Cancer specialists      

Dr Carmel Jacobs

Medical Oncologist

MBChB, FRACP

Dr Carmel Jacobs is a Medical Oncologist specialising in the treatment of genitourinary and prostate cancers.

Carmel graduated from the Otago University School of Medicine in 2001 with Distinction. She completed training in oncology in 2011 and in 2012 completed a post graduate diploma in Palliative Care and dual specialist training in Internal Medicine. Between 2013 and 2015 Carmel completed a clinical research fellowship at The Ottawa Hospital. Ontario, Canada, focusing on breast cancer, genitourinary malignancies and melanoma. Carmel has published widely in peer reviewed journals in the area of supportive care of patients with breast cancer.

Since her return to Auckland, Carmel has held a position at Auckland City Hospital as a Specialist Medical Oncologist. She is currently the Team lead for the Genitourinary Medical Oncology team. Carmel is a principal and co-investigator on a number of clinical research trials in the area of genitourinary oncology. She is an honorary clinical lecturer at Auckland University.

With her experience in palliative care and academic research, Carmel combines evidence based practice with symptom management.

Dr Reuben Broom

Medical oncologist

BHB, MBChB, FRACP

Reuben is a Medical Oncologist specialising in breast cancer.

He graduated from the University of Auckland School of Medicine in 1999 and became a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians in 2006.

Between 2006 and 2008 he completed a clinical research fellowship at Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto, Canada where he focused on breast and renal malignancies.

Reuben returned to New Zealand in 2008 and began working as a consultant at Auckland City and North Shore Hospitals. He is also an honorary senior clinical lecturer in oncology at the University of Auckland.

Reuben is an active researcher in breast cancer. He is an investigator on multiple phase II and III clinical trials.

Although Reuben is very much engaged with the biology of cancer and drug development, he prides himself on clear communication with patients and empowering them with the knowledge to make the decisions that are right for each individual.

Dr Laird Cameron

Medical Oncologist

MBChB, FRACP

Laird Cameron is a Medical Oncologist specialising in lung, mesothelioma and head & neck malignancies.

Having initially completed a BSc majoring in biochemistry, Laird graduated from Otago Medical School in 2003. He undertook his core general medical and oncology training in Wellington.

Laird is dual trained and gained membership as both a general physician and medical oncologist with the Royal Australasian College of Physicians in 2015.

From 2014 to 2016 he completed a clinical fellowship in lung and head & neck malignancies at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne, Australia with a strong emphasis on translating new treatments to better outcomes for cancer patients including targeted therapies and immunotherapy.

He has peer-reviewed publications in treating ALK-rearranged lung cancers. Laird takes pride in tailoring treatments to the needs and goals of the patient, he communicates clearly and has an open and caring approach.

Laird has been treating patients with lung cancer at Auckland Hospital and Canopy Cancer Care since his return to New Zealand in 2016.

He is the New Zealand representative on the Thoracic Oncology Group Australasia, leads the medical oncology lung team at ADHB, chairs the New Zealand Lung Oncology Special Interest Group and is committed to improving the health of New Zealanders with cancer through active involvement in research.

Dr Fritha Hanning

Medical Oncologist

MBChB, MRCP, FRACP

Dr Hanning treats patients with a number of different cancers but her main focus is genitourinary cancer.

Dr Hanning is a graduate of the University of Auckland School of Medicine, having previously studied at Otago University. During her advanced training she worked in the United Kingdom at the Royal London and St Bartholomew’s hospitals, the Royal Free Hospital London, and at Cancer Research UK in Oxford. While in the United Kingdom she completed a certificate in palliative care and symptom management from the University of Wales.

Fritha works at Auckland Hospital where she is the service clinical director for the Medical Oncology Unit and is a convener and initiator of the Genitourinary Special Interest Group for New Zealand. She is a key contributor to on-going scientific research in genitourinary cancer, with involvement in current trials and as a New Zealand representative on the Australia New Zealand Urogenital and Prostate Cancer scientific committee.

Fritha is committed to carefully considering all the issues that face a person and their family as they go through a diagnosis of cancer and their treatment plan. While she has a strong scientific background, communication and empathy are an important part of Fritha’s care.

Fritha is the mother of three children, and is a keen gardener and crossfitter.

In this episode of Canopy TV: The impact of prostate cancer on men's health, sexuality and wellbeing, Dr Hanning adds her professional perspective.

Dr Peter (Chee Choong) Fong

Medical Oncologist

MBBS, FRACP

Peter is a Medical Oncologist specialising in Prostate Cancer, all urological cancers, and Experimental Therapeutics (Oncology Phase I trials). He was a first-class honours graduate of the University of Queensland, Australia in 1994.

