Gemma Aburn 

Gemma Aburn is a Nurse Specialist and Emily Chang is a Specialist Paediatrician in the Starship Palliative Care service. Together Gemma and Emily established the Auckland Palliative Care transition working group. The group includes paediatric and adult palliative care and primary care colleagues across the wider Auckland region.

Alana Ainsworth

Alana Ainsworth is currently working as a research fellow at Kidz First. She is a general paediatrician who is completing paediatric respiratory training and her research interest is paediatric bronchiectasis.

Tanith Alexander

Tanith Alexander works has worked as paediatric dietitian at Middlemore Hospital specialising in neonatal nutrition for the past 14 years. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Human Nutrition, a Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics and is currently completing a PhD at the Liggins Institute.

Emily Bailey

Emily Bailey is a General Paediatrics final year advanced trainee currently based at Tauranga Hospital where she is working as a Paediatric Fellow. 

Laura Bridson

Laura Bridson is a Paediatric Advanced Trainee currently based in the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit at Starship. She completed her Basic Training in Queensland preceded by a Paediatric role in Whangarei. This presentation is her RACP Advanced Trainee project and my first foray into research.

Liz Court

Liz is a clinical psychologist and neuropsychologist for Starship Community and Starship Consult Liaison Service. She has a particular interest in assessments for intellectual disability and is concerned the current tools and disability support processes disadvantage those children who are already disproportionately affected by ACEs, socioeconomic disadvantage, and racism.

Darren Dai

Darren Dai is a PhD candidate at the Liggins Institute, University of Auckland. He takes part in the CHYLD study, which investigate whether neonatal hypoglycaemia has an impact on skills that are important for learning and school performance. He is interested in examining the roles of executive function on childhood outcomes.

Kamani De Alwis

Kamani De Alwis is an Advanced Paediatric trainee with the Royal Australasian College of Physicians since 2018. Holds a Diploma of Child Health (Auckland) in 2014 and MBChB 2012.

Mavis Duncanson

Mavis Duncanson is a Public Health Physician with interest and experience in child population health. As Co-director of the NZ Paediatric Surveillance Unit she engages with clinicians to monitor rare conditions in NZ children and to participate in the WHO certification of the elimination of polio. Mavis is also Director and clinical epidemiologist with the New Zealand Child and Youth Epidemiology Service (NZCYES) where she contributes to the provision of information of the health of children and young people to district health boards and the Ministry of Health, and to the annual Child Poverty Monitor.

Liza Edmonds

Dr Liza Edmonds is a Neonatal Paediatrician and Clinical Senior Lecturer in Ōtepoti (Dunedin). She was a member of the RACP Indigenous Child Health Working Group and has researched on inequity in perinatal health outcomes. She is involved in planning for the new Dunedin Hospital.Over the past year Liza and her team have worked to enhance the teaching of the child health section of the Reproductive Medicine and Child Health Module in Year 5. 

Taygen Edwards

Taygen Edwards is a Doctoral Candidate in Perinatal Science at the Liggins Institute, University of Auckland. Her research focuses on the childhood outcomes after oral dextrose gel to treat and prevent neonatal hypoglycaemia in at-risk neonates.

Shani Fernando

Shani Fernando is a plastic and reconstructive surgery registrar in Waikato Hospital. This is a project during elective placement in Waikato Hospital in the respiratory department in her 4th year which she has extended to 2020 after she came back as a RMO to Waikato Hospital.

Nike Franke

Nike Franke is research fellow at the Liggins Institute, in the Faculty of Medical and Health Science, where she is undertaking assessments and research projects around the impact of maternal and perinatal interventions on life-long health. Nike has a background in family psychology, child development, and early intervention.

Monica Garrett

Leeyan Gilmour

Leeyan is an Advanced Trainee in General Paediatrics, who is currently working as the Senior Paediatric Registrar at Nelson Hospital. She has a keen interest in Paediatric Infectious Diseases, and is currently undertaking further studies towards a Diploma in Paediatric Infectious Diseases.

