The members of the Medical and Scientific Committee bring a wide range of disciplines and expertise together to carefully and independently review the many grant applications Leukaemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand receive. The members’ biographies are outlined below.
Bart Baker began his haematology career as a registrar in the Haematology Department at Christchurch Hospital before completing his training as a Research Fellow in the Paterson Institute for Cancer Research at the Christie Hospital in Manchester. He was appointed to his current position as a General Haematologist for the Regional Cancer Treatment Service based at Palmerston North Hospital in 1992.
Peter is a consultant haematologist at Auckland City Hospital and Professor of Pathology in the Department of Molecular Medicine and Pathology, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland. He is a graduate of the University of Otago Medical School, and after postgraduate training in clinical and laboratory haematology in Auckland, he was a Wellcome – HRC research fellow in the Department of Haematology, Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine, London.
Peter is involved in several co-operative group and investigator initiated studies in blood disorders and stem cell transplantation. He is co-director of the Leukaemia and Blood Cancer Research Unit, with interests in blood cancer genomics, biomarkers in leukaemia, and the monitoring of measurable residual disease. Peter is clinical director of the Auckland Regional Tissue Bank and Grafton Clinical Genomics.
Seán MacPherson is a haematologist and senior clinical lecturer employed jointly by the University of Otago, Christchurch, and by Canterbury District Health Board. He is part of the UOC Haematology Research Group, currently investigating immunosuppression in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. Cross-campus laboratory collaborations involve research into acute myeloid leukaemia, myelodysplastic syndromes and haemostasis. Seán is an enthusiastic teacher and uses a number of innovative techniques including song, poetry and drama to get his message across.
Ian Morison is a Professor of Pathology at the Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, and a consultant pathologist for Southern Community Laboratories, Dunedin. Ian’s career combines diagnostic haematology and research haematology. The goals of his research are to use genetic and epigenetic analysis of blood disorders to reveal the origins and treatment opportunities within childhood leukaemia; to find new diagnostic markers of myelodysplastic syndrome; to understand platelet formation through the lessons learnt from families with low platelets; and to understand the onset of myeloma.
Ian particularly enjoys working with New Zealand families to answer research questions that are relevant internationally.
Marie Hughes is a haematologist with Bay of Plenty District Health Board. Marie gained her medical degree and a science degree with the University of Glasgow, UK. She initially worked as a registrar in the haematology department, Christchurch Hospital and went on to complete her specialist training in the UK. Marie worked in Scotland as a consultant haematologist with a special interest in clinical haemato-oncology before moving back to NZ to take up her current post in 2015.
Rob Weinkove is a haematologist at Capital & Coast District Health Board and research fellow at the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research in Wellington. He studied medicine at the University of Cambridge and Kings College London, and specialised in haematology at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospitals in London.
He has a PhD from the University of Otago Wellington. Rob’s current research interests include tumour immunotherapy using innate-like T cells and haematology supportive care.
Rob is an active member of the CLL/indolent lymphoma and supportive care subcommittees of the Australasian Leukaemia & Lymphoma Group. He joined the Medical & Scientific Committee in 2013.