He trained in Australia and New Zealand hospitals, gaining his specialist qualifications in 2003 and locumed at Auckland Hospital. Between 2004 and 2008, he undertook a clinical research fellowship at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London in Phase I Oncology Drug Development, being an investigator in many trials. He spent 2 years in the laboratory doing post-graduate translational research on targeted agents at the Institute of Cancer Research, University of London. Thereafter he was in the Prostate Cancer Drug Trials unit.

Peter returned to Auckland Hospital in 2008 and started the medical oncology prostate cancer practice in NZ. He was the team leader in Genitourinary Cancer for over 10 years. He is involved with local and international academic alliance groups. He is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland. His interest in novel therapeutics and cancer biology means he continues to work in the early phase trials unit, ACTC (Auckland Cancer Trials Centre), an Academic Health Alliance collaboration between Auckland Hospital and the University of Auckland.

He is a principal investigator in numerous urological cancer clinical trials from Phase I to III. He has published widely in major peer-reviewed journals.

Whilst Peter focuses on evidence-based practice and discusses novel therapeutics, he tailors his discussion with patients according to their needs.

Dr Ben Lawrence

Medical Oncologist

MBChB, MSc, FRACP

Dr Lawrence specialises in gastro-intestinal cancers. He also has a special interest in the pancreas, neuroendocrine tumours, and cancer genomics.

Ben first graduated from the University of Otago with a BSc with first class honours and an MSc with Distinction. He then completed his medical degree at the University of Auckland in 2003, and registered as an oncology specialist in 2011.

He completed fellowship training in the USA. In 2008 he was a Drug Development Scholar at the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) in Scottsdale Arizona, USA. From 2009 he was the Murray Jackson Clinical Fellow completing a two-year Research Fellowship at Yale University in Connecticut, USA.

Ben returned to Auckland in 2012 to work as both a Senior Clinical Research Fellow at the University of Auckland, and as a Medical Oncologist at Auckland Hospital.

Ben works on multiple research projects, including leading a nationwide translational project involving tumour collection and collaboration with specialists across NZ, Australia, Canada the USA and Europe.

Based at the University of Auckland, the team of talented researchers use multi-level genomic profiling of cancer using cutting-edge gene sequencing technologies, to choose a treatment strategy for each patient with special Neuroendocrine tumours.  He also sits on the Board of the Cancer Society Auckland Northland and is the of Head of Department of Oncology at the University of Auckland.

Canopy TV episode: Dr Ben Lawrence talks about how cancer cells work...

How cancer cells work

Dr Mike McCrystal

Medical Oncologist

MD, FRACP

Dr McCrystal is a specialist oncologist specialising in breast and melanoma.

He graduated from the University of Auckland School of Medicine in 1987. He then completed an MD in cancer drug development in 2000.

Mike has worked predominately in Auckland, New Zealand where he has an interest in the genetics of melanoma and breast cancers. He has worked at Auckland Hospital Department of Clinical Oncology since 1999.

Dr Osama Salih

Medical Oncologist

MBBS, DTM&H, FRACP

Dr Osama Salih is a medical oncologist with special interest in gastrointestinal, colorectal and head & neck cancers.

In his early years of training, 2004 to 2008, Osama worked for the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK before moving to settle in New Zealand in February 2008. He has worked in a number of hospitals in New Zealand before completing his medical oncology training at Auckland City Hospital and gaining the Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (FRACP) in 2015. Following his FRACP qualification, Osama spent a year in Australia working as an Oncology Clinical Research Fellow for the Mater Hospitals as well as a clinical lecturer for Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland. The focus of his fellowship was on gynaecological and breast malignancies but also encompassed other types of cancer such as GI, prostate and lung cancer. The fellowship was a combination of clinical work and research. The research activities included assessment and management of patients involved in small phase I to large phase III national and international clinical trials.

When back to New Zealand, Osama worked as a medical oncologist for Waikato Hospital before he accepted a full-time position at Auckland City Hospital in 2018.

Throughout his work he has been involved in a number of researches as well as teaching and training in oncology. During his oncology training, Osama was selected for the finalists of New Zealand Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) Trainee Research Award.

Osama’s focus is sharing management plan decisions with patients through providing comprehensive information about evidence-based treatment.

Dr Richard Sullivan

Medical Oncologist

MBChB, FRACP

Dr Sullivan is a Medical Oncologist with a specialist interest in lung cancer, brain tumours and mesothelioma.

Richard studied in Christchurch, Dunedin, Wellington and Auckland. He graduated from the University of Otago School of Medicine in 1994 and became a Specialist in 2004.

