Clinical trials are research investigations in which people volunteer to test new treatments to manage various diseases or medical conditions, including osteoarthritis. Some investigations look at how people respond to a new treatment and how this treatment works. Clinical trials help to determine if a new intervention helps the participants if it is safe and if it is better than the interventions that are already available for that condition.
Meet our Research Team
Associate Professor Dr Julien Freitag
Sports Medicine Physician & Head of Clinical Research
Assoc. Prof. Julien Freitag is an experienced musculoskeletal specialist and is a fellow of the Australasian College of Sport and Exercise Physicians.
His practice is focused on the active management of musculoskeletal conditions including osteoarthritis and tendinopathy.
Assoc. Prof. Freitag is an authority in the area of clinical regenerative musuloskeletal medicine including Platelet-rich Plasma (PRP) and Mesenchymal Stem Cell (MSC) therapy. He has published numerous international articles in the area of regenerative medicine and is a frequent contributor and invited speak to local and international conferences. Assoc. Prof. Freitag is the Principle Clinical Investigator in a number of world leading research projects in the area of stem cell therapy in osteoarthritis.
Dr Matt Chamerlain
Sports Medicine Physician & Research Doctor.
Dr Chamberlain is a Sports and Exercise Medicine physician. He completed his medical degree in 1998 at the University of Sydney, and has a further degree in Clinical Epidemiology through the University of Newcastle. His clinical practice is mixed between sports and musculo-skeletal medicine, as well as more specifically osteoarthritis care at all levels.
He has worked extensively with Melbourne sporting terms, and is the current team doctor for the Australian Dolphins swimming team and Melbourne Vixens Netball team.
Dr Chamberlain is currently involved with the research through the Melbourne Stem Cell Centre Research, as well as further research looking at advanced MRI imaging modalities in osteoarthritis.
Renee - Executive Assistant and Compliance.
Renee completed her nursing training in 2004 and worked primarily in regional hospitals until she moved to Melbourne in 2010. Once in Melbourne, she worked within some large medical franchises before moving into musculoskeletal medicine. She has been part of the team at Melbourne Stem Cell Research since 2014 and is the Executive Assistant and Compliance manager
Renee is interested in leadership and teaching, especially in boutique specialist medical practices. She enjoys the challenge of working within small multi-skilled and multidisciplinary teams where she balances the needs of a patient-centred approach while meeting best practice standards.
Melissa - Practice Manager
Mel is our Practice Manager at Melbourne Stem Cell Centre Research and is an integral part of the Research Team. She has worked as part of MSCC for the past 9 years and has invaluable experience within the industry. She has been named one of the authors of many of our published research papers on stem cell therapy and continues contributing to our ever-growing research. She provides leadership and guidance for our nursing and administrative teams.
As a compassionate listener and advocate for patient-centered evidence-based care, true informed consent is paramount to everything she does.
Ellee - Clinical Outcomes Analyst Research Administration
Ellee is the Clinical Outcomes Analyst for MSCCR and supports research administration, but she initially joined the team in 2016 as a receptionist. At the time, she was working as an Auslan interpreter and studying to be a naturopath, and her person-centered approach and passion for natural therapies were a great fit for the clinic. She quickly became known within the team for her love of spreadsheets and systems and her attention to detail, leading to many evolutions of her role over the years.
Ellee has now relocated to WA, and she is proud to still be a part of the team remotely, remaining hands-on with patient follow-up and contributing to our clinical trials and research publications.
Charlotte - Practice Nurse
Charlotte joined MSCCR in July 2022 as a Practice Nurse. Charlotte has previous experience in community nursing and assisting with phase 1 pharmaceutical clinical trials. Her favorite part about her job is seeing how these patients can get back to activities that they once loved post-stem cell treatment. Charlotte enjoys spending time with her friends/family and partaking in self-care activities.
Katie - Practice Nurse
Katie joined MSCCR in July 2024 as a Practice Nurse. She has previous experience in fetal genetics and prenatal nursing and has a keen interest in patient-centered care. Since joining the team she has thoroughly enjoyed emerging herself in her new tendon research. Katie enjoys spending time with her partner and her fitness.
Jacob - Administration
Jacob has worked in medical reception for over 2 years and has been part of the MSCCR team in administration since early 2024. Jacob takes joy in assisting patients through their clinical journey. In his spare time, Jacob enjoys working on both his physical and mental wellness, traveling, and volunteer work.