Our team

Dr Laird Cameron

MBChB, FRACP

Specialties: Lung, Mesothelioma and Head & Neck

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 lung cancer at Auckland Hospital since his return to New Zealand in 2016.

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

Dr Carmel Jacobs

MBChB, FRACP

Specialties: Breast, Genitourinary, Prostate

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

Carmel graduated from the Otago University School of Medicine in 2001 with Distinction.

She completed specialist training in oncology in 2011 and in 2012 she 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.

With her experience in palliative care and academic research, Carmel combines evidence based practice with symptom management. Carmel welcomed her first child in 2016.

Dr Ben Lawrence

MBChB, MSc, FRACP

Specialties: Gastro-intestinal, Pancreas, Neuroendocrine, Cancer Molecular Profiling and Genomics

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.

Dr Richard Sullivan

MBChB, FRACP

Specialties: Lung, Brain and Mesothelioma

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 Deputy Chief Medical Officer and Director of the Northern Cancer Network, the Director of Cancer and Blood Auckland City Hospital, and the Director at Canopy Cancer Care.

Richard is the principle investigator on several New Zealand lung cancer research trials He also sits on numerous national cancer-related committees and is currently the Chairman of the National Adolescent Young Adult Cancer Goverance Group.

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

Outside of his work, Richard is Chair of Auckland Normal Intermediate School.

Dr Reuben Broom

BHB, MBChB, FRACP

Specialties: Breast

Reuben is a Medical Oncologist specialising in breast and renal cancers.

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 Rosalie Stephens

MBChB FRACP MD (London)
Medical Oncologist

Specialties: Melanoma, Breast, Gynaecology

Rosalie Fisher is a medical oncologist specialising in the treatment of patients with melanoma, breast and gynaecological cancers.

Rosalie graduated from the University of Auckland School of Medicine in 2004 and completed specialist training in oncology in 2010. Between 2010 and 2013 she completed a fellowship at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London, and undertook clinical and translational research in melanoma, kidney, breast and gynaecological cancers. She published widely in peer-reviewed journals in these areas and contributed to patient and public education. In 2015, Rosalie completed her post-graduate research in tumour biology and evolution, attaining a Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of London.

Rosalie has worked at Auckland Hospital since her return in 2013. She is a Trustee on the board of Melanoma NZ and a member of the NZ Gynaecological Cancer Group. Melanoma is an active research focus, aiming to improve patient outcomes by access to new, improved therapies. Rosalie also strives to provide clear communication and compassion as part of comprehensive patient care.

Dr Fritha Hanning

MBChB, MRCP, FRACP

Specialties: Prostate, Renal, Testicular, Bladder

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

She also has an interest in women’s health.

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 and is the chairperson 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 gym goer.

Dr Leanne Berkahn

MBChB, FRACP, FRCPA

Specialties: Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, Leukaemia

Leanne Berkahn is a clinical haematologist specialising in leukaemia and lymphoma.

She graduated from the University of Otago School of Medicine in 1986 before becoming a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians and a Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia.

After graduating, Leanne worked for a number of years overseas, principally as a bone marrow transplant physician at Rush University in Chicago.

On her return to New Zealand, Leanne became Head of the Lymphoma Service at Auckland Hospital.

She is also a senior lecturer in the Department of Molecular Medicine and Pathology at the University of Auckland School of Medicine.

Dr Berkahn provides expert commentary for New Zealand’s Lymphoma and Leukaemia Research Review. She is heavily involved in research and is the principal investigator in a number of clinical trials. Her current research interests are in immunotherapeutic approaches to leukaemia and lymphoma treatment.

Leanne has three school age children and a fox terrier. She is a keen athlete and spends as much time as possible with her family on Rakino Island.

Dr Richard Doocey

MBChB, FRCPA, FRACP

Specialties: Lymphoma, Myeloma, Leukaemia, Myeloproliferative Disorders

Richard is a clinical haematologist with a specialist interest in malignant haematology including lymphoma, myeloma, leukaemia and haematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

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 He is currently the Clinical Director of the Auckland City Hospital Haematology Service and 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 Blood and Marrow Transplantation, 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 particularly those involving his two children. He is a keen participant in running and swimming events and loves to get onto his snowboard over the winter months.

Dr Mike McCrystal

MD, FRACP

Specialties: Breast, Melanoma and Gastro-Intestinal

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.

Professor Michael Findlay

MBChB, MD, FRACP

Specialties: Gastro-Intestinal (GI)

Professor Michael Findlay specialises in the field of gastro-intestinal malignancy. He graduated from Otago University School of Medicine in 1983 training in Medical Oncology. He was granted entry to the Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians in 1990.

Michael trained in Wellington, Sydney and London, where he developed a clinical research interest in cancers of the gastro-intestinal tract. He completed a Doctor of Medicine degree in this field while in London before returning to Sydney and then New Zealand. In 2002 he was appointed Professor of Oncology at the University of Auckland.

Michael is a practising Medical Oncologist at Canopy Cancer Care.

He has a research interest in gastric, oesophageal, liver, pancreatic, neuroendocrine, GIST and colorectal (bowel) cancers. In addition to being a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Australasian Gastro-Intestinal Trials Group he is Director of Cancer Trials New Zealand – a national cancer clinical research organisation.

Michael is married with three children and enjoys his spare time with family, travelling and playing (rather bad) golf.

Dr Peter C. Fong

MBBS, FRACP

Specialties: Prostate, Gynaecological and Phase I Drug Development

Dr Fong is a Medical Oncologist specialising in Prostate Cancer, Urological Cancer, Gynaecological Cancer and research into oncology Phase I trials. He is a first class honours graduate of the University of Queensland Medical School in Australia in 1994.

He trained in Australia and New Zealand hospitals, gaining his specialist qualifications in 2003 and working as a consultant. 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. During this time he also worked in gynaecology and the prostate cancer drug unit. He spent 2 years in the laboratory doing post-graduate translational research on targeted agents at the Institute of Cancer Research, University of London.

Peter resumed work as a medical oncologist at Auckland Hospital in 2008. He is the Tumour Team Lead in the Genitourinary Cancer team, with a particular focus on Prostate Cancer, having started the medical oncology prostate practice. He is on the Prostate Bladder and Renal Scientific Committee of the Australia and New Zealand Urogenital and Prostate Cancer Trials Group (ANZUP). He is an Honorary Academic at the Pharmacology Department, University of Auckland, continuing his interest in new cancer drugs and cancer biology. Peter is involved in the Academic Health Alliance of the Auckland Cancer Trials Centre, a collaboration between Auckland Hospital and the University of Auckland. He collaborates with researchers at the University of Auckland on various projects. He is a principal investigator in numerous urological cancer clinical trials from Phase I to III. He has been published 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 Naera Waters

MBChB, FRACP

Specialties: Breast Cancer

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

MBChB, FRACP, MMedSci.

Specialties: Breast, GI, Lung

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 practising Medical Oncologist at Whangarei Hospital in addition to her work at Canopy Cancer Care. She graduation 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. As well as seeing Auckland based patients, she is interested in providing excellent quality care to patients from other regions and improving cancer outcomes for the Northland community while working in her public role.