Gillian Mason (she/her), has gained insight into and lost patience with inflexible healthcare systems, managing the demands of two complex chronic diseases and a 15-year career as a physiotherapist, rehabilitation researcher and science communicator. She was born with the genetic connective tissue disorder Ehler’s Danlos Syndrome and developed Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy a decade ago. She is a consumer representative on the Australian Government’s Medical Services Advisory Committee and Health Technology Assessment Consumer Consultative Committee and a passionate advocate for access and inclusion in healthcare. For the University of Newcastle, at Hunter Medical Research Institute, she manages the Stroke Research Register and provides training and mentorship in the involvement of consumers and the community in research. As a clinical research assistant for the Centre for Rehab Innovations, her focus is on developing solutions for delivering individualised, accessible rehabilitation, supported by telehealth and digital health applications.