Richard is currently the Chief Clinical Office at Health NZ. He also holds a number of other positions including, Northern Region Alliance Cancer Lead, Co-Chair Te Aho o Te Kahu, Chair of National AYA Cancer Network and a Director at Canopy Healthcare.

He is the principal investigator on several New Zealand lung cancer research trials and also sits on numerous national cancer-related committees and boards including Auckland Northland Cancer Society and Mesothelioma Trust.

Richard focuses on improving experiences and outcomes for his patients and their families when they find themselves embarking on the cancer treatment journey.

In this episode of Canopy TV: Intimacy for women during cancer treatment, Dr Sullivan shares his perspective.

Dr Naera Waters

Medical Oncologist

MBChB, FRACP

Dr Naera Waters has trained as a generalist oncologist but has a special interest in the management and treatment of breast cancer.

Naera graduated from the University of Auckland Medical School in 2005 and trained in Medical Oncology at Auckland Hospital. In 2014 she presented research at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Scientific meeting on the validity of staging radiology in early breast cancer. She became a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians in 2016 and has subsequently commenced work as a specialist.

Naera brings to her work compassion, empathy, attention to detail and a strong focus on patient and family centred care. She also has interests in palliative care and symptom management, having spent time working in this area during her training.

Naera plans to undertake a research based fellowship with the New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation in the near future as well as focussing on bringing up a young family.

Naera welcomes breast cancer referrals.

Dr Abbey Wrigley

Medical Oncologist

MBChB, FRACP, MMedSci

Dr Abbey Wrigley is a Medical Oncologist who treats a variety of cancer types, and has a particular focus on the treatment of breast, lung, and gastro-intestinal malignancies. Abbey is a practicing Medical Oncologist at Canopy Cancer Care at our Warkworth, North Shore and Epsom clinics.

She graduated from Otago University Medical School in 2006 and became a fellow of The Royal College of Physicians in 2014 after completing her advanced training in medical oncology.

In 2014 she received the inaugural NZ Breast Cancer Foundation Clinical Oncology Fellowship, supporting her research at The University of Auckland. She graduated with a Masters of Medical Science with first degree honours in 2017.

Her research thesis examined the genetic changes found in early breast cancer. Abbey is a compassionate, driven, and approachable oncologist. 

Dr Lisa Dawson

Medical Oncologist

BSc, MBBS, FRACP

Dr Dawson is a general Medical Oncologist working in Northland with a special interest in breast cancer, GU and melanoma.

Lisa graduated from St. Georges Medical School London in 1994 with a BSc(Hon) and MB BS.

She moved to NZ in 1995 with her NZ born husband.  She then went on to train in internal medicine gaining entrance to the Royal Australasian College of Medicine in 2010.

After advanced training in Medical Oncology she took up a position as Medical Oncologist and Clinical Director of the Cancer and Blood services in Whangarei. In 2015 the department won an excellence award for the development of their model of care.

She believes in carefully assessing all the issues that a patient and family face before implementing a personalised management plan.

Lisa is married with 6 children. Her family enjoy spending their spare time sailing.

Dr Vincent Newton

Medical Oncologist

BSc, MBChB, FRACP

Dr Newton is a Medical Oncologist with a special interest in gynaecological and genitourinary cancers including renal and prostate cancer and also has experience in treating gastrointestinal and lung cancer.

Vince graduated from the University of Auckland with a BSc then undertook his medical degree at the University of Otago graduating in 2001. He worked in Auckland hospital in a range of areas including cardiology and geriatrics then completed his specialist training in Medical Oncology, becoming a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians in 2014.

He currently also works as a Medical Oncologist in Whangarei at the Jim Carney Centre. He is actively involved in quality initiatives in cancer services and is dedicated to improving health services for Northland patients.

He provides an holistic, patient-centered approach, treating every patient with dignity and respect and aims to restore hope and health combining up-to-date evidence-based practice with individualised one-on-one care.

When not working Vince enjoys the lifestyle opportunities Northland offers including tramping and fishing with his family.

Dr Elliott Brenman

Medical Oncologist

BMedSci, BMBS, MRCP (UK), FRACP

Dr Elliott Brenman is a general Medical Oncologist with a special interest in genitourinary and lung cancers.

Elliott graduated from Nottingham Medical School (UK) in 2006 and spent 4 years working in hospitals in the UK. During that time he gained full membership to the Royal College of Physicians (UK). In 2010 he moved to New Zealand and decided to settle permanently. Elliott conducted his oncology specialist training at Waikato and Auckland Hospitals. Elliott has a passion for teaching and education. He was the first ever trainee to sit on the Royal Collage advisory board for Oncology Training in New Zealand. He regularly teaches students at all levels from medical school through to doctors advanced training in Oncology.

