Yoon An

Dr Yoon-Kyo An is the “Head of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)” at Mater Hospital Brisbane and the “Clinical Lead of the IBD Clinical Trials Unit” at Mater Research, a world class centre of clinical and research excellence. The centre is among the largest IBD clinical research units in Australia. She is also a gastroenterologist who specialises in IBD, combining public and private practices at Mater Hospital Brisbane, Mater Private Hospital Brisbane, and Mater Private Hospital Redland. She holds a senior lecturer position at the University of Queensland. Dr An is a co-founder of digital healthcare education platform ‘GutTalk’, which aims to empower patients and communities by closing the communication and knowledge gap in Gut Health.

Dr An completed her Medical Science degree (BMedSc) at the University of Sydney and her Medical degree (MBBS) at the University of Queensland. She undertook her physician and advanced gastroenterology training at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital and Mater Hospital Brisbane. She completed a clinical and research fellowship in IBD at Mater Hospital Brisbane and completed the executive business and leadership program at the University of Oxford Said Business School. She is currently pursuing a PhD through the University of Queensland and an MBA through Griffith University.

Dr An is a passionate advocate for optimising patient outcomes through a holistic approach to care including personalised treatment plans to manage digestive health and incorporation of clinical and translational research. She is an active IBD clinician and researcher as well as a patient advocate. Her own research focusses on real-world effectiveness of biologic therapy in IBD and the use of intestinal ultrasound to monitor disease activity and predict responses to therapy. She drives collaborative research projects throughout Australia and is actively involved with the Australia New Zealand Inflammatory Bowel Disease Consortium (ANZIBDC), the Gastroenterology Network for Intestinal Ultrasound (GENIUS) and the Gastroenterological Society of Australia (GESA).

Dr An has been successful in competitive research funding from industry and philanthropic organisations. She was the recipient of the inaugural GENIUS fellowship. She has affiliations with many Gastroenterology and IBD societies and has a national presence through her numerous symposia and conference presentations. She also serves on several Medical Advisory Boards including Chiesi, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and NPS Medicine Wise as well as sitting on the Council of Therapeutic Advisory Group. She is a GESA representative on the GP Aware Program committee and works collaboratively with Crohn’s and Colitis Australia (CCA).

Current Appointments

• 2021 – current: Executive Committee Member – Secretary, ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ Australia and New Zealand Inflammatory Bowel Disease Consortium (ANZIBDC)
• 2020 – current: Scientific Committee Member, Australia and New Zealand Inflammatory Bowel Disease Consortium (ANZIBDC)
• 2020 – current: Board Member – Research Officer, Gastroenterology Network for Intestinal Ultrasound (GENIUS)
• 2020 – current: Executive Committee Member – IBD Liaison Officer, Young GESA Network, Gastroenterological Society of Australia (GESA)
• 2020 – current: Expert Advisory Group member, The Council of Therapeutic Advisory Groups (CATAG)
• 2020 – current: GESA representative, CCA-GESA GP Aware Program Committee, Crohn’s and Colitis Australia (CCA)
• 2020 – current: Expert Working Group Member, bDMARDs Gastroenterology Design Forum, NPS Medicine Wise
• 2020 – current: Stakeholder Panel (GESA representative), Value in Prescribing bDMARDs Program, NPS Medicine Wise