We are delighted to announce our line-up of expert speakers, covering a wide range of topics relevant to New Zealanders living with a blood cancer or blood condition.
Professor Peter BrowettPeter Browett is a Professor of Pathology and Head of the Department of Molecular Medicine and Pathology at the University of Auckland School of Medicine, Consultant Haematologist at Auckland City Hospital, and Consultant Haematologist at Diagnostic Medlab. His involvement with Leukaemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand stems from his clinical interest in the management of patients with haematological malignancies, including blood cell and bone marrow transplantation. In the laboratory, he has an interest in cell marker and molecular studies in the diagnosis and monitoring of patients with leukaemia, lymphoma and inherited blood disorders. Peter has had a long association with LBC, acting as Medical Director and trustee for many years as well as being part of LBC’s independent Medical Scientific Committee overseeing research grants.
Following a career in construction, Lance Burdett spent 22 years in the police, 13 as a crisis negotiator. He trained in New Zealand, Australia, England, and the United States with the elite units of police, prisons, emergency services, the military, and the FBI. Lance has an MA (Terrorism, Safety & Security), a Diploma in Policing, a Diploma in Business Studies, and completing a Diploma in Positive Psychology & Wellbeing. Lance is a published author of the bestselling books – Behind The Tape and Dark Side of the Brain – and is writing a third on managing anxiety. He makes regular media appearances.
Our world is changing and having an impact on many of us. Lance will speak about the effects of our changing world and how to adapt to them from what neuroscience reveals. He will cover topics on; why it is that many people are feeling overwhelmed with heightened emotions, how to reduce unwanted feelings, and ways to act in various situations. Additionally, Lance will show us how to motivate and energise ourselves across the day, how to switch off at the end of a busy day, and how to have a more restful sleep.
David DownsDavid is CEO of The New Zealand Story and a director on several boards, including as Chair of The Icehouse. David is an ex-comedian, TV and radio actor, semi-finalist for New Zealander of the Year, cancer survivor and a published author of books No.8 Re-wired, No.8 Recharged, A Mild Touch of the Cancer, and Silver Linings.
Dr Alwyn D’SouzaDr Alwyn D’Souza is the programme director of the Transplant and Cellular Therapy (Blood and marrow transplant) Unit at Wellington Blood & Cancer Centre, Capital & Coast District, Te Whatu Ora. He graduated from Otago School of Medicine in 1993. He did the majority of his post-graduate training in Wellington, before completing his training in Melbourne at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. He has worked at Wellington Hospital as a consultant since 2006. His special areas of interest are haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (“bone marrow transplantation”), and lymphomas. He also has an interest in medical education and was previously the chair of the NZ Joint Training Committee in haematology.
Hilary DumbletonHilary is a haematology dietitian from Christchurch Hospital. She has been working within this specialist service for the past three years but has been working as a dietitian for the past 12 years. Food is such an important part of our everyday lives and Hilary likes the challenge of taking complex health science about food and translating it into practical, everyday language.
Dr Kathryn Forwood is a clinical/laboratory haematologist and palliative medicine physician. She works across all spectrums of haematology and palliative medicine at Te Whatu Ora-Southern and Otago Community Hospice. Kathryn has a special interest in focussing care on the whole patient, including using novel communication methods, active symptom management, promoting survivorship and integrating palliative care support into haematology practice. She lives on the beach outside Dunedin with her husband, dog and cat.
Logan HeyesLogan Heyes is a Senior Therapeutic Group Manager/Team Leader at Te Pātaka Whaioranga – Pharmac. Before joining Pharmac, he garnered industry experience in clinical development, through early and late-stage clinical trials in the UK.
Logan has previously held the haematology oncology portfolio and his team oversees a diverse range of therapeutic areas within Pharmac’s portfolio. He is particularly interested in the interplay between strategic commercial management and evidence-based decision-making in shaping access to medicine in New Zealand.
Dr Amy HolmesAmy graduated with a Bachelor of Science at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) prior to studying medicine at the Australian National University (ANU). She graduated in 2007 and completed the majority of her training through the Canberra Hospital prior to travelling to Christchurch for her final year of training. Amy has been a staff specialist at the Christchurch hospital ever since and also greatly enjoys being able to support haematology patients on the West Coast and in through the St Georges Cancer Care Centre.
Her interests span the breadth of malignant and non-malignant haematology with a special interest in non-Hodgkin lymphoma. She is a member of various medical organisations including the Australasian leukaemia and lymphoma group (ALLG) for which she sits on the New Zealand committee. She is at principle investigator for a range of clinical trials and provides a consultative service to the Christchurch branch of New Zealand Clinical Research (NZCR).
Myeloma Clinical Nurse Consultant, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, NSW
Clinical Associate Professor, Research Fellow & Lecturer Cancer Nursing Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney University.
