A local GP that grew up in Cairns – Katherine chose General Practice as a specialty for its diversity and the opportunity to work with individuals across the lifespan.

She has special interests in women’s health, good mental health care, chronic disease management and lifestyle medicine. Katherine believes that the future of medicine really lies in looking at how we live our lives and focusing on those elements we can control or change to prevent disease or reduce disease burden – which is an essential aspect of holistic general practice care.

When not at work she enjoys spending time with her family, bike riding, gardening and playing music.

Experience and Qualifications:

Katherine studied at James Cook University in Townsville, graduating with a First Class Honours Degree in Bachelor of Medicine / Bachelor of Surgery in 2007 and was a University Medalist for Academic Achievement. She went on to complete her Fellowship with the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners in 2015. She has enjoyed working across both the public and private sectors of the health system locally; and has a strong passion for delivering quality health care and education. She maintains a higher tier of GP Mental Health skills training with Medicare; which can allow for provision of GP based mental health care beyond the basics.

Dr Williamson is a General Practitioner and Rural Generalist, with Fellowships of both RACGP and ACRRM Colleges.

She has worked as a GP and Rural Generalist across Australia in remote and regional communities, since graduating from the University of Sydney in 2005. She has held academic positions with James Cook University, the University of Wollongong and Flinders University. She consults in private practice in Cairns at Upward Life Family Practice and Kaleidoscope Clinic.
 
Dr Williamson is well regarded by her patients for approaching their health with curiosity and compassion. She is known as a helpful coach, getting patients motivated and empowered to make positive changes towards healthier lives.
 
She is experienced in all aspects of General Practice consulting and procedural skills. Her practical skills include skin cancer surgery, contraceptive device insertion, minor surgery and joint injections. Her passion for primary care and LGBTQI+ equality has led her to undertake further study in Gender Affirming Healthcare, helping patients and families navigate their own gender journey. She also has a specific interest in autism, and ADHD diagnosis and management. She enjoys empowering members of diverse groups.
 
She is a member of the RACGP, ACRRM, AusPATH (Australian Professional Association of Transgender Healthcare), AADPA (Australian ADHD Professionals Association) and is the current Secretary of Far North Queensland Lady Doctors Association.

Dr Steph graduated with a Doctor of Medicine at the University of Western Australia in Perth, however grew up in our beautiful town of Cairns. She returned to Far North Queensland for the lifestyle, the surroundings and her family.

She has an interest for all elements of General Practice, but is drawn to supporting women, babies and children in health and well-being.

Steph is passionate about providing and coordinating strong multidisciplinary care for chronic disease. She has completed a Bachelor of Exercise and Nutrition Science and enjoys incorporating this knowledge into her medical practice.

In her spare time, Dr Steph loves to spend time with her family and two small children, and exercising at the gym or a local hiking track.

Having left his birthplace of Johannesburg as a child with his family to move to New Zealand, Dr Bryan travelled across the Tasman Sea to Queensland in 2007 to study for his Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery at the University of Queensland.

After working for few years in the major hospitals of Brisbane, he moved to Cairns in 2016 to work at the Cairns Hospital. Having fallen in love with Cairns, he left the hospital to start working in General Practice, as well as doing regular outreach into Torres and Cape York as part of their public ENT service.

His area of special interest includes common ear and nasal conditions, pre and post surgical care, children’s health along with holistic general practice care with an emphasis on regular exercise as the cornerstone of health and wellness

To stay balanced, he enjoys hiking and trail running along with tinkering with his Land Rover Defender.

Dr Vivienne (Viv) is a warm, thoughtful, and approachable GP Registrar. She graduated from Monash University Malaysia and has years of clinical experience across Malaysia and the Far North Queensland region. She values listening first and caring for the whole person, not just the condition.

Her special interests include women’s health, chronic disease management, preventive medicine, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, and family medicine. Dr Viv is passionate about early intervention and long-term care, supporting patients and families through different life stages with continuity and trust.
 
She is also committed to ongoing professional development and providing respectful, culturally sensitive care to the community she serves.
 
Outside of work, Dr Yong enjoys swimming, watching movies, and travelling.

Dr. Zin graduated from University of Medicine 2, Yangon, Myanmar, and completed the Australia Medical Council Examination. 

She has been working in Australia (Queensland) since 2019 and has spent most of her time practising in Emergency Medicine before transitioning to general practice this year. Clinical interests include acute and chronic care, paediatrics, women’s health and minor procedures. She is committed to providing holistic, patient-centred care to individuals and families.
 
Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with friends and family, hiking and going to the gym.

Dr Michelle Warman is a Specialist GP with over 17 years of experience, she has a special interest in ADHD and neurodiversity.

Originally trained as a special education teacher, she combines educational and medical expertise with lived experience of ADHD.
Michelle provides adult ADHD assessment, diagnosis and management planning, using both non-pharmacological and medication-based approaches where appropriate. She is a Senior Medical Educator and GP Supervisor with the RACGP and a member of AADPA, RACGP Specific Interests (ADHD and Neurodiversity), and the Queensland ADHD GP Alliance.
Michelle works collaboratively with patients, and their usual GP to help individuals better understand their neurodiversity, build on their strengths and achieve their personal, academic and professional goals.

Dr Mirjam is originally from Switzerland and migrated to Australia in 2017. She has been living in Cairns ever since.
 
Dr Mirjam has an active interest in paediatrics, women’s health, antenatal care, chronic disease management and minor surgical procedures.
 
Dr Mirjam graduated from medical school at the University of Basel in 2014 and completed her post-graduate Dissertation at the University of Bern in 2016. During her post graduate practice in Switzerland, she further trained in surgical specialties and gynaecology/obstetrics.
 
Dr Mirjam gained her Australian Medical Certificate in 2019 and has worked at the Cairns Hospital as well as in General Practice in the Tablelands gaining experience in rural Australian medicine. She has been working as a medical educator and examiner for James Cook University School of Medicine from 2017 – 2022 before starting her GP training in 2023.
 
Besides GP practice, Dr Mirjam is currently also working as a surgical assistant at the Cairns Private Hospital, where she is assisting in surgical procedures amongst various surgical specialties.
 
Dr Mirjam is fluent in English and German. She lives with her husband, young children and two rescue dogs at the Northern Beaches of Cairns. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, getting outside, staying fit, cooking, and baking.

Dr Suzanne Habib is an endorsed health psychologist with a PhD in clinical health psychology. Suzanne’s clinical interests and expertise have a focus on health behaviour change, anxiety, depression, adjustment to illness and disability, sexual health, gender related issues, pregnancy and reproductive issues, stress management, bereavement and workplace conflict.

Suzanne values diversity and provides safe, respectful and inclusive therapy for all members of the community aged 14 and above. Suzanne’s therapeutic work includes the use of Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) Motivational Interviewing (MI) and EMDR.

Oscar was living in an Aboriginal community in Arnhem Land when he was inspired to change career from linguistics to medicine. He trained in General Practice under both GP colleges and has spent most of the last 20+ years practising remote and Indigenous health including GP anaesthetics, hospital and emergency medicine, and retrieval medicine, as well as primary preventative care.

He has worked in senior administrative roles including as Health Service Executive Director, and as state Medical Director for the Royal Flying Doctor Service, Queensland Section.

More recently, Oscar has researched the growing body of clinical evidence and neuroscience supporting the use of hypnosis, and has undertaken training in focussed psychological strategies and hypnotherapy including training in the UK.

At Upward Life Family Practice, Oscar is excited to focus his practice on hypnosis and focussed psychological strategies, given the rapid and life-changing results these modes of therapy can achieve.

Over the past few years, Oscar has achieved positive outcomes through hypnosis and psychological strategies in the following areas:

  • Phobias (flying/claustrophobia/agoraphobia/arachnophobia etc)
  • Anxiety
  • Exam performance and study
  • Smoking cessation
  • Persistent Pain management
  • Weight and appetite control
  • Alcohol reduction/cessation
  • Auto-immune symptom reduction
  • Sports hypnosis (performance enhancement)
  • Public speaking/ performance anxiety
  • Work/study focus/learning enhancement
  • Anger management and emotional regulation (including grief and loss counselling)
  • Functional neurological disorders (paediatric)
  • Allergy/hayfever control
  • Goal-setting and achievement
  • General well-being

Beyond these areas, Oscar is excited around the clinical evidence for perioperative hypnosis in which has been shown to be able to reduce blood loss, reduce use of anaesthetic agent, reduce post-operative pain, and increase rate of healing; as well as evidence around symptom control in inflammatory bowel syndrome (IBS) and menopause.