During his career Elliott has been heavily involved in cancer research. He has been an investigator in numerous phase I, II, and III clinical trials. In 2014 he was granted a fellowship to attend the ACORD workshop where he wrote a research protocol for an international cancer trial conducted throughout Australia and New Zealand. In 2014 the New Zealand Society for Oncology awarded him the prize for clinical research in recognition of his study into the outcomes from ovarian cancer in New Zealand women.

Elliott completed his specialist training in 2015. He spent a year working as a consultant in both public and private hospitals in Auckland. At this time he also conducted a clinical research fellowship through the University of Auckland. In 2016 Elliott moved to the Bay of Plenty to take up a permanent Medical Oncology position in Tauranga Hospital.

Elliott prides himself on clear communication and his patient-centered approach; tailoring cancer treatment to suit each patient’s individual needs.

Dr Michelle Head

Medical Oncologist

BHB, MBChB, FRACP

Dr Michelle Head is trained as a general oncologist, with a special interest in a number of tumour types, including breast, head & neck and gastrointestinal cancers. She also has an active interest and welcomes referrals for patients with melanoma and lymphoma.

Dr Head was raised in the Waikato/Bay of Plenty region and attended Katikati College. She graduated from Auckland University in 2002 and completed Medical Oncology training in 2011, having worked in a number of New Zealand centres.

Dr Head has been an investigator on more than 20 clinical trials, and has published in peer reviewed journals. She also works at the Bay of Plenty District Health Board, where she has assisted in protocol development in the Medical Oncology Unit. She is a Clinical Teaching Supervisor for senior nursing staff and involved in teaching of junior doctors and medical students.

Dr Head has a strong interest in the psychosocial and survivorship aspects of oncology, and was a founding member of the Waikato/Bay of Plenty Psycho-Oncology Forum.

Outside of work, Dr Head can often be found running with her border collies.

Dr Joanna Jones

Medical Oncologist

BHB, MBChB, Clin Dip Pall Med, FRACP

Dr Joanna Jones is a Medical Oncologist with a special interest in Breast and Gynaecological cancers.

Joanna graduated from the University of Auckland Medical School in 2005. In 2009 she completed a Clinical Diploma of Palliative Medicine and became a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians in 2013.

After graduation Joanna worked in Auckland before moving to Australia to complete her specialist training in medical oncology. She trained at many of the large tertiary and regional centres in South East Queensland including Royal Brisbane Hospital, Princess Alexandra Hospital and Mater Adult Hospital. In 2012 she was awarded a fellowship to attend the ACORD protocol development workshop. Her research focussed on symptom management for advanced gynaecological cancers.

In 2014, Joanna returned to New Zealand with her husband and young family to take up a position as Medical Oncologist at Tauranga Hospital.

Joanna combines clear communication and a patient focussed approach to care. Compassion, empathy and attention to symptom management are all integral parts of Joanna’s approach.

Dr Richard North

Medical Oncologist

BHB, MBChB, FRACP

Dr Richard North trained as a general medical oncologist but maintains specific interests in gastro-intestinal and lung cancers along with melanoma.

He trained in Auckland and Waikato before moving to Newcastle in Australia to complete his fellowship training. Newcastle boasts a large cancer centre and includes the ANZ Breast Cancer Trials Unit and the Newcastle Melanoma Unit.

Richard came to Tauranga in 2008 and was the first medical oncologist based in Tauranga & Whakatane. He has been instrumental in building and expanding the service over the years. He has a passion for the people in the Bay of Plenty and his goal is to provide the optimal oncology experience for patients from the region.

Richard is, and has been the principal investigator in a large number of phase III multinational trials in oncology since moving to Tauranga in 2008.

At a National level Richard has been a member of Cancer Control New Zealand and is currently the chair of the Medical Oncology Work Group, a ministry of health committee dedicated to improving Medical Oncology services throughout the country.

Richard has a passion for medical education and has a academic position with the University of Auckland School of Medicine to teach both 4 th year and final year medical students based in the BOP. He is an examiner for the Royal Australasian College of Physicians.

Richard’s primary focus in oncology is to provide the best advice, care and support possible for patients with this terrible illness. This involves drug treatments but also excellent liaison with other services such as radiation oncology, surgery and palliative care when appropriate.

Outside of work Richard has a wife and 2 children. He is a devoted Christian with a strong faith. He sometimes goes running, but usually regrets it.

