Meet Our Doctors
Our team of highly skilled and compassionate rehabilitation specialists are informed by the latest research and knowledge in rehabilitation medicine, to provide cutting-edge, evidence-based programs in neurological and orthopaedic rehabilitation. They will tailor treatment plans to meet the unique needs of each patient, with the goal of maximising recovery and independence.
Our Rehabilitation Specialists
Assoc. Prof. Arun Aggarwal
MBBS, FRACP, FAFRM (RACP), FAFPM (ANZCA), PhD
Neurology / Rehabilitation & Pain Specialist
Assoc. Prof Arun Aggarwal is a Neurologist and Pain specialist. He graduated from the University of Adelaide in 1987. He then went on to specialise in Neurology, Rehabilitation Medicine and Pain Medicine with 3 Fellowships from the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, Australasian Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine and the Australasian Faculty of Pain Medicine. He is a Clinical Associate Professor through the Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney.
Assoc. Prof Aggarwal completed his PhD in 2004 on Electrophysiological Studies in Familial Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis with his primary paper, ‘Detection of pre-clinical motor neurone loss in SOD1 mutation carriers using motor unit number estimation’ being widely cited in the international literature. He was awarded the Australian Association of Neurologists Young Investigator Award for his presentation of this paper. He is the primary author of 3 book chapters on this subject and also has over 50 manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals on a number of different topics including Chronic Pain, Parkinson’s disease and Spasticity. He is on the Editorial board of a number of journals. He is the current Chairman of the ANZ Association of Neurologists Neuro-Rehabilitation Sub-Committee and on the Medical Advisory Board of Trigeminal Neuralgia Association (Australia).
Assoc. Prof Aggarwal has been a VMO at Royal Rehab Private Petersham (Previously known as MetroRehab) since 1998.
Assoc. Prof Arun Aggarwal is a Neurologist and Pain specialist. He graduated from the University of Adelaide in 1987. He then went on to specialise in Neurology, Rehabilitation Medicine and Pain Medicine with 3 Fellowships from the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, Australasian Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine and the Australasian Faculty of Pain Medicine. He is a Clinical Associate Professor through the Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney.
Assoc. Prof Aggarwal completed his PhD in 2004 on Electrophysiological Studies in Familial Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis with his primary paper, ‘Detection of pre-clinical motor neurone loss in SOD1 mutation carriers using motor unit number estimation’ being widely cited in the international literature. He was awarded the Australian Association of Neurologists Young Investigator Award for his presentation of this paper. He is the primary author of 3 book chapters on this subject and also has over 50 manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals on a number of different topics including Chronic Pain, Parkinson’s disease and Spasticity. He is on the Editorial board of a number of journals. He is the current Chairman of the ANZ Association of Neurologists Neuro-Rehabilitation Sub-Committee and on the Medical Advisory Board of Trigeminal Neuralgia Association (Australia).
Assoc. Prof Aggarwal has been a VMO at Royal Rehab Private Petersham (Previously known as MetroRehab) since 1998.
Dr Darren Lee
BSc (Med) MBBS FAFRM (RACP)
Consultant Physician in Rehabilitation Medicine
Dr Darren Lee is a Rehabilitation Medicine Physician based in Sydney, Australia. He has been a Visiting Medical Officer at Royal Rehab Private Petersham (Previously known as MetroRehab) since 2009 and admits to the inpatient and day programs, as well as being involved with the Neurorehab clinic and Sydney Stroke Rehabilitation Centre at Royal Rehab Private Petersham.
He is a Senior Staff Specialist in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, a major teaching hospital of the University of Sydney, and at Balmain Hospital, having commenced there as Postgraduate Fellow in 2008. He also admits to the Royal Rehab Private Hospital at Ryde.
Dr Lee graduated with honours from the University of New South Wales in 2001 and became a Fellow of the Australasian Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians in 2008, having undergone extensive training with experts in the field of rehabilitation medicine. He is an accredited supervisor of advanced trainees in rehabilitation medicine and accredited formal long case assessor for the AFRM and sits on a number of medical advisory committees.