Annette is passionate about helping clients communicate with confidence. She is dedicated to assisting clients achieve functional outcomes that enable them to participate in activities of choice. Annette enjoys working with a diverse range of clients from children through to adults, including neurotypical individuals and those with a disability seeking to enhance their communication skills.

Annette believes the ability to communicate should be for everyone. The most exciting and rewarding part of her job is empowering patients with renewed confidence and self-belief.

Annette studied at James Cook University in Townsville, graduating with a second class Honours Degree in Bachelor of Speech Pathology. She has completed additional training to support clients with progressive neurological disorders, oro-myofunctional disorders, and literacy difficulties. Annette holds certification for Lee Silverman Voice Therapy (LSVT Loud), Sounds Write (systematic synthetic phonics) and Orofacial Myology. Annette also holds a Diploma of Practice Management from the University of New England. Annette joined ULFP in 2023 offering speech pathology services as the first Allied Health Professional in our now Allied Health Hub.

Annette has worked in a range of healthcare settings in both Central, North, and Far North Queensland. She has worked in education settings in the Northern and Far North regions, as well as in private practice. She is passionate about supporting clients with speech, language, literacy, and communication disorders, as well as supporting people with swallowing difficulties to maintain and enjoy the pleasures of eating and drinking.

In her free time Annette enjoys exploring and camping around the local area, day trips to the reef,  Parkrun with her dog Nitro, cooking and spending time with friends and family.

Annette is a dedicated Speech Pathologist with extensive experience across diverse healthcare settings who is passionate about empowering clients of all ages to communicate effectively, supporting them to achieve functional outcomes that enhance their quality of life and participation in meaningful activities.

Danaë is an experienced clinical psychologist with over 35 years of supporting children, families, and individuals across a wide range of settings. She specialises in therapies for grief, loss, trauma, and sexual assault, and works closely with clients to promote recovery, resilience, and emotional wellbeing.

Her practice is grounded in a child-centred philosophy, with a strong focus on empowering young people and their families through compassionate, evidence-based care. Danaë draws on cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), narrative therapy, and systems approaches, tailoring her interventions to meet the unique needs of each client.

Danaë is committed to creating safe, respectful spaces where children and families feel heard and supported. She values collaboration, cultural sensitivity, and the strengths that each person and family bring to the therapeutic process.

A proud PNG-Australian and long-time Cairns local, Danaë values time with her family and loves being outdoors, hiking, travelling, and discovering new cultures through food and shared experiences.

 

Shona grew up in New Zealand, The Cook Islands and Melbourne. She moved to FNQ in 2005 with her husband and three children originally living and working in the Torres Strait Islands.

She graduated as a Registered Nurse in Melbourne 1985 and gained her Master of Nursing Science (Nurse Practitioner) at Queensland University of Technology in 2003.

Her interests include chronic disease management, preventative health, diabetes care and sexual health.

Outside of work, she enjoys camping, gardening and spending time with family and friends.

 

With more than 25 years of experience in pharmacy, Kerry has worked across a wide range of healthcare settings, including hospitals, community pharmacies, and Home Medication Review services.
 
Her career has taken her from both metropolitan and regional Victoria to remote communities in the Northern Territory, and now to Far North Queensland.
 
She is passionate about helping people understand their medicines and achieve the best possible health outcomes. She enjoys identifying solutions to medication-related problems, whether that involves simplifying complex medication regimens, finding opportunities for deprescribing, addressing side effects, or detecting potential drug interactions.
 
She believes that medicines should improve quality of life, and works closely with patients to ensure their treatment is safe, effective, and aligned with their health goals.
 
As part of the practice team, Kerry collaborates closely with a patient’s GP and practice nurse to identify and implement solutions to medication-related issues, providing an additional layer of support to optimise their care.
 
Outside of work, she enjoys making the most of the great outdoors. You will often find her hiking, snorkelling, or enjoying the peace and beauty of Cairns’ local waterways with a fishing rod in hand.