- Dr Challis
Dr Challis Paterson is an Australian-trained General Practitioner who brings a fresh perspective to medicine by combining conventional clinical expertise with an integrative, whole-person approach to healthcare. As a Fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (FRACGP), she is dedicated to shifting the medical focus from merely managing symptoms to addressing root causes, ensuring real and meaningful outcomes for her patients. Her ever-curious approach is founded on the appreciation that optimal health is a lifestyle choice rather than a trend, encompassing nutrition, daily movement, quality sleep, and nervous system regulation.
Dr Challis’s professional mission is profoundly shaped by her personal health journey. Drawing on her own experiences with health challenges in her younger years, she developed a deep-seated belief that "knowledge is freeing". This conviction makes patient education a cornerstone of her practice, as she seeks to empower individuals to be proactive and autonomous in their own health journeys.
Her academic foundation is in human performance and nutrition science. She graduated with a Bachelor of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences from the University of Queensland (UQ) in 2014 before earning her Doctor of Medicine from the same institution in 2018. Before specialising in General Practice, Dr Challis gained extensive experience in the public healthcare system with a particular focus on paediatrics and paediatric surgery. This clinical background has provided her with a comprehensive understanding of medical practice across different life stages — from childhood through to later life — which she now applies to care for a diverse range of patients.
Currently based on the Gold Coast, Dr Challis has a special interest in heart-centred women's health, acknowledging that women are physiologically, hormonally, and metabolically unique. Her clinical interests include menstrual health, perimenopause and menopause support, lifestyle and longevity medicine, and metabolic health. She is enthusiastic about continually expanding her skill set, particularly in the areas of circadian biology, autonomic nervous system regulation, and energy medicine.
Outside of the clinic, Dr Challis embodies the principles of vitality and balance she teaches. She is often found at the beach in the mornings for a swim or a walk to align with natural light cycles. An avid reader and passionate cook—a skill she learned from her mother—she finds creativity and connection through sharing food and soaking up the sunshine.
