Our Physiotherapy and Podiatry Team

Damian is a Titled Sports and Exercise Physiotherapist and Member of the Australian College of Physiotherapists. He has worked with elite sport for over 25 years including at three Olympic Games with the Australian team. Damian has worked with the amazing doctors and surgeons at Perth Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Centre since 1995, and is trusted with the care of many of their patients to both avoid or delay surgery, or assist in the best possible rehabilitation following surgery.

He has previously worked at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra and has been a WAIS Physiotherapy Provider. Damian has worked with Olympic and World Champion athletes in triathlon, cycling, swimming, rowing, volleyball and endurance sports. Damian is highly involved in injury management and performance in cyclists and triathletes. He widely acknowledged as one of the most experienced Bikefit and cycling injury professionals in Australia.

Damian was physiotherapist for the Australian Men's Volleyball team from 1997 to 2013 and has looked after WA and WA based Australian Team athletes since this time. He has returned to work and travel with the Australian Women's Volleyball Team since 2023. He is a Life Member of both Volleyball Australia and Volleyball Western Australia for his services to the sport.

Click here to make an appointment with Damian.

Nigel is a highly experienced physiotherapist whose expertise in complicated injuries and high level rehabilitation is widely regarded by both patients and the medical community in Perth. He is regularly called on for second opinions for management of conditions that have not had successful outcomes with other health professionals, with amazing success. He completed his undergraduate degree at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and has a Masters’ degree in Manipulative therapy from Curtin University.

He is currently undertaking a PhD in chronic pain and tendon injuries and has been a clinical tutor on the Curtin Manipulative and Sports Post-graduate Programs. He has worked extensively with elite level athletes from Rugby to Triathletes but equally enjoys seeing "non-athletes" successfully recover from pain and injury to return to doing what they love.

His PhD study gives Nigel an amazing level of expertise in management of pain, tendonitis and overuse injuries which can be applied to athletes and "spectators" alike. In his spare time Nigel loves good food and to balance this love he competes in marathon running events, 70.3 and Ironman Triathlon every year. Nigel is available at both our West Perth and Mosman Park offices and you can book online by clicking here!

Julie is a practicing podiatrist and physiotherapist who frequently combines both skillsets to deliver the best outcomes for her patients. She has over a decade of clinical experience treating all walks of life and had a thriving clinic in Cottesloe before joining Star Physio.

Her interests are in paediatric foot problems, hypermobility and growing conditions. She is known for her successful treatment of heel pain/plantar fasciitis and various other sporting-related musculoskeletal injuries working one-on-one with an individual to help them achieve optimal pain-free movement and function. Julie produces premium orthotic insoles for walking, running, and cycling. She also receives numerous referrals for her expertise in paediatric gait assessments, serial casting, footwear recommendations, running analysis and rehabilitation of lower limb injuries.

Julie's long passion and success as a triathlete has also driven her passion in helping cyclists and triathletes find their ideal position on the bike with our amazing Gebiomized Bikefit Analysis System. As a podiatrist, her expertise in foot pain and "hotspots" on the bike is second to none and as a female, she understands the challenges of getting women comfortable on bikes, including helping with saddle pain and saddle selection. You can book a bikefit for your road or mountain bike here, or for your TT bike here.

Julie is also experienced in the management of Vertigo and BPPV.

Also a guest lecturer at UWA in Podiatric Medicine, Julie is a published author and has been a co-editor for two editions of British Journal of Sports Medicine in 2018.  Julie is a competitive triathlete who has raced Ironman Western Australia and the World Championships in Kona, Hawaii in 2022! When Julie isn’t training, she enjoys the simple pleasures in life like coffee, walking the dog and finding simple nourishing recipes to cook.

Julie is available for both Podiatry and Physiotherapy consultations at our West Perth and Mosman Park offices. Book here to see Julie.

Steve completed a Bachelor of Physiotherapy degree at the University of Notre Dame as well as a post-graduate Masters in Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy at Curtin University. He has post graduate training in strength and conditioning and has been part of an international research group into chronic pain. He has a strong interest in musculoskeletal treatment, rehabilitation and conditioning.

Steve runs Conditioning and Rehabilitation sessions for individuals as well as for small groups at Star Physio including our popular Cyclefit classes which provide specific strength and flexibility for cyclists and triathletes using evidence based methods, not social media trends! Participants are seeing fantastic improvements in both injury resilience and performance.

