Meet the team

Professor Ram Nataraja

Director of Paediatric Surgical Simulation

Professor Ram Nataraja is a General Paediatric Surgeon, Head of Unit for General Paediatric Surgery at Monash Children’s Hospital (MCH), Director of Monash Children’s Simulation, and Professor of Simulation-Based Education at Monash University, Melbourne.

He founded Monash Children’s Simulation (MCS), which has delivered more than 650 simulation-based education programs to over 6,000 participants across Australia and internationally. Through collaborations with organisations including the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS), the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), and the World Health Organization (WHO), MCS has become a leading centre for paediatric simulation and healthcare education. From 2021 to 2024, Professor Nataraja served as a consultant in surgical education for the WHO.

His academic work spans paediatric surgery, medical education, simulation, and global health. He has authored more than 150 peer-reviewed publications, delivered over 130 international presentations, and contributed to multiple textbook chapters.

An internationally recognised leader in paediatric minimally invasive surgery, simulation-based education, and global surgical capacity building, Professor Nataraja has led major training and healthcare development initiatives across Myanmar, Bhutan, Fiji, Samoa, Vanuatu, Tonga, Solomon Islands, and Papua New Guinea. His contributions to clinical care, education, and global health have been recognised through numerous awards, including Monash University’s Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Excellence and election as a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Dr. Damir Ljuhar

Surgical Lead

Dr Damir Ljuhar, FRACS (Paed), is a paediatric surgeon and Surgical Lead at Monash Children’s Simulation, where he contributes to the design, delivery, and evaluation of simulation-based surgical education. He completed specialist training at major tertiary paediatric centres across Australia and holds a Fellowship in Surgical Simulation, as well as master’s degrees in Surgical Education and Public Health and Tropical Medicine.

Dr. Preeti Ramaswamy

Medical Lead

Preeti is a paediatric emergency doctor and Senior Lecturer in Paediatrics who contributes to simulation-based education at Monash Children's Hospital.

Dr Marijke Mitchell

Senior Simulation Educator

Dr Marijke Mitchell is a highly trained advanced practice clinical nurse, researcher and education expert. Marijke holds postgraduate qualifications in paediatric nursing and paediatric intensive care nursing and a Master of Nursing (Research). From 2004-2009, Marijke coordinated the Postgraduate Diploma in Advanced Clinical Nursing (Child Health) at The University of Melbourne and has continued to teach at a postgraduate level. Marijke's PhD research involved the development and evaluation of a simulation-based training program for acute care staff managing behavioural emergencies in children with autism. Currently Marijke works as the Senior Simulation Educator for Monash Children's Simulation and a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Paediatrics at Monash University.

Dr Mitchell has worked on a number of global health projects in PNG, Indonesia and the Pacific Islands over the past 20 years to improve the medical and nursing care of infants and children through the provision of innovative clinician training initiatives.

Marijke's research interests primarily include the evaluation of simulation-based education for training paediatric clinicians in the acute hospital and low resource settings. She has 13 peer reviewed publications, 1 book chapter and presented at over 30 international conferences.

Jessica Crawford

Assistant Lecturer (Paediatrics)

Jessica is an Assistant Lecturer and Registered Nurse with extensive experience in paediatric and emergency nursing, clinical leadership, and healthcare quality improvement. She has delivered simulation-based education across a range of complex healthcare settings, including remote communities in the Northern Territory and paediatric training programs in Papua New Guinea. Jessica has also worked with Médecins Sans Frontières supporting paediatric intensive care services and the education and development of local healthcare workers. She is passionate about using simulation to build clinical capability, confidence, and teamwork, ultimately improving outcomes for children and their families.

Peta Young

Executive Assistant

Peta Young has more than 25 years of medical administration experience supporting busy healthcare teams. She currently serves as Executive Assistant across three key areas within Monash Children’s Hospital, providing support to the Service Medical Director, the Paediatric Surgery and Urology Departments, and the MCH Simulation Centre.

Peta specialises in calendar and meeting management, office coordination, and improving day-to-day workflows to enhance team productivity. She is particularly passionate about leveraging modern software solutions to help executives achieve their goals efficiently and effectively. Known for her strong communication skills, attention to detail, and supportive approach, Peta is dedicated to creating positive experiences for colleagues and patients alike.

Outside of work, Peta enjoys dinners with her family, netball, reading, and walking her dog.

Noor Chaudhry

Project Administrator

Noor Chaudhry is a Project Administrator at Monash Children's Simulation, supporting the delivery of simulation-based education programs, virtual learning initiatives, and international healthcare projects. With a background in science and qualifications in work health and safety, she has expertise in project management, stakeholder engagement, monitoring and evaluation, data analysis, reporting, and learning management system development for healthcare education and workforce development programs.

Since 2021, Noor has contributed to several major global health initiatives, including the ANGAU Memorial Hospital Redevelopment Project in Papua New Guinea and the Pacific Islands Virtual Training in Surgery (PIVOTS) program, a DFAT-funded partnership that strengthens surgical education across the Pacific region. Her work also includes project implementation, programme evaluation, reporting, and continuous improvement across healthcare education and capacity-building initiatives.

Noor is also passionate about community engagement and previously developed a social inclusion program at the Refugee Health and Wellbeing Centre. She has maintained a longstanding commitment to volunteering within the health sector.

Iris Pilares

Simulation/Telehealth Technician

Iris is the Simulation and Telehealth Technician at MCHSim. She holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Electronics and a Master of Information Technology in Cybersecurity. Her diverse technical expertise enables her to support the simulation centre’s day-to-day operations, including educational development and delivery, technical support, equipment maintenance and the advancement of innovative healthcare practices.

Motivated by a desire to make a meaningful difference, Iris transitioned into the healthcare sector to contribute to improved care for patients at MCH. Her role includes supporting on-site and virtual simulation sessions, preparing and configuring simulation equipment, developing educational courses within the Moodle learning management system, and assisting with the centre’s broader organisational needs.

Iris has also contributed to MCHSim projects designed to improve access to simulation-based healthcare education in under-resourced countries. She looks forward to continuing to expand her knowledge and expertise in this field.