Active RACS Fellows by location published in July 2022

A Fellow is considered active if they are currently involved in any aspect of surgical activity that involves the use of surgical skills or knowledge gained through their surgical training. This extends to and is not exclusive of medico-legal work, research or supervision of Trainees and Specialist International Medical Graduates.

bongiorno group women in surgery grant

founded in memory of Tony Bongiorno

promoting gender equity in surgery

About the grant

The Bongiorno Group Women in Medicine Grant champions gender equity in medicine by supporting Victorian and Tasmanian women doctors who are nearing completion of their specialty training or are in their first years of Fellowship. The grant funds learning and knowledge-sharing initiatives that contribute to gender equity in medicine and have a meaningful impact on the profession and others.

First established in 2024 as the Women in Surgery Grant in memory of Bongiorno Group’s co-founder, Tony Bongiorno, the grant has now expanded eligibility to all medical specialties. Tony was a great friend to many doctors and a longstanding advocate for gender equity. As a founder of Bongiorno Group, Tony was a mentor, teacher and thought leader dedicated to education and the principle that career advancement should be based on ability, not gender. The grant is fully funded and administered by the Bongiorno Group.

2026 grant recipient announcement

Dr Heidi McAlpine awarded the 2026 Bongiorno Group Women in Medicine Grant

Congratulations to Dr Heidi McAlpine, who has been awarded the 2026 Bongiorno Group Women in Medicine Grant. Established in memory of Bongiorno Group co-founder Tony Bongiorno, the grant supports professional development and knowledge-sharing activities that contribute to gender equity in medicine.

The grant will support Dr McAlpine, a final-year neurosurgery trainee and surgeon-scientist, to undertake a Neuro-Oncology Fellowship at John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, UK.

Dr McAlpine currently trains in a Melbourne neurosurgery unit that has never had a woman neurosurgeon. As the sole fellow in Oxford’s subspecialised neuro-oncology unit, she will also be the first woman neurosurgeon to work in the unit.

“During my career in neurosurgery, gender inequity has been the rule, and I have a career goal to make it the exception,” Dr McAlpine said. In her acceptance video, she added: “By supporting this fellowship, the Bongiorno Group is helping to ensure that women are visibly represented in surgical leadership, paving the way for the next generation.”

In Oxford, Dr McAlpine plans to develop advanced skills in functional brain mapping and complex brain tumour surgery while contributing to clinical care and research. On returning to Australia, she intends to share this expertise through research, teaching and mentoring, while continuing her work to advance gender equity in medicine.

To learn more about Dr McAlpine’s fellowship and its potential impact, watch her acceptance video on the Women in Medicine Grant webpage.

Past recipients

2025 - Dr Ash Asairinachan

2024 - Dr Amy Gibbens