Madeleine Glasbey

UK-trained PYG4 doctor, currently working as a paediatric registrar in Tauranga Hospital. The audit was completed whilst working as a medical registrar in Gisborne Hospital. Wishing to pursue a career in paediatrics long term.

Robert Green

Robert Green is a UK Public Health Doctor, currently working for Mātai Medical Research Institute while on sabbatical in Tairāwhiti.

Kate Hall

Dr Kate Hall is a Developmental Paediatrician and Paediatric Rehabilitation Specialist working for Capital and Coast DHB in Wellington. She is a member of the transition working group for the Cerebral Palsy Clinical Network.

Deborah L Harris

Deborah Harris is a Senior Lecturer at Victoria University of Wellington and practices as a Nurse Practitioner [Mātanga Tapuhi Piripoho] within Wellington Regional Hospital Newborn Intensive Care Unit. Deborah's research interests include the management and treatment of neonatal hypoglycaemia and infant feeding.

Mareta Hunt

Mareta is the Director of Safekids Aotearoa (New Zealand). She has a background in health equity for children, empowering indigenous communities through Kaupapa Māori engagement to access quality and timely healthcare. 

Cayley Ingham

Cayley Ingham is a Public Health Registrar, currently working at Toi Te Ora Public Health in Tauranga. She recently completed an MPH, with her dissertation focusing on preschool immunisation in tamariki Māori and Pacific children.

Samantha Keenan

Samantha Keenan is a House Officer working in Counties Manukau DHB. Since graduating from the University of Auckland in 2018 she has worked as a House Officer in Tāmaki Makaurau. She has been accepted onto the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners to start her General Practice training in 2022.

Anna Latu

Anna Latu is a Senior Lecturer in Hauora Maori at the University of Otago. She has a range of research interests including Māori health, cultural competence, Māori health workforce development, social and behavioural cancer prevention, and physical activity and health issues for the next generation and diverse abilities. 

Tiana Low

Tiana Low is currently a 4th year Medical Student at the University of Auckland. Her research interests are in pediatrics, infectious disease medicine, and in achieving health equity for Maori.This presentation will cover the topic of infant hospitalizations and respiratory viruses trends at Kidz First Hospital.

Melanie MacFarlane

Melanie is a University of Auckland PhD candidate (Paediatrics: Child and Youth Health) of Ngāti Maniapoto and Raukawa descent. Melanie was instrumental in implementing Communio’s National SUDI Liaison service, which engages with whānau/families that have recently experienced a SUDI to collect information on behalf of Coronial Services, Ministry of Justice.

John Malcolm

John Malcolm grew up in the Manawatu. He identifies as Scots-Irish 4th generation Tauiwi graduating MBChB Otago 1974. He heard stories of his mother’s experience with Rheumatic fever and learnt more at Wellington Hospital Epidemiology Unit, training in NZ, Jamaica, UK, Waikato then as consultant paediatrician Lakes, Waitemata then Bay of Plenty DHB.

Louise McDermott

Louise is a paediatric pharmacist prescriber at CDHB. She is the Chair of the Pharmacists and Therapeutics SIG and is also a member of the national extemporaneously compounded group and MARC.

Christine McIntosh

Christine McIntosh is a Senior Research Fellow and doctorate candidate Department of Paediatrics; Child and Youth Health, The University of Auckland, and GP liaison at Counties Manukau Health.

Laurie McLay

Laurie McLay is an Associate Professor in the School of Health Sciences at the University of Canterbury, and director of The Good Nights Programme. Over the past 10 years, she has developed a systematic programme of research into the effectiveness of behavioural interventions for sleep problems in children with developmental disabilities.

Alisha Moore

Alisha Moore is a second year House Officer and RACP Paediatric Basic Trainee currently working at Starship Children's Hospital, completing the Diploma in Paediatrics through the University of Auckland.