Among his clients are Australian and World Championship cyclist Jessica Allen who has seen tremendous benefit from Steve's strength programs and treatment. Steve has particular interest in assessment and treatment of acute injuries in contact sport athletes including recovery from the initial injury and preventing re-injury. Out of work Steve practises what he preaches, maintaining his strength in the gym, as well as being an experienced amateur boxer, not to mention a well known skateboard rider who has previously featured in a number of magazines and articles.

Book here to see Steve at our Mosman Park Clinic.

James Lewin has dual qualifications as a physiotherapist and exercise physiologist. He has also completed a postgraduate Master's degree through Curtin University and is a Nationally Titled Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist. He has presented research into bikefitting for injury at the Sports Medicine Australia Conference which will be published internationally this year. James lectures at Notre Dame University and is a Triathlon Australia Team Physiotherapist. He is also a previous WA State Half Ironman Champion and WA Triathlete of the year and has raced professionally internationally.

One of his passions is assisting cyclists and triathletes to achieve their ideal position on the bike using Star Physio's state of the art bikefitting equipment, whether for comfortable cruising or high speed racing. James performs running analysis at our West Perth office using a combination of high speed cameras, foot pressure and ground contact time analysis to identify technique faults and musculoskeletal deficiencies related to pain and performance. 

James works closely with the surgeons at Perth Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Centre by providing in hospital post-operative care and then ongoing rehabilitation in our West Perth clinic. His long history as an elite athlete, requiring the management of numerous injuries over the years puts him in an ideal position to care for amateur and elite athletes with injuries.

You can book to see James Lewin at our West Perth Clinic here.

Aaron Tay is an experienced physiotherapist who has worked with a wide range of clients from children to athletes to retirees. Aaron has worked and travelled with Australian Volleyball Teams and is Head Physiotherapist for the Volleyball WA State Junior Volleyball and Beach Volleyball Teams. He also works for Belmont Districts Football Club in the Amateur AFL competition. He oversees injury screening and prevention programs, provides taping/strapping and match day care in both football and volleyball. Aaron, as a qualified Level 2 Sports Trainer, is also qualified in managing concussions and emergency spinal casualties.

Aaron is trusted by the Specialist Orthopaedic Surgeons at Perth Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine Centre to provide pre and post operative care and rehabilitation for their clients, a specialist area of care within physiotherapy which is not taught well in undergraduate physiotherapy courses. The Star Physio Team have provided post-operative physiotherapy care, working closely with surgeons, for over 25 years to ensure that patients have the best possible outcomes from their surgery.

Aaron is also a GLA:D certified physiotherapist who is part of Star Physio’s Knee & Hip Osteoarthritis Rehabilitation and Care program. He endorses 100% recovery, emphasis on injury prevention and believes in a blend of ‘hands on’ manual therapy combined with exercise rehabilitation to help his clients achieve their goals.

Aaron unwinds with running and competing in badminton and volleyball competitions.

Aaron is available Monday to Saturday between our West Perth and Mosman Park Clinics. Book here to see Aaron!

Jemma has double degrees in Nutritional Medicine and Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy and has over 20 years of experience. She is experienced in all areas of physiotherapy, sports injuries and rehabilitation and is an accredited GLA:D Osteoarthritis expert physiotherapist.
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Jemma has combined nutritional medicine with musculoskeletal physiotherapy to create a pre-op optimisation program for orthopaedic patients. The program offers physical and physiological screening and optimisation for better, faster post-operative outcome with lower surgical risk. Clinical Nutrition is a scientific approach to optimising food intake, which might be for weight loss, pain reduction or for optimising outcomes during and after surgery. Jemma is also experienced in dietary analysis and advice for athletes for optimal recovery, performance and injury prevention. Read more about Clinical Nutrition Here.

Jemma has worked closely with orthopaedic surgeons in London and Perth and will continue to do so from our West Perth and Mosman Park offices. Book and appointment with Jemma here!

Senior Musculoskeletal and Sports Physiotherapist

GLAD Accredited Physiotherapist

Simen is a highly educated and experienced physiotherapist. He holds degrees in Physiotherapy and Sports Science as well as two Masters’ Degrees, in Sports Physiotherapy from Curtin University in Perth and one in Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy from Bergen, Norway. He is also an internationally accredited GLAD Arthritis Care Physiotherapist.

