customisable digital tools that will meet health needs. She has published 75 peer-reviewed papers and her work has been recognised through keynote presentations, and international awards.

Since 2019, Belinda has been involved in the Council’s accreditation of entry-level university programs, as an Accreditation Panel Assessor. As an experienced physiotherapist, educator and digital health researcher, her vision is to build digital health capability in our current and future allied health workforce.

Mr Peter Tziavrangos brings a wealth of physiotherapy experience and leadership across the profession, with clinical interests in musculoskeletal physiotherapy, and specifically the treatment and management of back pain and headaches. He gained clinical experience in both Australia and the UK, and has been Managing Director of Move for Better Health with several multidisciplinary allied health clinics located in South Australia, for over 20 years.

From experiences of physiotherapy during his years of participation in elite level sport at an early age, Peter chose to pursue a long-term career as a physiotherapist. He holds the belief that physiotherapy has the ability to ensure patients can live their best and most active lives, whether recovering from injury or a health condition, or seeking to achieve their fitness and movement goals.

Peter currently holds a number of governance and physiotherapy leadership roles including Non Executive Director and Vice President with the Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA), sits on the Board of Directors of Volleyball South Australia and is a member of the University of South Australia’s Physiotherapy Education and Training Advisory Panel.

In recent years, Peter contributed to the Australian physiotherapy profession as the Chair of the APA Business Group which provides support and advocacy for physiotherapy clinic owners across Australia, especially in navigating the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Peter is pleased to contribute to the governance of the Council’s work of assessing overseas physiotherapists and accrediting Australian physiotherapy university courses, and responding to workforce challenges and opportunities of the Australian physiotherapy profession.

Dr Kurt Lackovic has spent his entire career in medical research, and is currently the CEO of Cancer Trials Australia (CTA), a member-based, not-for-profit organisation that plays a pivotal role in advancing novel cancer therapies and improving treatment options available to Australian cancer patients.

As CEO of CTA, Kurt is responsible for the development and implementation of CTA’s strategy in partnership with CTA’s Board of Directors. Kurt oversees all business operations, supported by a staff of almost 50.

His education includes a PhD in chemistry, international post-doctoral experience in medical genomics and early stage drug discovery, as well as an MBA from Melbourne Business School, where he graduated on the Dean’s list. He is also a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Kurt has published over 25 peer-reviewed articles across diverse medical research areas, possesses extensive expertise in leading complex academic and clinical programs, strong connections to industry, and strategic linkages to senior executives in Government and major teaching Hospitals.

Kurt joined the Council Board of Directors in 2020, and now also chairs the Audit and Risk Committee.

He is a member of the Licensing Executives Society of Australia and New Zealand, American Society of Clinical Oncology, Society for Clinical Research Sites and AusBiotech’s Clinical Trial Advisory Group.

When he is not keeping busy with his responsibilities as a CEO and company director, Kurt enjoys time with his young family, photography and clocking up serious kms on both his road and mountain bikes.