Tracy King is a Myeloma Clinical Nurse Consultant (CNC) at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital; Clinical Associate Professor, Research Fellow and Lecturer at the Cancer Nursing Research Unit, Sydney University. With over 30 years’ experience in the field of Haematology / BMT, Tracy developed a specialist interest in myeloma 25yrs ago working with the International Myeloma Foundation (IMF), now Myeloma UK. Since coming to Australia Tracy has been an active member of a range of national and international professional working groups including those of the Cancer Institute NSW; steering committee member of the Myeloma and Related Disease Registry (MRDR), founding Chair of the HSANZ Myeloma Special Practice Network (M-SPN) and Past President and co-founder of the HSANZ Nurses Group. Tracy is an invited member of the IMF Nurse Leadership Board (NLB); the Myeloma UK Nurse Advisory Group and leads the nurse’s program development and delivery during the International Myeloma Workshop (IMW). Tracy completed a master’s in nursing leadership and was recently awarded her PhD with Sydney University. She was awarded the Outstanding Research Achievement Nursing & Midwifery Award 2019 by Sydney Local Health Network (SLHD) for her leadership and research in better understanding the experiences of those affected by myeloma taking high dose steroids and the role of patient reported outcome measures (PROM).
The breath is a powerful tool to help take conscious control of our own nervous system. You will understand how functional breathing can help our immune system and nervous system, improve oxygen uptake and delivery, regulate stress and anxiety. For anyone who can breathe. Josh will be running 2 workshops over the day.
At the age of 23 Josh Komen was one of the fastest runners in New Zealand, then in a blink of an eye he became one of the sickest. Josh was diagnosed with Acute myeloid leukaemia not once but twice. This diagnosis took him on a 10 year battle of deep depression, then having an allogeneic stem cell transplant, being put into a coma, developing graft vs host disease, pneumonia, multiple complications, treatment overseas in Australia for 5 years, plus having multiple heart attacks. Today, 12 years after he received his deadly diagnosis, he is alive, strong, healthy and happy. Not only did he survive but he began to thrive.
Catherine is a Haematologist working in Christchurch Hospital, with a special interest in haemostasis – bleeding and clotting disorders. She is also involved with AYA patients and enjoys working with patients and whanau to support them through their cancer journey. When not at work, Catherine enjoys spending time with her family and blowing her trumpet in a variety of musical groups.
Annette Neylon completed training in Haematology in Newcastle upon Tyne (UK) in 2003, obtaining fellowships of the Royal College of Physicians and Royal College of Pathologists (UK), as well as completing an MD in the field of Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia. She worked as a Specialist Haematologist in the UK between 2003 and 2007, before moving to Southern Blood and Cancer Service in Dunedin, Otago New Zealand as Clinical Lead of Haematology. She has acted as Principal Investigator of several clinical research trials. In addition, since 2018 Annette has been a member of the RACP NZ Joint College Training Sub-Committee for Haematology, helping to promote training in Haematology in NZ. Annette accepted the role of NZ Councillor for the Haematology Society of Australia and New Zealand in 2021.
Since 2022 Annette has worked for the New Zealand Blood Service, combining haematology and transfusion medicine. When not working, Annette functions as a taxi driver, event organiser and side-line cheerleader for her son.
Carol Rose is a Clinical Aromatherapist, Educator and Registered Nurse with a BSC (HONS) in Palliative Nursing, specialising in clinical aromatherapy in patients with life-limiting illness. She has published a number of articles in the International Journal of Clinical Aromatherapy (IJCA), Aromatika and Aromatherapy Today on subjects relating to aromatherapy in oncology and palliative care and is a member of the IJCA Editorial Advisory Board and a Fellow of the International Clinical Aromatherapy Network (ICAN). A dedicated practitioner and advocate of evidence-based complementary therapies for patients with life-limiting illness, she is also the author of the newly released textbook, Integrating Clinical Aromatherapy in Palliative Care which explores how to effectively bridge the gap between conventional healthcare approaches and safe integration of clinical aromatherapy as a healing modality in specialist palliative care. She lives in the far north of New Zealand where she spends any spare time tending their 7-acre garden.
Presentation overview: This talk explores the broader potential of aromatherapy; starting with what an essential oil is through to its beneficial use for a variety of common symptoms experienced by patients with leukaemia & blood-related cancers.
Dr Robert Weinkove is Clinical Director at the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research (MIMR), and a Consultant Haematologist in Wellington, New Zealand. After studying medicine at the University of Cambridge and Kings College London, he trained in haematology in London and in Hannover, and undertook a PhD in immunology at the University of Otago. Rob leads a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell programme at the Malaghan Institute, and is Principal Investigator for ENABLE, a phase 1 clinical trial of a new CAR T-cell therapy B-cell lymphomas. Rob has undertaken work with Te Aho o Te Kahu, the Cancer Control Agency, is an active member of the Australasian Leukaemia & Lymphoma Group, and contributes to clinical trials and policies in the field of B-cell malignancies, and haemato-oncology supportive care.
Dr Robert Weinkove’s TEDx talk on CAR T-cell therapy: Reprogramming the immune system to treat cancer can be seen here.
A diagnosis of cancer is an adverse life event both for the person and those closest to them. Managing adversity requires courage to face what is happening, grit to endure this, and resilience to adapt to it. In this presentation, these concepts will be explored, and techniques to enable them offered, including a holistic model of wellbeing.
Dr Nicki Weld is a senior lecturer at the University of Auckland and director of CNZN Ltd training and supervision. She is the author of seven social service books, and lives in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington.