Professor Dominic Thyagarajan
MD, FRACP
Professor Dominic Thyagarajan is a Neurologist who specialises in the medical and surgical treatment of Movement disorders, including Parkinson’s disease, Essential tremor, Dystonia, and Blepharospasm.
He is Director of Neurology and Professor of Neuroscience at Monash Medical Centre.
Prof Thyagarajan consults from the Precision Neurology main office in Kew.
Professor Thyagarajan was instrumental in establishing the first integrated stroke unit at Flinders Medical Centre, as well as the first comprehensive Deep Brain Stimulation program for movement disorders in South Australia.
He has a wealth of experience in the use of deep brain stimulation for movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease and Essential tremor, and is an active researcher in the field of movement disorders. As Director of Neurology at Monash, he is heavily involved in the teaching and training of young neurologists.
Professor Thyagarajan participates in our comprehensive, multidisciplinary movement disorder clinic, aiming to offer patients with these conditions the most specialised, yet holistic care possible.
Dr Richard Peppard
MD, MBBS, FRACP
Dr Richard Peppard is an experienced Australian neurologist with a longstanding special interest in movement disorders. He is a visiting neurologist at St Vincent’s Hospital, several private hospitals and is the neurologist to the Movement Disorder Program at Wantirna Health.
He has 20 years of experience in neurology, with an emphasis on movement disorders. This includes the treatment of Parkinson's disease, tremor, dystonia, tics and other involuntary-movement disorders.
Richard was born in Melbourne and educated at Xavier College, obtaining distinctions for general excellence and for mathematics. He obtained a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) from the University of Melbourne. He completed his residency and post-graduate training at St Vincent’s Hospital, Melbourne. He then did further training and research work in Vancouver, British Columbia, where he worked in the program of Professor Donald Calne, one of the doyens of movement disorders. As well as gaining clinical experience in this centre of excellence for the treatment of movement disorders, he worked particularly in the positron emission tomography (PET) program and is the author of many articles on PET in Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases. He completed his Doctorate of Medicine at the University of Melbourne.
He has been a Fellow of the Royal Australian College of Physicians since 1986 and a member of the Australia and New Zealand Association of Neurologists since 1985. He is a member of the Movement Disorder Society. His degrees are MBBS, MD and FRACP (Fellowship of The Royal Australasian College of Physicians).
He trained in the use of Botulinum toxin for movement disorders and initiated one of the first clinics for the use of this agent in Victoria in 1990. Since then, he has been using this agent to treat patients with appropriate medical conditions.
He is a popular clinical teacher at St. Vincent’s Hospital medical school and continues an active role in post-graduate and lay education.
He has a longstanding interest and experience of all aspects of the treatment of Parkinson's disease and, in particular, the use of deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery for this condition. He also has extensive experience with DBS for essential tremor, tremor from other conditions, dystonia and, more recently, Tourette’s syndrome.
With his highly experienced practice nurse, Mary Jones, he offers a multidisciplinary approach to the treatment of Parkinson's disease, other complex movement disorders and the support and management of patients undergoing deep brain stimulation.
Dr Ann French (née Hatjiandreou)
MBBS FRACP
Dr Ann French is a fully qualified Consultant Neurologist with interests in general neurology, neuroimmunology and multiple sclerosis. Dr French holds a public appointment at St Vincent's Hospital with senior roles in the Neuroimmunology Clinic and the Multiple Sclerosis Research Unit. She acts as a co-investigator and examining neurologist for several large clinical trials in multiple sclerosis.
Dr French went to school at Methodist Ladies’ College in Kew where she was the Senior Prefect in her final year. Her undergraduate medical training was undertaken at Monash University where she was awarded the prestigious Sir John Monash Prize for Academic Excellence.
Dr French completed her post-graduate training through the Adult Medicine Division of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians. She undertook basic physician training in Internal Medicine at St Vincent's Hospital and advanced training in Neurology at St Vincent's and Royal Melbourne Hospitals. Dr French completed her Fellowship in Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology at St Vincent's Hospital under the supervision of Dr Mark Paine and Professor Mark Cook.
Dr French is a member of the Australian and New Zealand Association of Neurologists and a full member of the Australian Medical Association.
Dr French maintains an active interest in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and has been a clinical examiner for the University of Melbourne final year medical students Prize in Neurology. She is an active participant in continuing professional development activities including international conferences and training.
Dr French is dedicated to providing high quality neurological care with open communication, compassion and sensitivity to cultural and individual patient needs.