Get to know us and what we stand for!
The National Mentoring Program is a volunteer service run by MRPs that is open to any student or practitioner in the field. This includes radiographers, sonographers, radiation therapy technologists and nuclear medicine technologists. Our Initiative Values can be easily remembered as GRAPES!
Growth
Responsibility
Advocacy
Purpose
Engagement
Sustainability
Meet the Co-Founders!
Allie Tonks
Allie is the Chief Radiographer at Blue Mountains Hospital and a USYD PhD Candidate who developed the idea of a mentoring program specifically for MRPs while new to Australia. Working together with Fran, the mentoring program was born in 2021 and has continued to grow with an expanding and passionate team behind it. Allie is enthusiastic about delivering a service that connects and empowers people at all levels with a range of interests and goals.
Franziska Jerjen
Fran is a Radiographer who graduated from her Masters Degree at the University of Sydney. Fran is particularly passionate about advancing the Medical Radiation Sciences and helping others achieve their goals within the field. She strongly believes in the power of mentorship, having been both a mentor and a mentee across various settings including student education, research, and as part of the National Mentoring Program itself which she helped develop with Allie.
Meet the Team!
Kate Dahlenburg (Partnerships and Applications Lead)
Kate is a Senior Radiographer at Logan Hospital in Queensland, and has postgraduate training including a Professional Certificate in Pain Sciences (uniSA) and a Master of Advanced Medical Radiation Practice (CSU). She deeply associates her passion for radiography and research to the ongoing mentorship she has received in her early career, and therefore sees inherent value in connecting and empowering others through their own unique mentoring partnerships. Kate aims to contribute meaningfully to the National Mentoring Program as the Mentoring Partnerships Team Leader, tailoring each partnership to each participant’s specific interests and goals.
Sharon Ponniah
Sharon Ponniah (she/they) is a Clinical Educator Radiographer. A member of the neurodivergent, LGBTQIA+ and CARM communities, they combine their passion for education with their commitment for inclusivity to ensure that all radiographers are equipped to deliver compassionate, culturally-responsive, person-centred care to the diverse populations they serve. Sharon is a Teaching Associate at Monash University, and is on the Membership Advocacy Committee at ASMIRT. Sharon is super excited to get involved with the NMP after being a mentor and a mentee in 2024.
Jade Della Ricca
Jade is a Senior CT Radiographer at Logan Hospital with a strong passion for CT imaging, staff education, and providing high quality patient care. After participating in the National Mentoring Program as a mentee in 2023, Jade has continued with ongoing mentorship and she now brings that experience forward as part of the mentoring team. She is passionate about supporting MRPs to feel connected within the profession, build confidence, and foster long-term passion and drive throughout their careers.
Nareuchaya Karoonuthaisiri (Brand and Marketing Lead)
As the ASMIRT NSW Branch Secretary and a previous NMP mentee, Nareuchaya is deeply committed in fostering growth and collaboration within the MRP community. She has had the privilege to learn from industry leaders and it has accelerated her personal growth, insight, network and career direction. So, she wants to pay it forward by helping others gain unique yet realistic industry insights and maximise their potential through mentorship. Moving forward, she is excited to continue contributing to the National Mentoring Program for Medical Radiation Practitioners as the Brand and Marketing Manager.
Sarah Hay
Sarah is a passionate Grade 4 Medical Imaging Technologist working across CT, Theatre, Fluoroscopy and General X-ray. She has a strong passion for trauma imaging and building capability in rural and allied health settings. As a committed mentor and clinical educator, she also supports MIT students across multiple Australian universities and guides early-career technologists in their professional growth. Actively engaged in research supervision, she’s excited to bring this exact energy, insight and connection to the National Mentoring Program Marketing Team.
Karim Yacoub
Karim Yacoub is the Medical Imaging Stream Leader & Academic Clinical Coordinator at RMIT University and Radiographer at Austin Health. Karim highly values radiographic education and aims to inspire the future generation of radiographers through his teaching within both the clinical and academic environments.
Karim is an ASMIRT National Education Committee, Victorian Branch and Continuing Education Committee (CEC) member and mentor fpr the ASMIRT Victorian student committee. Karim is also the Founder of Radiographer’s View, a professional online community of national and international radiographers.
Karim looks forward to working with the NMP team in both Applications and Marketing to help foster a stronger medical radiation profession through mentoring.
Rebecca McDonald (Communications Manager)
Rebecca is a radiographer with I-MED Radiology, and she is currently undertaking a
Graduate Certificate in Breast Imaging with the University of South Australia. Mentorship has played a critical role in Rebecca’s development and growth as a radiographer throughout her career. As a result, she is passionate about encouraging her fellow colleagues to be involved in the medical radiation practitioner community and to participate in incredible initiatives such as the National Mentoring Program. Rebecca is excited to be the External Relations Manager for the National Mentoring Program and to facilitate successful mentoring
partnerships through collaboration and connection with our professional community.
Luke Barclay
Luke C. Barclay is an experienced clinical educator and academic in medical imaging, serving as an Honorary Professional Associate at the University of Canberra and an Adjunct Senior Industry Fellow at RMIT University. With postgraduate qualifications in higher education and advanced clinical practice, he brings expertise across adult and paediatric radiography, CT, MRI and angiography support. His research and scholarship cover clinical placements, workforce learning, and paediatrics and technology, with peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations. Luke also contributes to the profession through journal reviewing for many Medical Imaging and Radiology based journals.
Louise Lum (Events Lead)
Louise is the chief radiographer at a private clinic under Sonic Radiology Australia. With a strong passion for clinical education and continued professional development, she has participated in the QXR Leadership Conference and completed a leadership course through TAFE Queensland.
Her transition into a chief role has been shaped by the empathetic and approachable mentors she encountered earlier in her career. Louise strives to embody those same qualities now to support her colleagues and guide the next generation of radiographers entering the profession. As the Events Team Leader, she hopes to contribute to the ongoing professional growth of radiographers by delivering engaging and informative events.
James Rohan
James is a Radiation Therapist at the Ballarat Austin Radiation Oncology Centre in Victoria. He demonstrates a strong commitment to technical excellence while actively supporting advancement in education, research, and innovative technologies. James is involved with the ASMIRT Continuing Education Committee (CEC) and a member of the ASMIRT Regional, Rural and Remote Committee, in addition to contributing to large departmental developmental projects. As part of his involvement in the events team for the NMP, James seeks to make a meaningful contribution to the profession while supporting the development of future allied health professionals.