His clinical expertise and research interests include rehabilitation of neurological conditions, with a particular interest in stroke, cancers of the nervous system, Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinsons Disease, as well as rehabilitation after trauma and complex orthopaedic surgery, and deconditioning after complicated hospital admissions. He runs specialised multidisciplinary spasticity clinics and has extensive experience in performing targeted injections for spasticity management. Future challenges include assessing the role of new technologies in rehabilitation.
Active areas of research include treatment of post-stroke shoulder pain, post-stroke spasticity management, rehabilitation after complex surgery such as pelvic exenteration, implementation and scale-up of innovative models of rehabilitation delivery, and the role of music therapy as part of an interdisciplinary approach to rehabilitation for stroke survivors with aphasia.
Dr Darren Lee is a Rehabilitation Medicine Physician based in Sydney, Australia. He has been a Visiting Medical Officer at Royal Rehab Private Petersham (Previously known as MetroRehab) since 2009 and admits to the inpatient and day programs, as well as being involved with the Neurorehab clinic and Sydney Stroke Rehabilitation Centre at Royal Rehab Private Petersham.
He is a Senior Staff Specialist in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, a major teaching hospital of the University of Sydney, and at Balmain Hospital, having commenced there as Postgraduate Fellow in 2008. He also admits to the Royal Rehab Private Hospital at Ryde.
Dr Lee graduated with honours from the University of New South Wales in 2001 and became a Fellow of the Australasian Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians in 2008, having undergone extensive training with experts in the field of rehabilitation medicine. He is an accredited supervisor of advanced trainees in rehabilitation medicine and accredited formal long case assessor for the AFRM and sits on a number of medical advisory committees.
His clinical expertise and research interests include rehabilitation of neurological conditions, with a particular interest in stroke, cancers of the nervous system, Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinsons Disease, as well as rehabilitation after trauma and complex orthopaedic surgery, and deconditioning after complicated hospital admissions. He runs specialised multidisciplinary spasticity clinics and has extensive experience in performing targeted injections for spasticity management. Future challenges include assessing the role of new technologies in rehabilitation.
Active areas of research include treatment of post-stroke shoulder pain, post-stroke spasticity management, rehabilitation after complex surgery such as pelvic exenteration, implementation and scale-up of innovative models of rehabilitation delivery, and the role of music therapy as part of an interdisciplinary approach to rehabilitation for stroke survivors with aphasia.
Dr Anuka Parapuram
MBBCh (Wales, UK) FAFRM (RACP)
General Rehabilitation Physician
Dr Parapuram was born in Malaysia and obtained her Undergraduate Medical degree in University of Wales, UK. She moved to Australia in 1998 and became a Rehabilitation Physician in 2008. She works at both Royal Rehab Private Petersham and Ryde.
Dr Parapuram has a special interest in Rehabilitation for Parkinson's Disease and Oncology Rehab and has been involved in setting up Multidisciplinary Rehab programs at both Hospitals in which she practices in. She is keen on increased awareness of the benefits of multidisciplinary rehabilitation in both these patient groups to improve quality of lives.
Dr Parapuram has a keen interest in teaching and is the Trainee Supervisor for Advance Rehab Trainees at Petersham and Clinical Tutor with University Sydney Medical School. She has held many Honorary roles with the Australian Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine which include being the Treasurer of the NSW Branch of the AFRM, Exam Convenor and a member of the Fellowship Clinical Exam Committee.
She is currently a member of the Court of Examiners and Cancer Rehabilitation Special Interest Group within the Faculty. In her spare time Dr Parapuram is an active member of the local Community is a member of a Local Award winning Community Choir “The Mamas” that is involved in fund-raising for charities though their annual Concert.
Dr Parapuram is thrilled to be able to Practice as a Rehabilitation Physician within her local community.
Dr Parapuram was born in Malaysia and obtained her Undergraduate Medical degree in University of Wales, UK. She moved to Australia in 1998 and became a Rehabilitation Physician in 2008. She works at both Royal Rehab Private Petersham and Ryde.
