Meet The ERA Team

Dr. Melissa Arkinstall is the leader of our team that delivers specialised services in education and sports science. Melissa completed her Bachelor of Applied Science (Human Movement) at RMIT University in Melbourne and has a PhD, specialising in Exercise Physiology.

Melissa’s research has been presented nationally and internationally with numerous papers published in international journals of high regard. Melissa is a key author of the VCE PE text book published by Macmillan Education Australia and is a regular presenter at the state ACHPER conference for teachers. Her expertise includes areas such as applied sports physiology, sports testing, and endurance training. Melissa is a member of the Advisory Board for La Trobe University’s Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Research Focus Area.

Simon has managed training teams in both corporate environments and in the not-for-profit sector, managing large scale training projects and smaller scale accredited training for several different RTOs.  Simon’s experience in Learning and Development roles has included working across different regional areas of Victoria and Tasmania and targeting training to suit complex stakeholder requirements with training interventions executed across all levels of business, from the operational workforce through to the executive management team.

Simon holds a Masters of Business Administration, a Postgraduate Certificate in Educational Leadership and Management, a Bachelor of Education (Sec) and a Certificate IV in Training & Assessment.

Megan joined the ERA team in March 2020. With a background in customer service, office administration, event coordination and bookkeeping, Megan is a great fit for our Finance Officer/Office Manager role, which requires a process-driven and highly organised individual.

Megan enjoys the variety this role offers, the progressive nature of the company, and providing top-notch support to both the ERA team and its clients.

In her spare time Megan loves catching up with family and friends, going for a walk or to the movies, and has recently completed a Cert. IV in Accounting and Bookkeeping to further her knowledge.

Adrienne is an Accredited Exercise Physiologist who joined the ERA team in 2016. Adrienne completed her Bachelor of Applied Science (Human Movement) at RMIT University and then went on to complete her Masters of Clinical Exercise Physiology at Deakin University.

As an Exercise Physiologist, Adrienne has had experience working in private practice, GP clinics, aged care, community settings and sporting clubs. Adrienne was able to utilise her experience across these various settings to play a major role in the development of the ERA Exercise and Rehabilitation Clinic - a community based clinic providing exercise and rehabilitation to a wide range of clientele. Adrienne has a passion for education and enjoys working closely with students in the ERA Clinic where she can share her knowledge and assist the skill development of future Allied Health Assistants.

During her spare time, Adrienne enjoys staying active by going to the gym, swimming, bike riding or hiking.

George is an RTO Quality Consultant who has been involved with ERA since February 2020.

He has been working in the education and training industry since 2012, serving job roles that mainly involved administrative, data management and compliance responsibilities. His experience includes working across different training providers, both for-profit and non-for-profit, with various student cohorts and training funding schemes. An expert in regulatory and funding compliance, he is currently working as a full-time Quality Consultant for RTO Logic, one of the leading RTO consulting firms in Victoria.

In his spare time, he will be either watching movies or jogging in the park. He is also a dedicated fan of NBA!

Nathan joined the ERA team in 2018 from the University sector where he built his experience in student placement coordination. After completing a Bachelor of Business Management/Sport and Recreation Management at Victoria University he worked in a number of different administrative and management roles in Australia, as well as internationally in Austin (USA) and Berlin (Germany).

Nathan is part of our team organising placements and is here to support all students throughout their entire learning experience at ERA.

Nathan is a long-suffering Carlton supporter and country music lover!

Amanda has been with the ERA team since January 2021, coming on board as our Industry Partnerships Manager. She comes to us with extensive experience in the tertiary sector, most recently as a consultant in Work Integrated Learning within business education at The University of Melbourne. 

Amanda is dedicated to developing and maintaining mutually beneficial relationships with allied health partners that will lead to improving the employability outcomes of ERA students through the facilitation of industry placement opportunities.   

In her spare time, Amanda tries to keep up with her very energetic toddler and stay active.  She also enjoys socialising with her family and friends over delicious food. 

Grace is a former graduate of Deakin University where she completed a Bachelor of Health Science majoring in Nutrition and Exercise Science. She joined the ERA team at the beginning of 2018 after completing her Industry Internship with us, gaining a Certificate IV in Allied Health Assistance.

Grace is involved in many aspects of the students learning experiences and assists students in obtaining the most from their time with us at ERA. Having been a student at ERA, this holds Grace in great stead to be the student ‘go-to’ person!

Grace has a great passion for the fitness industry and many sports including AFL and netball, but also enjoys getting away for a weekend of camping and hiking.

Grace is looking forward to working alongside and supporting the students as they complete their course in Allied Health Assistance.

Ben spent most of his earlier years studying away in NSW. He has been in the fitness industry, working as a personal trainer, whilst completing an Exercise Science Degree at University of Wollongong, followed by a Master of Physiotherapy at Sydney University.

Now, Ben has established himself as a Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist, working 5 years in private practice, specialising in sport and spinal conditions. Ben is a large advocate in exercise rehabilitation, and enjoys using an active approach, in conjunction with hands on manual therapy, to treat a wide range of conditions. Ben now brings his knowledge and experience over to teach at ERA.

When not working at ERA or in the clinic, you’ll find him in the gym, playing basketball or catching up on the NBA.

Daniel first began his journey with ERA in 2011 as a student enrolled in the certificate III and IV in fitness qualification. Following this Daniel went on the complete his Bachelor of Physiotherapy (honours) at Monash University and more recently, a Graduate Certificate in Health Professional Education from Australian Catholic University. Since graduating from Monash, Daniel has worked predominantly in private practice and sporting environments.

To date, Daniel has had the opportunity to be involved with various elite athletes and teams including being a physiotherapist at the Commonwealth Games, working within the Women’s AFL at their draft academy, as well as various informal roles at national and international martial arts events where he also competed as an athlete- most notably the IBJJF world championships.

Since returning to ERA in 2019 Daniel has been involved with both delivering and assisting with content development as a an Educator in the Certificate IV in Allied Health Assistance.

Outside of work you can usually find Daniel exploring the Mornington Peninsula with his dogs Atlas and Nova, tending to his garden or playing guitar.

Adam has been involved with ERA since 2019 as an Allied Health Educator and in course development.

His qualifications include a Bachelor of Exercise Science, a Master of Physiotherapy, and he is currently completing a further Master qualification in Clinical Epidemiology. After beginning in private physiotherapy practice, he now works in acute inpatient orthopaedics, seeing a wide variety of post-surgical patients.

Since 2017 he has been active in teaching into Allied Health programs, and enjoys developing student proficiency in a clinical setting.

When not working, he is busy completing his Masters, beyond which he hopes to carry out work into injury epidemiology.

Sarah is an Accredited Exercise Physiologist who began at ERA mid 2018. Sarah completed her Bachelor of Exercise and Sport Science followed by her Masters of Clinical Exercise Physiology at Deakin University. As well as working at ERA, Sarah currently practices as an AEP in a private practice in Parkville.

She works with a range of conditions including musculoskeletal injuries, cardiovascular diseases, mental health, persistent pain and metabolic diseases. Sarah is passionate about helping people experience the benefits of exercise, so they can achieve their goals and improve the quality of their life.

In her spare time, Sarah keeps active herself through a variety of different sports and exercise as she loves the challenge of learning new skills. Sarah loves to share knowledge, and is excited to share her clinical experience with our students!

Nick joined ERA with a Bachelor of Exercise and Health Science which he completed at Australian Catholic University, as well as a Masters of Secondary Teaching, specialising in Physical Education and Health at Monash University.

Nick is a 'jack of all trades' with regard to his role within ERA's day-to-day life, he looks after the delivery of both ERA's High Performance and School services. He has experience in lab and field-based physiological testing to improve sporting performance, along with exercise program development and prescription. Nick is also a valued member of ERA's VET team delivering our sport science masterclasses along with being an assessor.

Nick has a passion for education, believing that critical thinking and an holistic approach to learning and assessment are the fundamentals of developing competent health professionals.

Nick is a fanatical Collingwood supporter, gym user, cook and has a budding love of gardening.

Simone has been with the ERA team since March 2020, coming on board as our dedicated Marketing Officer.

While completing a Bachelor of Applied Business in Marketing degree, Simone worked as an Educator and Program Coordinator in the schools sector, before moving into a position with a global education technology and learning company.
Simone's experience, passion and drive for Marketing made her a perfect addition to the ERA family.

In her spare time, Simone enjoys catching up with friends and family, keeping active, and exploring the state road-trip style.

Originally from England, James studied at York St. John University where he completed a BA in Film & Television Production. In 2013, James made the journey to Australia where he began working as a freelance content creator, providing photography & videography services a range of independent clientele. In 2019, James began working for a global PR & marketing agency as a producer, creating large scale content pieces for campaigns with big brands such as Telstra, Officeworks, Facebook Marketing Partners and ALDI.

James came on board with ERA in September 2020, as our Digital Content & Social Media Coordinator. His passion, work ethic and attention for detail made James a great fit for the ERA team.

When you can't find James deep in the world of digital and socials, you'll often see him exploring the great outdoors, hiking in the hills, cycling along the coast and vacating with a cheeky vino (or two!).

James has completed his Masters of Clinical Exercise Physiology at Deakin University and Bachelor of Exercise and Sports Sciences at RMIT, he joined the ERA team in 2020 as a clinician and student supervisor. While completing his Masters he attended ERA to complete the AHA certification of his own volition to attain skillset across multiple population groups to further his professional development and discover his passion.

As an Accredited Exercise Physiologist, he has experience working within the pathological fields of metabolic, cardiovascular and musculoskeletal with a fascination in the neurological and paediatric fields.

He also enjoys Resistance Training and has a newly developed passion for educating in the field of physiology.

Bryanna joined the ERA team in 2017. Bryanna began her career in the beauty industry which led to her working internationally, including Europe and the USA. As a highly organised and process driven person, Bryanna was a perfect fit for business administration which became her next career progression move. Her time spent working in the real estate sector enabled Bryanna to develop a broad skill set with a focus on attention to detail. Bryanna has the ability to be able to connect with people from all walks of life to deliver an exceptional level of customer service.

Bryanna has always had a passion for the health and fitness industry and enjoys being the go-to person in the office for our staff and clients!

Ben has completed a Bachelor of Exercise and Sports Science majoring in Exercise Physiology and his Master of Applied Sports Science, both at Deakin University. During his undergraduate degree, Ben completed the ERA Student Internship program.

Ben has vast experience coaching a number of sports, most notably cross country running and middle-distance events in athletics. He has worked closely with athletes ranging from a secondary school level to National level. 
Recently, Ben has also worked with Tennis Australia during the Summer months as a Performance Analyst.

In his spare time, Ben loves to run and play tennis. He is also a passionate Richmond supporter.