His special interest areas include neck, shoulder and back pain and has lectured internationally on disc herniation and spinal stenosis. He is experienced in pre and post operative management of cervical and lower spine surgery. Simen is also trained in hip and knee osteoarthritis care as part of the highly acclaimed GLAD program and runs GLAD exercise classes at both our West Perth and Mosman Park offices.

He founded the website The Scandi Physio to provide valuable information to physiotherapists and has featured on numerous podcasts and courses. Among his extensive skill set is treatment using Cognitive Behavioural therapy (CBT) as well as manual therapy and exercise rehabilitation treatments.

Simen has extensive experience in professional sport having worked with the Norwegian Alpine Ski Team for over three years, travelling to the world cup with them in 2019 and 2020 in the Alps. He has also worked with elite gymnastics. He is experienced in injury prevention and returning athletes to the highest level of sports participation from amateur to elite.

Simen is a former soccer and volleyball  player and elite runner. He now runs marathons, cycles and has recently signed up for Ironman 70.3 Busselton!

Simen has worked closely with orthopaedic surgeons and spinal surgeons locally and in Europe, in particular in spinal surgery. Book and appointment with Simen here!

James has a Master’s in Manual Therapy and has completed a PhD investigating the biomechanics of the lower limb and the internationally acclaimed spring theory.  His research has focussed on pain and tendon issues in the lower limb including achilles tendinopathy and the role of chronic pain in long-standing sports injuries. He has presented his research internationally at the World Tendon Congress and is highly sought after for his knowledge in this area.

He is a former senior lecturer at Notre Dame University and also one of the best triathletes in WA, competing in the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii in 2014 and  2017.  His education and experience give James unique expertise in the treatment of complex and long-standing sports injuries, especially in endurance athletes. His ability to accurately diagnose and identify causes of injury in running athletes is second to none. James is currently based in Broome in an extended health role and not consulting patients, however remains strongly involved with Star Physio.

Merv is a brilliant physiotherapist who has completed a PhD in lower limb biomechanics and tendon loading at Curtin University, where he also tutored for 5 years. Merv is now a postdoctoral fellow at Notre Dame University and is part of an international group of researchers investigating pain and rehabilitation of injury. He shares his knowledge through teaching physiotherapists locally and internationally through his company Optimise Rehab.

Merv has a Masters of Manipulative Therapy and was formerly physiotherapist to the Western Force Super Rugby Team. Merv is highly skilled in all areas of physiotherapy, but has a particular interest in the diagnosis, management and rehabilitation of long-standing and complex injuries and pain. As Clinical Director, Merv heads up the education and monitors the clinical skills of the team at Star Physio. He also lectures our Strength and Conditioning Team, an area where he has published research and been awarded his Level 2 ASCA qualifications.

Merv's university work, lecturing and research unfortunately limits his availability at Star Physio, however all of our staff benefit from his acclaimed international work and research allowing us to provide the most up to date and evidence based treatment available.

Tara is an experienced physiotherapist who has completed a PhD at Curtin University on knee Osteoarthritis and pain. She is a senior lecturer at the physiotherapy school and has previously conducted research into knee injuries. Prior to embarking on a career in physiotherapy, Tara was a professional international volleyball player. She captained the Australian Women’s Indoor Volleyball Team before moving to a successful career on the beach including partnering 5 time Olympian and Sydney 2000 Gold Medallist Natalie Cook on the World Beach Tour.

She now combines this with her physiotherapy skills to look after the Western Australian Volleyball Teams including their injury prevention and conditioning programs. Having played a professional career managing injuries, Tara is passionate about helping people to continue to do the things they love, whether it is high level sport, or walking the dog! Through Tara's own experience, and with the help of the Star Physio Team, Tara has successfully rehabilitated her own significant knee problems following her volleyball career and recently completed her first half marathon after being told by doctors that she would never run again!

Tara has taken her love of competition and exercise to becoming a successful surf-boat rower at North Cottesloe Surf Club where you will often find her in the gym... or upstairs having a coffee! Tara is also a mother, and has a new appreciation and understanding around exercise and pregnancy, and returning to "match fitness" post baby. Tara is currently on maternity leave after having her second daughter.