Dr Jonathan Davis

Medical Oncologist

BM, FRACP

Dr Jonathan Davis is a general Medical Oncologist with a special interest in lymphoma, brain, lung, gynaecological, skin, prostate and gastrointestinal cancers.

Jonathan graduated from Southampton University (UK) in 2007 and spent a few years working in the UK before emigrating to New Zealand. He has worked throughout New Zealand and commenced his Oncology specialist training in Christchurch before moving to Tauranga to complete it. He works both in private and public and has particular interest in teaching our oncology specialists in training.

Dr Davis has worked as an investigator on many international clinic trials both here in Tauranga and Christchurch.

Jonathan likes to offer patients an honest opinion driven by the data but guided by the patients goals and wishes.

Outside of work Jonathan can be found running, climbing or wrangling with his tamariki.  

Dr William Thompson

Medical Oncologist

MBChB, FRACP

Will is a medical oncologist who treats a variety of cancer types. He has a special interest in breast and gastrointestinal cancers. He also welcomes referrals for those with neuroendocrine tumours, melanoma, lung cancers, and head and neck cancers.

Will trained at the University of Auckland, graduating in 2009, before working in Auckland and London. He completed his specialty training in Auckland and Tauranga before taking a medical oncology consultant role in Tauranga. In addition to clinical work he is involved in both teaching and research, as an investigator or sub-investigator in a number of local and international trials.

Will lives in Tauranga with his wife and two young sons. They love exploring the outdoors, the beach, surfing and mountain biking.

Will prides himself on communicating well. He is passionate about providing quality care that integrates available clinical evidence with the goals and values unique to a person and their family.

Dr Jody Jordan

Medical Oncologist

MD, FRACP

Dr Paula Barlow

Medical Oncologist

MBChB, FRACP

Dr Simon Fu

Medical Oncologist

MBChB, FRACP

Dr Simon Fu is a Medical Oncologist specialising in the treatment of prostate, kidney, bladder, and testicular cancers. 

Simon graduated from the University of Otago School of Medicine in 2009 and became a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians in 2018. Between 2018 and 2020 he worked as a genitourinary clinical research fellow at BC Cancer Agency, Vancouver centre, with a focus on prostate cancer translational research.

Simon returned to Auckland in 2020 as a consultant at Auckland City Hospital. He also holds an Honorary post at University of Auckland. He is an active researcher in genitourinary cancer with multiple publications in major peer reviewed journals. Simon aims to bring the latest evidence-based research into clinical practice.

Simon can offer consultation in Mandarin and Cantonese.

Dr Aileen Ludlow

Medical Oncologist

MBBS, FRACP

Aileen Ludlow is a Medical Oncologist specialising in the treatment of upper and lower GI cancers as well as lung cancer and mesothelioma.

She is originally from the UK and completed her medical degree at the University of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne. She moved to New Zealand in 2008 to continue her medical training. She undertook her Oncology training in Christchurch before moving back to the UK for a fellowship. In 2017 she undertook a fellowship at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London involving clinical research with immunotherapy and targeted therapies in Gynaecological, Melanoma and Renal cancers.

Aileen Returned to New Zealand as a consultant in 2018 joining the GI and Lung cancer teams at Auckland Hospital. She is involved in research in both of these fields and is an active member of the Australasian Gastrointestinal Trials Group as well as the Thoracic Oncology Group Australasia. Recently she has taken on the role of Director of Training for Medical Oncology in Auckland and is responsible for the training of Junior Doctors joining the medical oncology specialty.

Aileen prides herself in fostering good relationships with her patients through clear communication. She enjoys working with her patients to understand the cancer journey and employ the most recent advances in treatment to their best advantage.

Dr Michelle Wilson

Medical Oncologist

MBChB, FRACP, MD

Michelle Wilson is a Medical Oncologist specialising in gynaecological malignancies, sarcomas, and translational research.

Michelle received her FRACP specialist qualification in 2013 after completing her training in Auckland. Following this she spent two years undertaking research at the world-renowned Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto, Canada. During her time in Canada, Michelle worked with their Drug Development Team with a focus on gynaecological cancers, sarcoma and translating new treatments to better outcomes.

Since her return in 2015, Michelle has been treating women with gynaecological cancers at Auckland Hospital. Michelle is also the Service Clinical Director for Cancer and Blood Research. Her research focus is geared towards early phase translational studies, the relevance of genetic testing in oncology and clinical trials design. She was awarded a post graduate Doctor of Medicine from the University of Auckland for her work on the challenges facing clinical trial design in oncology.

Michelle is the New Zealand Board representative on the Australia New Zealand Gynae-Oncology Group (ANZGOG), an active member of their Research Advisory Committee and Deputy Chair of their Ovarian Tumour Working Group. She is actively involved with the international Gynaecologic Cancer Intergroup (GCIG) and locally with the New Zealand Gynaecological Cancer Group (NZGCG).  She is principal investigator of numerous gynaecological cancer clinical trials from Phase I to III. She has published in major peer-reviewed journals. 

Michelle prides herself on clear communication, empathy and an attention to detail in order to provide evidence-based patient-centred care.

Dr Prashanth Hari Dass

Medical Oncologist

MBChB, FRACP

Prashanth is a Medical Oncologist based in Rotorua.  His goal is to provide specialised oncology care to the patients in the Rotorua lakes region in a timely manner. He provides cancer treatment advice, and up to date cancer treatment including unfunded treatment options that have been showed to benefit patients.

In 2016 Prashanth completed a Clinical Research Fellowship in Medical Oncology in Late Phase Cancer Clinical Trials at the Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, Australia followed by a Clinical Research fellowship in Medical Oncology Early Phase Cancer Clinical Trials, Churchill Hospital, University of Oxford, United Kingdom in 2017.

His long term goals are to develop a cancer clinical trial unit in Rotorua in future with the hope to reduce barriers and improve access to investigational cancer treatment for patients locally.

Dr Alistair Wickham

Medical Oncologist

MBChB, MRCP, FRACP, DTM&H

Alistair is a Medical Oncologist based in Rotorua.  He is a general oncologist with a special interest in genitourinary cancers but enjoys treating a wide variety of cancers, including breast cancer.   

He graduated from Leicester Warwick Medical School in 2006 and spent time working as a junior doctor both in the UK and NZ before settling permanently in NZ in 2013.  He worked in Oncology both in the UK and NZ before undertaking his formal oncology training in the Bay of Plenty and Auckland.  At the end of his training, he completed a clinical fellowship in GU and lung cancer at with the Auckland Clinical Trials Team. 

Dr Edmond Ang

Medical Oncologist

Dr Edmond Ang is a NZ trained medical oncologist who currently works at the Jim Carney Cancer Treatment Centre, Whangarei Base Hospital and Canopy Cancer Care Whangarei. He has been a member of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh and Royal College of Physicians of Ireland since 2012 and a fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians since 2022. 

After gaining broad clinical experience in multiple medical subspecialities in NZ and abroad, Edmond pursued advanced training in medical oncology at Palmerston North and Auckland. In 2018, he was made the Breast Cancer Foundation Clinical Research Fellow at Auckland City Hospital. There he served as an investigator in numerous novel anti-cancer therapies and experimental studies to reduce treatment related toxicities.  His focus on research has been recognized through several peer review publications and awards, including the PHARMAC Emerging Investigator of the Year Award in 2019. 

Edmond has a special interest in advancing cancer care in the elderly and is currently the National Representative of SIOG (International Society of Geriatric Oncology) for New Zealand. Through an award by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), he completed a technical fellowship in Geriatric Oncology at the Royal Adelaide Hospital and Flinders Medical Centre, South Australia. Edmond also enjoys teaching and has a diploma in medical education from the University of Cardiff. He is a passionate communicator around the topic of cancer care and has spoken in numerous local and international conferences, including at the opening ceremony of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting in 2019.  

Edmond lives with his GP wife and three young boys. He is a published author and is currently working on a pictorial book to help children understand the meaning of cancer. 

Dr Daisy Wing-san Mak

Medical Oncologist

MBChB, FRCP(Edin), FRACP, FHKCP, FHKAM(Medicine)

Dr Mak is a Medical Oncologist specialising in patients with thoracic cancers, including lung cancer, mesothelioma, and thymic tumours.  She also has a special interest in breast cancer.

Daisy completed her undergraduate medical education in Hong Kong in 2006, and obtained fellowship in medical oncology in 2013 (FHKCP, FHKAM).  She then completed further training in advanced internal medicine and haematology.  In 2018, she pursued training in lung cancer in Royal Marsden Hospital as a clinical research fellow, and was exposed to the cutting edge research, and worked alongside some of the top lung cancer experts in the world.

Returning to Hong Kong, Daisy worked at one of the largest tertiary centres, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, as an associate consultant, and pioneered the comprehensive lung cancer programme aimed at reducing workflow barriers and streamlining patient care. 

In 2019, she moved to Christchurch, New Zealand where she worked in Christchurch Hospital treating breast, upper gastrointestinal and genitourinary cancer, on top of lung cancer and lymphoma.  She then joined Auckland City Hospital as a consultant medical oncologist in 2020 and was awarded her FRACP in 2020, and FRCP(Edin) in 2022.  