Dr Parapuram has a special interest in Rehabilitation for Parkinson’s Disease and Oncology Rehab and has been involved in setting up Multidisciplinary Rehab programs at both Hospitals in which she practices in. She is keen on increased awareness of the benefits of multidisciplinary rehabilitation in both these patient groups to improve quality of lives.
Dr Parapuram has a keen interest in teaching and is the Trainee Supervisor for Advance Rehab Trainees at Petersham and Clinical Tutor with University Sydney Medical School. She has held many Honorary roles with the Australian Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine which include being the Treasurer of the NSW Branch of the AFRM, Exam Convenor and a member of the Fellowship Clinical Exam Committee.
She is currently a member of the Court of Examiners and Cancer Rehabilitation Special Interest Group within the Faculty. In her spare time Dr Parapuram is an active member of the local Community is a member of a Local Award winning Community Choir “The Mamas” that is involved in fund-raising for charities though their annual Concert.
Dr Parapuram is thrilled to be able to Practice as a Rehabilitation Physician within her local community.
Dr Helen Redmond
MBBS FAFRM (RACP)
Rehabilitation Physician
Dr Redmond is a rehabilitation medicine physician who has worked at Royal Rehab Private Petersham since 1998, and has been a Visiting Medical Officer since 2004.
She loves her work and is inspired by the stories and achievements of those she cares for. She has a wide range of skills including, stroke and neurological rehabilitation, pain management, multi-trauma, orthopaedic and aged care rehabilitation. She helps run the NeuroRehab Clinic and Sydney Stroke Rehabilitation Centre at Royal Rehab Private Petersham. She is a senior staff specialist at the Brain Injury Service, Liverpool Hospital and runs the multidisciplinary Spasticity Management Service there, specialising in botulinum toxin injections for spasticity.
Dr Redmond is a conjoint lecturer at the University of NSW in the School of Public Health and Community Medicine, teaching environmental health to medical students. She volunteers for Doctors for the Environment Australia, advocating for strong action on climate change in order to protect human health. Numerous public talks include her TEDx talk on health and climate change. She loves trail-running, cycling and gardening.
Dr Redmond is a rehabilitation medicine physician who has worked at Royal Rehab Private Petersham since 1998, and has been a Visiting Medical Officer since 2004.
She loves her work and is inspired by the stories and achievements of those she cares for. She has a wide range of skills including, stroke and neurological rehabilitation, pain management, multi-trauma, orthopaedic and aged care rehabilitation. She helps run the NeuroRehab Clinic and Sydney Stroke Rehabilitation Centre at Royal Rehab Private Petersham. She is a senior staff specialist at the Brain Injury Service, Liverpool Hospital and runs the multidisciplinary Spasticity Management Service there, specialising in botulinum toxin injections for spasticity.
Dr Redmond is a conjoint lecturer at the University of NSW in the School of Public Health and Community Medicine, teaching environmental health to medical students. She volunteers for Doctors for the Environment Australia, advocating for strong action on climate change in order to protect human health. Numerous public talks include her TEDx talk on health and climate change. She loves trail-running, cycling and gardening.
Dr Fatemeh Sarmast
FAFRM (RACP)
Rehabilitation Physician
Dr Fatemeh Sarmast is a Fellow of the Australasian Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine with admitting rights to The Hills Private Hospital. She commenced her medical career as an international medical graduate at Frankston Hospital in Victoria in 2012 following obtaining her Medical Doctorate (MBBS equivalent) in 2009 from Tehran, Iran (Shahid Beheshti University).
She finished her advanced training at the Australasian Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine (RACP) in 2020. She has a particular interest in multidisciplinary management and formulation of a rehabilitation plan for chronic pain patients.
Dr Fatemeh Sarmast is a Fellow of the Australasian Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine with admitting rights to The Hills Private Hospital. She commenced her medical career as an international medical graduate at Frankston Hospital in Victoria in 2012 following obtaining her Medical Doctorate (MBBS equivalent) in 2009 from Tehran, Iran (Shahid Beheshti University).
She finished her advanced training at the Australasian Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine (RACP) in 2020. She has a particular interest in multidisciplinary management and formulation of a rehabilitation plan for chronic pain patients.
