Dr Michael Makdissi

Michael completed his initial medical training at St. Vincent’s hospital in Melbourne before commencing his sports medicine training in 2001.  Since this time, he has worked with a range of sports including Australian Rules football, netball, cricket, rugby league, track and field, cycling, swimming, gymnastics, boxing and volleyball from recreational through to elite levels.

Michael has also been part of the Australian medical team at the World University Games (Degu, Ismir), Commonwealth Games (Delhi, Glasgow) and Olympics Games (London). He currently works with the Hawthorn football club.

Michael is passionate about research and how it can improve practice. He currently works as a research fellow at the Melbourne Brain Centre (Florey Institute of Neurosciences and Mental Health), where he is looking at acute and long term effects of concussion on brain function. He was a member of the Consensus Group at the past 2 International Conferences on Concussion in Sport and is currently a member of advisory groups to a range of sporting organisations (including AFL, Australian Rugby Union, World Rugby, National Rugby League and the IOC).

Michael also has honorary research positions at La Trobe Sport and Exercise Medicine Research Centre (La Trobe University) and the Australian Centre for Research into Injury in Sport and its Prevention (Federation University).

Michael manages medical issues and injuries affecting all body parts, but has a special interest in concussion, hip and groin pain, osteoarthritis, stress fractures, child and adolescent athletes and injury prevention.

• Team Doctor – AFL Academy (2008-Present)
• Team Doctor – Hawthorn football club (2005-Present)
• Team Doctor – Australian Swimming team (2008-2012)
• Team Doctor – Australian Netball team (2006-2008)
• Team Doctor – Melbourne Storm (2004)

International

1. Managing concussion in the team setting. IOC Advanced Team Physician Course, Doha, May 2015.
2. Influence of rule or regulation change to reduce musculoskeletal injuries. IOC World Conference of Prevention or Injury and Illness in Sport, Monaco, April 2014.
3. Are the existing tools/exam sensitive and reliable enough on the day of injury to make or exclude a diagnosis of concussion? – Clinical sideline tools. Fourth International Consensus Conference on Concussion in Sport, Zurich, November 2012.
4. The difficult concussion patient – what is the best approach to the investigation and management of persistent (>10 days) post concussion symptoms? Fourth International Consensus Conference on Concussion in Sport, Zurich, November 2012.
5. History of concussion – from Boxing to football. American College of Sports Medicine annual conference,  San Fransisco, May 2012.
6. The challenges of treating the adolescent and teen athlete. Orthopaedics in the Adolescent and Early Teen – Sports Medicine, New Zealand, October 2011.
7. Back pain in the elite and active adolescent sports person. Orthopaedics in the Adolescent and Early Teen – Sports Medicine, New Zealand, October 2011.
8. Concussion and contact sports – guidelines for management in the adolescent. Orthopaedics in the Adolescent and Early Teen – Sports Medicine, New Zealand, October 2011.
9. Managing concussions in a team setting: return to play issues. IOC Advanced Team Physician Course, Corsica, April 2011.
10. How can we best use NP assessment strategies to guide return to play? IOC Advanced Team Physician Course, Corsica, April 2011.
11. Monitoring outcomes of concussion management. IOC World Conference of Prevention or Injury and Illness in Sport, Monaco, April 2011.
12. Is the simple versus complex classification of concussion a valid and useful differentiation? 3^rd International Conference on Concussion in Sport, Zurich, October 2008.
13. Management of concussion in Rugby. New Zealand Rugby Union Medical symposium, July 2008.
14. Groin pain in the athlete. Indian Orthopaedic Association Golden Jubilee Conference, Sports Medicine Symposium, Mumbai, December 2005.
15. Tendinopathies of the upper limb. Indian Orthopaedic Association Golden Jubilee Conference, Sports Medicine Symposium, Mumbai, December 2005.
16. Tendinopathies of the lower limb. Indian Orthopaedic Association Golden Jubilee Conference, Sports Medicine Symposium, Mumbai, December 2005.
17. Concussion in sport. World Congress of Neurology, Sydney, November 2005.
18. Neuropsychological testing in the real world: which test and why? Canadian Academy of Sports Medicine conference, Vancouver, March 2004.

State/National

1. What’s new in concussion? SMAWA Concussion in sport symposium, Perth May 2014.
2. Henry Kneebone Lecture. Management of difficult concussion.  SMA SA annual conference, Adelaide, February 2014.
3. On-field identification of concussion. SMA NSW Conference of Science and Medicine in Sport, Sydney, November 2013.
4. Identification of concussion – video review and signs to look for from the sidelines. Concussion in Football Conference, Melbourne, March 2013.
5. The difficult concussion patient with persistent symptoms. Concussion in Football Conference, Melbourne, March 2013.
6. Modifiable risk factors – vitamin D and Iron. APA/ACSP injury prevention conference, Melbourne, April 2012.
7. Injury data surveillance: implementation swimming. APA/ACSP injury prevention conference, Melbourne, April 2012.
8. Update on concussion. Victorian Conference of Science and Medicine in Sport and Exercise, Melbourne, June 2011.
9. Is osteoarthritis a consequence of exercise or injury? Prevention and Management of Osteoarthritis in the Athlete, Canberra, July 2010.
10. Concussion in football – current management guidelines. 3^rd Football Australasia conference, October 2008.
11. Management of difficult stress fractures. Australian Physiotherapy Association Conference, Cairns, October 2007.
12. Management of low back pain. Australian Physiotherapy Association, Melbourne, August 2007.
13. State of the art recovery techniques – clinical practice versus science. Soft Tissue Injury Forum, Melbourne, November 2006.
14. Recovery techniques: state of the art research. Australian Conference of Science and Medicine in Sport, Recovery symposium, Melbourne, October 2005.
15. Clinical management of low back pain. Soft Tissue Injury Forum, Melbourne, November 2004.
16. When is it safe to return to play following concussion? Football Australasia Conference, Melbourne, October 2004.
17. Is the blood rule in sport justified? 11^th National Symposium on Hepatitis B and C, Melbourne, November 2003.
18. The role of neuropsychological testing in the management of concussion. Australian Conference of Science and Medicine in Sport, Head injury symposium, Melbourne 2003.