Daisy’s focus is on incorporating cutting-edge information into patient care, fostering strong communication with both patients and their families, and establishing aligned and prioritized goals. She is fluent in English and Cantonese, with a functional proficiency in Mandarin.

When not working, she plays the piano, enjoys reading, tramping and spending time with family and friends.

Dr Nicky Lawrence

Medical Oncologist

BHB, MBChB, FRACP, PhD

Nicky is a Medical Oncologist with an interest in genitourinary malignancies (prostate, kidney, bladder, testicular and penile cancers) and clinical trial methodology. She is Deputy Director of Cancer Trials New Zealand, an academic co-ordinating centre for cancer clinical trials. Nicky is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Oncology at The University of Auckland.

After completing her medical oncology training in Auckland in 2014, Nicky spent four years in Sydney.  She completed a PhD at The University of Sydney evaluating the design of cancer clinical trials in the era of targeted and immunological therapies. She also gained research experience working in a co-ordinating centre for national and international cancer clinical trials at the NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre.

Nicky is passionate about research and education. She convened the inaugural Aotearoa New Zealand Concept Development Workshop for cancer clinical research, Critical Appraisal Workshop and is a member of the international steering committee for the Australia and Asia Pacific Clinical Oncology Research Development Workshop (ACORD). She is also a member of the ASCO International Education Steering Group.

Nicky is an active member of the genitourinary cancer research community and has been an author of publications in high impact research journals. She is an investigator on multiple national and international clinical trials. She is a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee for the Australian and New Zealand Urogenital and Prostate Cancer Trials Group (ANZUP) and co-leads the Aotearoa New Zealand Oncology Decentralised Clinical Trials (teletrials) steering committee.

Nicky is a skilled communicator, who delivers care with empathy to both her patients and their families. She provides each of her patients with a tailored treatment plan informed by evidence-based practice.

Dr Peter Browett

Clinical Haematologist

BMedSci, MBChB, FRACP, FRCPA

Dr Richard Doocey

Clinical Haematologist

MBChB, FRCPA, FRACP

Richard is a clinical haematologist with a specialist interest in malignant haematology including lymphoma, myeloma, leukaemia and haematopoietic stem cell transplantation. He is currently the Chief Medical Officer at Canopy Cancer Care.

He completed a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery at Otago University and the Christchurch School of Medicine, before completing his internal medicine and postgraduate haematology training in the Auckland region.

He became a fellow of the Australasian Colleges of Physicians and Pathologists in 2003 and undertook 2 years of subspecialty training in acute leukaemia and bone marrow transplantation at Vancouver General Hospital and the British Columbia Cancer Agency.

Richard returned to Auckland in 2005 as a consultant haematologist and has been the Clinical Director of the Auckland City Hospital Haematology Service from 2009 – 2018. Richard  is now the clinical lead for the Auckland and Starship Children’s Hospital’s Stem Cell Transplant Program.

He maintains active membership of several international societies including the American Society of Hematology, the American Society of Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, and the Haematology Society of Australia and New Zealand.

Richard enjoys getting to know his patients and their families. His approachable and empathetic manner ensures that his patients and their families trust him and can ask questions as they need to.

Richard is a keen follower of all sports and an aspirational participant in running, cycling and swimming events as well as getting onto his snowboard over the winter months.

Dr Oliver Brake

Clinical Haematologist

MBChB, FRCPA, FRACP

Oliver Brake is a New Zealand trained haematologist who works as a full time clinical and part time laboratory haematologist for Bay of Plenty District Health Board. Oliver holds fellowships with both the Australasian College of Physicians and College of Pathologists. An Auckland Medical School graduate, Oliver completed haematology training in the Auckland region in 2019. Following this, he moved to the UK to undertake subspecialist training as a lymphoma fellow at University Hospital Southampton. This was followed by a consultant position. During this time, he was part of the lymphoid/lymphoma team and worked in an inpatient capacity within the wider service. He also recruited to, and held sub-investigator roles on numerous CLL, lymphoma and myeloma trials as well as several immunology/covid-19-related trials. Oliver continues active participation in the Bay of Plenty Clinical Trials Unit.

Oliver’s areas of expertise include general malignant haematology, as well as immune haematology conditions, and general diagnostic and laboratory haematology. His interests include a variety of lymphoid conditions including Hodgkin and Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, CLL, as well as plasma cell and paraprotein disorders.

Oliver offers a warm and friendly approach to his patients. He enjoys explaining disease biology, treatment approaches, and extracting the relevant information from studies as it applies to the person in front of him.

