Dr. Ilonka Meyer is the Clinical Director and Founder of MindBodyPainSpecialists.  

Ilonka completed her medical training in South Africa at the University of Pretoria before undertaking vocational training in South Africa and Australia. After completing her medical degree and postgraduate training in procedural sedation, she held an appointment as lecturer and program coordinator of the Procedural Sedation and Pain Management Diploma, at the University of Western Cape.  

Ilonka was Founder of Cape Sedation Services, a procedural sedation and pain management practice in Cape Town South Africa, specialising in paediatric procedural sedation before moving to Australia in 2008 to start specialist training as an anaesthetist.  Ilonka completed her anaesthesia training through Austin Health, Northern Health, Western Health, Monash Health and Bendigo Hospital.

Ilonka completed Pain Fellowships at Peter McCallum Cancer Centre, Austin Health and The Royal Children’s Hospital and became a Fellow of the Faculty of Pain Medicine of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists in 2018.  

In addition to her role as Founder and Director of MindBodyPainSpecialists, Ilonka also holds an appointment as Director of the Pain Service and Pain Specialist at the Austin Hospital in Heidelberg, Melbourne.  

Ilonka has a strong interest in peri-operative pain and medication optimisation, interventional pain treatments, cancer pain and palliative care and is passionate about growing and expanding integrated pain services in the public sector. Ilonka has played an integral role in the development of the Peri-operative and Transitional pain clinic at Austin Health.

Ilonka is skilled in Clinical Research, Medical Education, Coaching, and Healthcare Management. Her main research focus lies in interventional pain medicine in the peri-operative population, cancer pain and the health economic benefits of pain and medication optimisation in patients both pre-and postoperatively. 

Special Interests include: 

• Interventional Pain Management
  • Back, Knee, Shoulder, Abdominal and Pelvic Pain
• Persistent post-surgical pain
  • e.g., post-lumbar fusion or total knee replacement
• Knee Pain
  • e.g., due to osteoarthritis/ sports injuries/ other chronic conditions or post knee surgery
• Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
• Peri-operative pain management optimisations
• Transitional pain management

Ilonka is a passionate advocate for equality and diversity in all areas of her work, striving to ensure every individual has the chance to achieve their full potential, free from prejudice and discrimination. She is passionate about local, regional, national and international human rights and provides high quality patient care.