In December 2024, we set off on our third research trip to Australia—our first was back in 2019, the second in 2022, and this time it felt almost like visiting old friends. Our main focus was to push the FIMAGE project closer to the finish line, exchange ideas, and enjoy the chance to spend time with colleagues who have been part of this journey for years.
Monash University, Melbourne
Our first stop was Melbourne, where we caught up with Rachelle and her fantastic team.
Rachelle has been an anchor and an inspiring mentor for FICEBO in more ways than one, not least when timelines and analyses have tested our patience.
With the added expertise of Rachelle’s statistician, Alexandra Gorelik, we refined our statistical approach for FIMAGE, to ensure robust analyses.
While our long history with Rachelle dates back to the Preventing Overdiagnosis (PODC) conferences–– 2014 in Oxford for Teppo and 2016 in Barcelona for Thomas—our second-oldest friend in the Monash group is Romi Haas, whom we got to know during the PODC in Sydney 2019. Since then, we’ve collaborated regularly, especially through our joint SCRUTINY reviews. Romi has been an invaluable source of knowledge, references, and sparring whenever shoulder-related topics have come up.
But beyond her professional insight, what truly makes Romi one of our favorite collaborators is her infectious enthusiasm and positivity. Whenever she walks into a room, the energy lifts—and it feels like the sun comes out.
This time again, Rachelle generously invited us to her summer house in the beautiful coastal town of Lorne, where we worked intensively on the FIMAGE data. Even though most days were packed with analysis sessions together with Rachelle, we still managed to enjoy the Australian sun, the beaches, and a bit of surfing (with mixed results).
Bond University, Gold Coast
From Lorne, we continued to Surfers Paradise—though our surfing was definitely over by then. At Bond University, we reconnected with Sharon Sanders, Mark Jones, and other colleagues to finalize the third part of the SCRUTINY review series, focusing on abnormal imaging findings in asymptomatic shoulders.
A real highlight at Bond was visiting Paul Glasziou, one of the world’s most respected figures in evidence-based medicine, and catching up with Tammy Hoffmann. While Paul is an old acquaintance, we were especially happy—and lucky—to finally meet Tammy Hoffmann in person. She had managed to “evade” us on our previous trips, but not this time! Although we’ve had several joint meetings and countless email exchanges through our SCRUTINY reviews, it was a real pleasure to finally connect face-to-face and hand-deliver some (partly melted!) Finnish chocolate—courtesy of the Melbourne heat.
Apart from meeting Paul and Tammy, one of the definite highlights was getting to know their team’s new automated tool for streamlining systematic reviews—from protocol development to literature search and manuscript drafting. It felt like a glimpse into the future of research.
Sydney University, Sydney
Our final stop was Sydney, where we spent time with Ian Harris, who over the years has become both a collaborator and a good friend. In true Australian spirit, Ian introduced us to his morning routine: a 6 a.m. run along Sydney’s waterfront past the Opera House and Harbour Bridge, followed by a refreshing dip in a sea pool. To be honest, it was more of a shuffle than a run on our part—but the swim woke us up properly.
Between these morning “workouts,” we focused on several projects, including a paper examining international variation in ankle surgery rates and laying the groundwork for the Australian Rotator Cuff (ARC) Trial planned to launch in Helsinki. These long sessions with Ian were a great reminder of how valuable it is to sit down together in person and work things through without the usual day-to-day distractions.
Looking Ahead
This trip deepened our collaborations even further and brought a lot of new energy to carry our work forward. From analyzing FIMAGE data to completing the SCRUTINY series and exploring new ideas for future studies, it was a visit that reminded us how much good science relies on good people.
Thanks to Rachelle, Paul, Tammy, Ian, and everyone else who opened their doors (and calendars) to make it all happen.
Australia—we’ll see you again soon!
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