Lye Jinn Ng

Lye Jinn is a clinical pharmacist currently specializing in Neonatal and Paediatrics. She has a wealth of knowledge in a variety of areas and is passionate about empowering patients and their family in managing their medications.

Samson Nivins

Samson Nivins is pursuing his doctoral education at Liggins Institute under the principal supervision of distinguished Professor Jane E Harding, focusing on Neuroradiological aspects of children with a history of neonatal hypoglycaemia. The neuroradiological aspects include both morphometry and tractography analyses i.e MRI and DTI.

Liz Oliphant

Elizabeth Oliphant is a Senior Paediatric Pharmacist at Starship with a specific interest in neonatology. She is currently undertaking a PhD in Paediatrics at the University of Auckland, investigating the effects of caffeine on the prevention of intermittent hypoxaemia in late preterm infants.

Leah Porima

Leah Porima is a Trainee Intern from Hamilton, currently placed in the Waikato DHB for her final year. Leah has a keen interest in both Paediatrics and in Maori Public Health, arranging her Year 5 Selective at Te Puaruruhau; Auckland City, and Elective placement at Te Puna Oranga; Hamilton.

Sarah Primhak

Sarah Primhak is a dual trainee in paediatrics and infectious diseases. She recently spent a year in the UK, during the COVID-19 pandemic. She has returned to New Zealand to complete her training and work on her PhD.

Meera Raithatha

Meera Raithatha is a British trained Paediatrician working in the sub speciality area of Child Protection. She has been at Te Puaruruhau, Child Protection Service at Starship for the last ten years. In the UK she worked as an SMO in General and Community Paediatrics, specialising in Neurodisability (neurorehabilitation) for five years in the Cambridgeshire Region before moving to New Zealand.Meera regularly assesses children for suspected Non-Accidental Injury and suspected Inflicted Traumatic Brain Injury, and does these assessments in the context of a multi-disciplinary team at Te Puaruruhau, as well as appearing as an expert witness.

Vivek Rajasekaran

Vivek Rajasekaran is the current paediatric gastroenterology fellow at Starship Hospital. Vivek developed an interest in gastroenterology during his time in Waikato Hospital while working with whanau of children with intestinal failure. Vivek has a keen interest in addressing inequity in healthcare through research and service development.

Nicholas Rawcliffe

Nicholas Rawcliffe is an advanced trainee in general paediatric medicine. I am currently working at Capital and Coast District Health Board.

Eoghan Rutledge

Eoghan Rutledge is current Chief Resident at Starship Children's Hospital, an Honorary Lecturer of the University of Auckland and RACP Advanced Trainee in General Paediatrics.

Lisa Smith

Lisa has been Paediatric Nurse for 35yrs and the last 17yrs she has focused on Children's Continence issues. She set up and ran the Bowel Management Service in Hawkes Bay for 14yrs. Now she is keen to make a difference throughout NZ in her new role with Continence NZ.

Pagan Tawhai

Kia Ora. I am Pagan Tawhai a non-training Paediatric Surgery registrar at the Waikato Public Hospital. My aspirations are to become a Paediatric Surgeon. I am passionate about bringing about equitable health outcomes for all our tamariki in Aotearoa.

John Thompson

John Thompson is a Paediatric/perinatal Epidemiologist with an extensive research background. He has a track record of research in relation to SUDI, stillbirth, oral health, orofacial cleft and longitudinal studies.

Kate Treves

Kate Treves is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist working at the Child and Adolescent Community Centre, New Plymouth. She trained in UK before moving overseas. She has been working in Aotearoa for 14 years, most recently in paediatrics, and has a particular interest in psychology applied to healthcare.

Claudia Vallebella

Claudia Vallebella born in Chile. She completed her medical degree at the Charité, Germany and moved to New Zealand in 2008. Claudia has worked in Wellington, Auckland and Tairāwhiti. She recently did a 1 year Fellowship in Paediatric Nephrology and has just started working as a Paediatrician with renal interest in Wellington.