Site Network Leaders
Whangarei
David Bailey
Dr David Bailey received his medical education in London, England, before specialising in obstetrics and gynaecology. David is a Fellow of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (FRANZCOG) and is a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at Whangarei Hospital. David is passionate about supporting level 2 hospitals to take part in high quality clinical research.
Auckland
Saman Moeed
Saman Moeed is a graduate of the University of Auckland (MBChB, 2002) and is an obstetrician and gynaecologist at National Women’s Health, Auckland DHB. Her special interest is in paediatric and adolescent gynaecology, but she maintains interest and involvement in maternity care through her involvement in the care of women with diabetes in pregnancy and in the Positive Birth After Caesarean Clinic. She is an examiner for RANZCOG and has been the site champion for the My Baby’s Movements Trial.
Counties Manukau
Michael Meyer
Associate Professor Michael Meyer trained as a paediatrician at Groote Schuur and Red Cross Children’s Hospitals in Cape Town, South Africa. He has fellowships in both Neonatology and Immunology, and obtained a Doctorate in Paediatrics (MD) from the University of Cape Town. Mike is a Member of the Royal College of Physicians (MRCP) and a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (FRACP).
He is a consultant neonatologist at Middlemore Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand and a Clinical Senior Lecturer at the University of Auckland. He has been lead investigator in several randomised controlled trials. Current research interests include preterm resuscitation, temperature control, humidification, delayed cord clamping, use of probiotics in preterm infants, erythropoietin and blood transfusion.
Waikato
Richard Foon
Taranaki
Olivia Payne
Palmerston North
Jen Green
Canterbury
Nicola Austin
Associate Professor Nicola Austin graduated in medicine at the University of Otago before specialising in paediatrics. She completed an MD during her training at Southampton. Nicola is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (FRACP). Nicola is actively involved in research in the Neonatal Unit at Christchurch Women’s Hospital and is an Associate Professor at the University of Otago (Christchurch). Her current research focus is neuroimaging of the newborn infant and health outcomes and care for families and their infants through local and national advocacy.
West Coast
Sherif Mehrez
Sherif is an obstetrician and gynaecologist at Grey Base Hospital and a member of the Southern region review panel for the Maternal Morbidity Working Group (MMWG), an initiative of the Health Quality & Safety Commission New Zealand (HQSC).
Nelson
Flora Gastrell
Flora studied medicine at the University of Otago before becoming a Fellow of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (FRANZCOG) in 2001. Since then she has worked in public and private hospitals in New Zealand and the UK as well as for the University of Otago, Fertility Associates and in a voluntary capacity in India and Albania. Flora is an obstetrician and gynaecologist at Nelson Hospital. Her research interests are focused on improving clinical practice, particularly reducing caesarean section rates.
Wairarapa
Jill Arliss
Jill Arliss is currently Site Network Leader for the Wairarapa. Originally from New York, she moved to New Zealand in 2018 with her husband and three school age children. Jill did her medical training at Albany Medical College and residency in Asheville, North Carolina with Mountain Area Health Education Center. After residency she spent 12 years in Roanoke, Virginia in private practice in affiliation with Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine.
Hutt Valley
Ed Hyde
Ed is an Obsterics and Gynaecology Consultant at Hutt Valley DHB. He did his training at the University of Devon, UK. Ed visited New Zealand for his medical school elective and returned on a number of occasions eventually making the move permanent and completing his specialist training all over New Zealand from Whangarei to Invercargill. Ed places a big emphasis on incorporating evidence-based practice into his daily clinical care and is committed to helping bridge the gap between research and practice.
Wellington
Max Berry
Dr Max Berry received her medical education in London and has since specialised in neonatal medicine in New Zealand. Max is a Member of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Children’s Health (MRCPCH) and a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (FRACP). She completed her PhD at the Liggins Institute, University of Auckland. She works as a Neonatologist at Wellington Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Otago (Wellington). Max’s research interests focus on translation of biomedical research into clinical practice.
Whakatane
Thabani Sibanda
Thabani graduated in medicine from the University of Zimbabwe and undertook specialist training in Obstetrics and Gynaecology in Bristol and London. He is a Member of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (MRCOG). Thabani is the Medical Director at Bay of Plenty DHB and is a consultant obstetrician at Whakatane Hospital. He has led PROMPT (PRactical Obstetric Multi-Professional Training) courses in Zimbabwe and published a number of peer-reviewed articles on improving maternity care in low resource settings.
Gisborne
Sean Pocock
Sean graduated in medicine from the University of Arizona in 2003, where he also completed a Masters of Public Health. Sean trained in obstetrics and gynaecology at Columbia University, NYC and worked at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston before moving to sunny Gisborne in 2012. Gisborne is a small secondary maternity unit, and while passionate about the value of integrating research into clinical practice, they are still exploring ways to get actively involved in maternal and perinatal research.
Hawkes Bay
Kirsten Gaerty
Kirsten received her medical education at the University of Otago, before training in obstetrics and gynaecology. Kirsten is an obstetrician in Hastings, where she supervises medical student education and is a member of the Maternity Clinical Governance group. Kirsten is co-lead of the local Perinatal Morbidity and Mortality meetings, and is a member of the Maternal Morbidity Central Region review panel, an initiative of the HQSCNZ. Kirsten is passionate about the potential for well-designed perinatal and maternal research to improve outcomes.
Rotorua
Emma Deverall
Tauranga
Chris Thurnell
Chris obtained a degree in structural engineering prior to studying medicine at Manchester University, UK. He worked as Junior Lecturer in Anatomy at Manchester University before his obstetric training in Auckland, Christchurch and the UK. Chris has been working as obstetrician and gynaecologist at Tauranga Hospital since 2002 where he has always worked part-time in an attempt to maintain sanity, given his main job of hand-rearing his five children. Chris is the Trainee Intern supervisor at Tauranga Hospital, and is an Honorary Senior Lecturer at the University of Auckland. He joined the ON TRACK Network as he is passionate about the opportunity for secondary care units to participate in world-class research, and the collateral benefits that participation in research adds to those units. His interests are varied, and mainly involve translational research i.e. academic research that can be incorporated easily into bedside practice.
Waitemata
Wendy Burgess
Dr Wendy Burgess is an Obstetrician & Gynaecologist at Waitemata DHB and a Senior Clinical Lecturer at the University of Auckland. She graduated from Auckland Medical School and completed a Certificate in Pain Assessment and Management from the University of Otago. She works in the Pelvic Pain clinic at Waitemata DHB.
Other interests include Medical Education and Research. She is a member of the Maternal Sleep Working Group at the Auckland University.