About Us
We are a group of health professionals passionate about metabolic health
In July 2023 the Australasian Metabolic Health Society was incorporated. This is a sister organisation to the Society of Metabolic Health Practitioners which is based in America. It has been created with their full support as we share the same mission – education, training, and support of evidence-based nutritional approaches, including carbohydrate restriction & ketogenic therapies, as a valid therapeutic option or intervention.
Metabolic health is defined as having optimal:
- blood sugar
- blood insulin
- waist circumference
- blood pressure
- triglycerides and HDL cholesterol
Ideally, the above is achieved with minimal or no medications.
The AMHS is an independent Australian entity, run by local practitioners for the benefit of local health practitioners. Its primary purpose is to develop consensus guidelines, provide education and training for health practitioners in Australia, New Zealand and the Asia Pacific region. It also aims to provide advocacy at a local, state and national level for metabolic health practitioners. It is the first organisation in Australia to incorporate the full spectrum of therapeutic low carbohydrate diets for application across a range of disease processes as well as for optimising metabolic health. It is also proudly free of corporate sponsorship from pharmaceutical, supplement and commercial food companies.
Board of Directors

Dr Deepa Mahananda
GP – New South Wales

Dr Alex Petrushevski
GP – New South Wales

Dr Laureen Lawlor Smith
GP – South Australia

Prof. Caryn Zinn
New Zealand

Prof. Grant Schofield
New Zealand
Advisory Board

Dr James Muecke
Ophthalmologist and Australian of the Year 2020 – South Australia

Dr Rod Tayler
Melbourne anaesthetist and expert in weight loss research and low carbohydrate diets.

Dr Gary Fettke
Tasmania-based orthopaedic surgeon.

Dr Peter Brukner
Peter Brukner is a specialist sports and Founder of Defeat Diabetes.
Scientific Committee
In August 2023 the scientific committee was appointed by the Board of Directors after careful consideration of a large number of experienced applicants.

Dr Sanjeev Balakrishnan
GP – Western Australia

Dr Ron Schweitzer
GP – Victoria

Dr Penny Figtree
GP – NSW

Dr Lucy Burns
GP – Victoria

Dr Liz Fraser
GP -NSW

Dr Laureen Lawlor Smith
GP – South Australia

Dr Karen Dwyer
Renal Physician – Victoria

Dr Louise Phillips
GP – Queensland
Our partners
Together we can support the metabolic health of all Australians.

Your donation helps us to keep going and growing for better health outcomes together.