Oliver enjoys the Bay lifestyle with his wife and two young daughters, including cycling to work, beach days and family bike rides. He tries to maintain a variety of summer and winter sports.  

Dr Henry Ngu

Clinical Haematologist

MB ChB, FRACP

Dr Henry Ngu is a clinical haematologist with a special interest in malignant haematology including lymphoma, myeloma and leukaemia.

Henry graduated from the University of Otago, School of Medicine in 2009 and completed haematology training in the Auckland region in 2020. He became a fellow of the Australasian College of Physicians and undertook 2 years of clinical and research fellowship in lymphoma at BC Cancer, Vancouver.

Henry returned to Auckland in 2023 as consultant haematologist at Auckland City Hospital. He is a principal and co-investigator on a number of clinical trials in lymphoma and CLL.

Henry is fluent in Mandarin and Cantonese. He is passionate about providing individualised care that integrates the clinical evidence and the values of the patients and their families.

Dr Eileen Merriman

Clinical Haematologist

MB ChB 2001 Otago; FRACP 2010; FRCPA 2010; Hon. Assoc. Prof. 2024

Eileen is a clinical haematologist and lead thrombosis clinician at Waitemata Health with a sub-specialist interest in antiphospholipid syndrome, women’s haematological issues and thrombosis. Eileen also treats a range of malignant and non-malignant haematology disorders, including lymphoma, myeloproliferative disorders and ITP.

Eileen completed a fellowship in thrombosis and haemostasis at Monash Medical Centre in 2010; the subject of her PhD was a multicentre Australasian trial on management of distal DVT. She serves on a number of international editorial boards and committees and is the past president of THANZ (Thrombosis & Haemostasis Society of Australian and New Zealand).

In addition to her medical expertise, Eileen is also an author of teen/YA books. 

Elsa Basevi

Specialist Oncology Nurse - Gastro-intestinal

Laura Clunie

Lead Pharmacist

Sam James

Specialist Oncology Nurse - Genitourinary

Bronwyn Markey

Specialist Oncology Nurse - Haematology

Sue McKelvie

Auckland Team Leader

Charlie McKenzie

Clinical Services Manager - Northern

Karen Nolan

Specialist Oncology Nurse - Brain, Head & Neck, Renal and Skin

Anna Ogilvy

Specialist Oncology Nurse - Breast

Chelsea Rodden

Oncology Nurse

Tania McLaughlin

Clinic Assistant

Samantha McLeod

Oncology Nurse

Jessie Butler

Clinical Nurse Manager - Tauranga

Naomi Browne

Specialist Oncology Nurse

Gillian Francis

Oncology Nurse

Rosemary Slimp

Oncology Nurse

Louise Harrison

Oncology Nurse

Jullie Lawrence

Oncology Nurse

Phil Brown

Clinic Assistant

Karen Palmer

Clinical Nurse Manager - Whangarei

Dale Townsend

Oncology Nurse

Sonia Khuller

Clinic Assistant

Ann Bradbury

Oncology Nurse

Wendy Reading

Clinic Assistant

Kaveendra Krishna

Specialist Oncology Nurse - Lung

Nicola Rowlands

Pharmacy Technician

Lynaree Burns

Oncology Nurse

Justine Gilligan

Oncology Nurse

Richelle Marshall

Clinical Nurse Manager - Rotorua

Lou Claassen

Oncology Nurse

Kate Nelson

Clinical Services Manager - Southern

Susie O'Rourke

Clinic Assistant

Tamsin Willis

Pharmacist

Rosie Howard

Advanced Nurse Practitioner

Anita Wootton

Clinical Nurse Specialist & Nurse Prescriber

Rebecca Jones

Clinical Nurse Manager - Hawke's Bay

Jazmin Snoswell

Nurse Team Lead - Auckland

Kristina Maray

Oncology Nurse

Gillian Ashworth

Clinic Assistant

Mia Saunders

Clinic Assistant

Avril Hull

Specialist Nurse - Gastro-intestinal and Neuro-Endocrine (NET)

Alison McGuire

Specialist Nurse - Gynaecological

Mike Hunter

Oncology Nurse

Shree Patel

Oncology Nurse

Yujin Jung

Oncology Nurse

Felicity Drumm

Nurse Practitioner

Laveena Piwari

Oncology Nurse

Brooke McLeod

Oncology Nurse

Kelly Greene

Oncology Nurse

Tui Seon

Oncology Nurse

Emma Moore

Clinical Quality and Risk Manager

Phillipa Green

General Manager

Andrea Edwards

IT, Facilities and Projects Manager

Audrey Philip

Scheduling Services Manager

Karen Whiting

Marketing Manager

Sarah Ashton

Operations Manager